The Best Man’s Joy: Exalting Christ in a Jealous World

• Confession and Absolution [00:15:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the purpose of corporate confession using the metaphor of the Bible as a mirror that reveals both God and human sin, leading to a communal prayer of confession and assurance of forgiveness based on Ephesians 2.
• Scripture Reading [00:30:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > A reading from Isaiah 62:1-5 is presented as a passage of hope regarding Zion's righteousness and God's delight in His people.
• Prayers of the People [00:31:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > A prayer leader introduces a hymn about the importance of prayer and leads the congregation in intercessory prayers for global conflicts, church leadership, healthcare workers, missionaries, and specific individuals facing health or personal challenges.
• Sermon Introduction and Scripture Reading [00:48:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the sermon text from John 3:22-36, discussing the context of John the Baptist's ministry and the debate over whether the final verses are spoken by John the Baptist or the Evangelist, before beginning the reading.
• Divine Providence and Sovereignty [01:02:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that John's response to his disciples' jealousy was rooted in the theological truth that all authority and success are granted by God, not earned by human effort.
• Professional Jealousy and Ministry Envy [01:03:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects John's historical situation to modern contexts, identifying jealousy in schools, teams, and church ministries as a common sin that must be countered by recognizing God's sovereignty.
• The Role of the Forerunner vs. The Messiah [01:05:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes the metaphor of the bridegroom and the friend, highlighting John's humility and loyalty in accepting his subordinate role to Jesus.
• Humility and Integrity in Leadership [01:01:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the test of John's integrity when his popularity waned, contrasting it with the pastor's own admission of needing to avoid critiquing others to find security.
• Humility and Service [01:05:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the need to be 'big without pride or small without shame' and to rejoice in what God gives to others rather than seeking personal security in critiquing them.
• The Role of the Forerunner [01:05:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the metaphor of the bridegroom's best friend, the pastor explains John the Baptist's role to prepare people for Jesus without seeking their affection or loyalty for himself.
• Church Leadership and Affection [01:10:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor applies the text to modern ministry, warning ministers, counselors, and teachers against trying to win the first affections of the church for themselves.
• Authority and Testimony of Jesus [01:14:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor outlines reasons for Jesus' supremacy: his authority from above, his reliable testimony witnessed by heaven, and the gift of the Spirit given to him without measure.
• Eternal Life through Belief [01:20:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor concludes that eternal life is a gift belonging to all who believe in the Son, regardless of their past failures or rivalries.
• Salvation by Faith Alone [01:21:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that salvation requires no works, conditions, or probation, citing J.C. Ryle to emphasize that belief in Christ is the only requirement for forgiveness.
• The Nature of Eternal Life [01:20:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines eternal life not merely as future existence but as a present reality of love and glory that persists through death, contrasting it with a life restricted to the morally perfect.
• Divine Judgment and Wrath [01:24:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor warns that without Christ, God's wrath is already upon sinners and will be fully revealed, emphasizing that salvation is necessary because humans are part of a broken, fallen race.
• The Lord's Supper (Communion) [01:26:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor (or ruling elder) transitions to the liturgy, explaining the theological significance of the meal, the requirement for public profession of faith, and the warning against partaking in an unworthy manner.

• Sermon Illustration [00:15:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the Bible as a mirror to explain how scripture reveals both God's nature and human sinfulness, prompting the need for confession.
• Sermon Illustration [00:31:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > A prayer leader references the 1875 hymn 'Did You Think to Pr?' by Kidder and Perkins to illustrate the importance of prioritizing prayer amidst worldly distractions.
• Sermon Illustration [00:55:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of wedding ushers to describe how Jesus ushered in His kingdom: with purpose, care, and dignity, not by dragging people in, but by treating John's ministry with respect while gradually shifting focus to Himself.
• Sermon Illustration [01:06:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor humorously contrasts John's need to explain he wasn't the Messiah with his own lack of such pretensions, noting, 'No one makes that mistake about me,' to highlight John's immense popularity.
• Sermon Illustration [00:59:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes John's ministry as a 'movable pilgrimage site' and 'tourist destination,' detailing how travel guides had to be rewritten to include sketches of John's camel cloak, leather belt, and diet of honey and locusts.
• Sermon Illustration [01:07:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the cultural role of the 'best man' or 'bridegroom's friend' in ancient weddings, who would fend off disappointed suitors and rejoice when the groom arrives, to illustrate John the Baptist's joy in Jesus' prominence.
• Sermon Illustration [01:07:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Alexander Dumas' 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and the character Adele to illustrate the heartbreak and jealousy that can arise in relationships, contrasting it with the spiritual duty of the best man.
• Sermon Illustration [01:09:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, and John Murray to describe the hypothetical scenario of a best man trying to capture the bride for himself, labeling it as unfaithful and sinful.
• Sermon Illustration [01:12:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes an old Puritan and member of the Westminster Assembly who described true Christians as those who stand in the crowd and lift up Christ upon their shoulders, content not to be seen themselves.
• Sermon Illustration [01:15:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes John Calvin's phrase 'Christ speaks from the throne, I speak from the footstool' to illustrate the difference between Jesus' divine authority and human delegated authority.
• Sermon Illustration [01:20:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a rhetorical contrast to illustrate the accessibility of the gospel, stating that eternal life is not restricted to those who have conquered rivalry, jealousy, or complaining, but is for all who believe.
• Sermon Illustration [01:21:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references J.C. Ryle to illustrate the ease of salvation, noting there are no works to be done or prices to be paid before a sinner can be accepted.
• Sermon Illustration [01:24:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the metaphor of a 'broken world' and 'fallen race' where people are 'already down' to illustrate the human condition and the need for a Savior who comes 'from above.'

• Pastoral Charge [00:49:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > Pray for the Lord to raise up godly, able, energetic, and earnest students.
• Pastoral Charge [00:49:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Pray for the Lord to raise up students, specifically young women for counseling/Bible study leadership and men for pastoral/missionary/church planting roles.
• Pastoral Charge [01:11:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > Avoid seeking personal admiration from the church.
• Pastoral Charge [01:12:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > Adopt the spirit of decreasing self-exaltation so that Jesus may increase.
• Pastoral Charge [01:28:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > Unbelievers or seekers are instructed to speak with church leadership or their guest to learn about faith in Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [01:28:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is instructed to engage in prayer, meditation, and focus on Christ during the communion service.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] So, if I sing, I don't have to remember to...

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:03:40] This is what I got.
[00:03:43] There you go. Yep.
[00:03:44] Is that correct?
[00:03:45] You have number three, you have number four.
[00:03:46] I'm pretty sure that's right. Yep.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:03:48] Okay, hold on. Let me mute. I can hear you.
[00:03:49] Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut.
[00:03:50] You're off.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:03:52] Okay, and you...

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:05:14] Okay. All right. Good morning, everybody.
[00:05:31] Welcome to Harbor Church here at Harbor.
[00:05:33] We are a family of God bound together to glorify and enjoy him forever.
[00:05:37] And we do this by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, strengthening each other in him and showing him to our community in the world.
[00:05:43] A guy came with us on that mission this morning.
[00:05:45] a couple of quick announcements before we get started. I'm not going to read all of them. I just want to highlight a few. We've got singing at Ransom Ridge coming up Thursday, March 12th.
[00:05:57] I believe that's an old thing, right? Is that right? Yes. Right. So see charity, raise your hand. I know. Yeah. Go see charity if you're interested. Wonderful opportunity. Church work day, as long as it's sunny, is going to be Saturday, March 21st. We'll start about 8,
[00:06:15] 830. I don't have an exact time yet, but thereabouts to help tidy up. We can use any help you can give to us. So if you're handy, we can find jobs for you. If you just like cleaning, we can find jobs
[00:06:27] for you. If you just want to watch children and make sure they don't get in trouble, that's a great job. Speaking of watching children, we have some needs in the nursery. We've had a number of
[00:06:38] changeovers in terms of folks who have volunteered and had to stop volunteering for the nursery. So we could use a few more volunteers. If you're interested, you can see, is Liz here? Okay, well, yeah, she's in. Well, Liz is already in the nursery. Or Kara or Crystal. Is Crystal here?
[00:06:58] Oh, man. See, this is why we need more nursery workers. So go see them. If you're interested, we could really, really use the help. Let's see. Following, right after the benediction, We did this at Christmas time, so this is going to be some of a similar concept.
[00:07:17] The kids, preschool through fifth grade, are doing an Easter devotion time during the snack time.
[00:07:23] They have snacks, so don't worry, kids.
[00:07:25] You will get fed.
[00:07:26] But go straight after the bendition, within reason, walk all the way to the classroom to the left, and that's going to be every single week leading up to Christmas.
[00:07:39] Easter.
[00:07:41] Yes.
[00:07:44] Last but not least, my wife, Lindsay, has announced I'm at dinners of eight.
[00:09:27] And that's for members, that's for visitors, for anybody.
[00:09:33] If you're here and you're listening, yeah, that's right, that's right.
[00:09:39] All right.
[00:09:40] Oh, the Lord calls us to worship this morning from Psalm 149.
[00:09:44] And if you would please stand as we recite God's word together from Psalm 149.
[00:09:50] I'll begin, and if you would respond in the bold.
[00:09:53] Praise the Lord.
[00:09:55] Sing to the Lord a new song.
[00:09:56] His praise in the assembly of the godly.
[00:10:00] Let Israel be glad in his maker.
[00:10:03] Let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
[00:10:06] Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
[00:10:12] For the Lord takes pleasure in his people.
[00:10:15] He adorns the humble with salvation.
[00:10:18] Let's pray.
[00:10:19] Lord God, we ask, please, Lord, that we would be reminded again of the good pleasure that you take in us.
[00:10:27] Lord, and you take pleasure in us not because we have earned our place with you.
[00:10:32] We have not done enough righteousness, Lord God, for you to smile upon us.
[00:10:36] But, Lord, you smile because Christ lived for us, died for us, and was raised for us.
[00:10:42] Lord, we are grateful and thankful for that reality that is the bedrock of our lives.
[00:10:47] And I pray, Lord God, please, that as we again have the privilege and the joy of being able to worship you with your people, Lord, would you stir our hearts up to love and to faith and to hope in you.
[00:11:03] And Lord, to that end, we now, as one people, recite the Lord's Prayer as we say all together.
[00:11:08] Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:11:13] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:11:18] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
[00:11:25] And lead us not into temptation that deliver us from evil.
[00:11:29] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
[00:11:33] As you stand, let's sing together.

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:11:37] Philippians 2, 9 through 11, Paul writes this, Therefore God has highly exalted him, that is Jesus, and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven
[00:11:52] and on earth and under the earth.
[00:11:56] And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[00:12:03] So we get to join that everlasting song.
[00:12:05] We get to that in verse 6.
[00:12:07] join the, we will join the everlasting song. The verse says, we join the everlasting song. Now, we get to confess Christ to one another in song even. So let's sing.

[00:13:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:13:47] If you look at your order of worship at your bulletin, you might notice that there's a lot

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:15:58] of scripture in there. The Bible tells us that the word of God is like a mirror. And when we look into it, we see two things. We see God clearly, but we also see ourselves more clearly. And that's
[00:16:16] one of the reasons that we confess our sins together each week as we come to worship God.
[00:16:21] We come and we look into his perfect word, his perfect law, and when we do that, it reveals our sin once again. And so would you confess together with me out loud this morning? Our Father,
[00:16:37] full of grace and wisdom. Forgive us for our foolish claims to wisdom, for our misplaced pride in our own weak merits, and for our blind stumbling while claiming to have clear insight.
[00:16:52] Sometimes we diminish your law through our failure to see the ugliness of our sin and its impact on others, while at other times we diminish your abundant grace through self-focused anxiety about the consequences of our sin.
[00:17:09] When we appeal to you and rest in your grace for ourselves, we often deny it to others, whether their sin is different from ours or very much the same.
[00:17:21] Thank you for your mysterious and eternal plan to redeem us through your Son and for demonstrating your goodness while graciously answering our profound needs needs as individuals and as a community. Take a moment now, reflect over your life, consider your
[00:17:41] ways, and go and confess your sins before the Lord silently. Father, we confess to you how so often we claim your abundant grace for ourselves, but we refuse to show that same abundant grace towards
[00:18:11] the sin of others, especially, Lord, towards those who are most close to us. Father, how saddening it is that often it's those that we claim to love the most whom we will forgive the least.
[00:18:27] It ought not be, Lord, please forgive us. Wash us, O Lord, we ask in the blood of Jesus. Amen.
[00:18:38] As you come and you look in the perfect mirror of the law of the Lord, James 1 tells us that that mirror is the law of perfect liberty.
[00:18:49] And it's as you see yourself clearly, you also see the Lord Jesus.
[00:18:54] And so we need to hear from him again this morning that all who confess their sin, trusting in Christ by faith, are truly and really forgiven in this very moment.
[00:19:07] Hear God's assurance from Ephesians chapter two.
[00:19:11] For by grace you have been saved through faith.
[00:19:14] and this is not of your own doing.
[00:19:17] It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
[00:19:24] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
[00:19:34] Amen.
[00:19:35] Would you stand with me as we continue to worship and sing together?

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:19:41] Let's sing our way into the next song with the last phrase of the song we just finished.
[00:19:46] You don't have to put that slide up.
[00:19:47] You guys know this week, just saying the words.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:19:49] We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of omniscience.
[00:20:10] God all knowing in his wisdom does ordain every working of creation To the glory of His name Who the thoughts can dare to fathom Whose judgments can contain None is equal, unassailable He our God, whoever
[00:20:42] Keep me omnipresent In the passing days of man There's two last, not one forgotten In this strong and steep, unwavering Just a tent and my inexhaustible Shepherd, ever faithful To his love, his people Christ in a ransom to the poor
[00:22:28] I've been listening to some kids talk

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:23:27] And a lot of times when kids are talking you know, it can become a little bit of a competition. Maybe somewhere along the lines, it becomes a competition about whose dad is greater. So it sounds something like this.
[00:23:41] Well, you know what? My dad can lift that rock over there. Oh, yeah? Well, my dad can lift a monster truck tire. Oh, yeah? My dad can lift the monster truck. And it becomes, you know,
[00:23:55] a little embellished as time goes on. But who your dad is matters. There's no, maybe no greater question that we can ask than who is God? Oh yeah, well my dad is. You see, it all hangs on who God
[00:24:16] is. And so this morning as we confess our faith, we're confessing our faith from Westminster or larger catechism, question number seven. And these words in this are loaded words as we ask who is God. I invite you as we confess together to slow down and savor these words. I ask you then
[00:24:40] this morning, dear Christians, what is God? God is a spirit in and of himself, infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection, all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just,
[00:25:08] most merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth.
[00:25:15] As we continue with our memory verse this month, we're in 1 Corinthians 15, 3 to 4.
[00:25:22] Hopefully you've been able to scan the little QR code so you can see those scripture songs.
[00:25:27] They're not just for the kids.
[00:25:29] They're wonderful, and they will help you learn these verses each month.
[00:25:33] So let's say our verse together now.
[00:25:37] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day
[00:25:51] in accordance with the Scriptures.
[00:25:54] Let's continue to sing together.

[00:25:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:25:56] My strength, my song, the solid ground, heights of love, depths of peace.

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:30:19] Read from God's Word, Isaiah chapter 62, verses 1 through 5, a passage of great hope.
[00:30:26] this is God's holy and inspired word for Zion's sake I will not keep silent and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a
[00:30:40] burning torch the nations shall see your righteousness and all the kings your glory and you shall be called by a new name that that the mouth of the Lord will give you shall be a
[00:30:56] crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed desolate. You shall be called, my delight
[00:31:09] is in her, and your land married. For the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.
[00:31:17] For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. This time I'd like to ask one of our
[00:31:30] ruling elders, Jack Edwards, to come and lead us in prayer. I wanted to share this morning, Nancy

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:31:48] kind of studies hymnals quite a bit, and I'm going to get in trouble for bringing this up. She studied hymnals quite a bit, but this week she shared from the Broadman hymnal a song that was
[00:32:04] written in 1875 by Kidder and Perkins. Did you think to pray? That's the name of the hymn. Did you think to pray? With all we have going on in the world today, in Iran, Ukraine, Africa, South
[00:32:24] America, in the United States, did you think to pray? When you got up first thing this morning, did you think to pray? I'm going to read you the chorus of this, of this hymn.
[00:32:42] Oh, how praying rests the weary. Prayer changes night to day. So when life seems dark and dreary, don't forget to pray. Prayer is very important. We incorporate it in our worship. We incorporate it in our daily lives. Prayer is very important. As we go to God now, let's take a couple of
[00:33:12] minutes and think about those who need prayer, those who are lost, family members, friends, people that would come in contact, and let's lift them up to God in prayer. Let's pray.
[00:33:42] Heavenly Father, we come before you so thankful that you hear us. You listen to our every word.
[00:33:49] our every concern, our every praise.
[00:33:54] Father, thank you.
[00:33:58] Father, we have so many concerns, especially in the world today.
[00:34:04] We have wars going on in Ukraine, Africa, South America, and in the Middle East.
[00:34:13] Father, we lift up the underground churches to you.
[00:34:19] Those who don't follow the regimes of those who are in charge.
[00:34:25] Father, I ask that You bless those churches.
[00:34:29] Protect them.
[00:34:30] Keep them safe.
[00:34:33] Father, let them feel Your love.
[00:34:38] Father, we pray for our country.
[00:34:43] We are fighting amongst ourselves.
[00:34:50] Father, help us to find the peace that only You can offer us.
[00:34:57] Father, we need Your help.
[00:35:00] I'm not ashamed to ask for it.
[00:35:02] please help we lift up our other governments, our local, our county, the municipalities around, Father.
[00:35:14] Raise up leaders who are not afraid to be Christians, to be bold, to protect your children.
[00:35:26] Father, we lift up the medic, the police, the fire departments.
[00:35:32] I ask that you protect them.
[00:35:34] Give them wisdom and knowledge.
[00:35:36] give them compassion as they take care of your children Father we lift up the doctors that we are coming in contact with the nurses the staff anyone involved in our health care Father I ask that you
[00:35:54] give them the wisdom they need help them to be compassionate give them knowledge Father we lift up our outreach to share and encourage others Help us to be bold.
[00:36:12] Help us to be courageous as we ask them to join us here at church, small group, or just in a little conversation.
[00:36:22] Help us, Father, please.
[00:36:24] And help us as we're looking at planting a church.
[00:36:29] Father, give us wisdom.
[00:36:33] Give us your direction.
[00:36:37] Help us to do what you want us to do.
[00:36:44] We ask that you bless the men's ministry, Father.
[00:36:47] Help them to raise up leaders in the church and in the family and in the community.
[00:36:55] Father, I ask that you bless those that are involved in it, that plan it.
[00:37:01] Father, help them.
[00:37:04] We lift up Hope of Mooresville and those homeless women and children.
[00:37:10] Father, place your hands around them.
[00:37:12] Bless them.
[00:37:15] Provide the needs.
[00:37:18] but most of all provide their willingness to accept Jesus.
[00:37:24] And we lift up our sister church, New Hope Presbyterian, James Byers and China Grove.
[00:37:31] I ask that you bless their service this morning.
[00:37:33] Let their worship be pleasing to you.
[00:37:37] Let their ministry to the China Grove area be fruitful and also pleasing to you.
[00:37:46] We lift up the missionaries throughout the world.
[00:37:49] Father, those in the Middle East, in Israel, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, South America, Father, the missionaries here in the United States, Father, I ask that you protect them, give them peace, give them boldness, make them courageous as they serve you.
[00:38:21] We especially lift up Marshall and Amy Childers in the Greater European Mission.
[00:38:28] They have prayer requests for their Easter visitation that they do in the park.
[00:38:36] Father, be helpful.
[00:38:38] Bless that time.
[00:38:40] Let it be fruitful as they share your gospel.
[00:38:44] We pray for traveling mercies as they are planning to come back home to the United States.
[00:38:50] Let their time be joyful.
[00:38:52] here, prepare them, let them get rest. And Father, they ask for prayer for Ezra as he deploys with the U.S. Army. Father, I ask that you protect all the troops, not only the ones that Ezra is in, but
[00:39:14] all of our soldiers who are sacrificing for us. Father, if they don't know you, let someone come in contact and share that good news. Make them receptive. Father, we pray for those who have surgery coming up or have had surgery recently. Father, I ask that you be with Pam as they
[00:39:42] navigate the medical area. Father, give Pam and Todd peace and understanding as to what's going on.
[00:39:55] Father, I ask that you heal Sarah Strobel.
[00:39:59] Continue to heal her.
[00:40:01] Let the results of her test next week be positive.
[00:40:06] Give her some needed rest going forward.
[00:40:14] Father, I thank you for Kent and the healing that's taken place in Kent's life.
[00:40:21] Father, you are in charge of that as you are in charge of Greg's healing.
[00:40:28] Father, I ask that you place your hand on these brothers and sisters.
[00:40:34] Draw them near.
[00:40:35] Let them feel your presence.
[00:40:38] Father, we pray for Lindsay's sister-in-law.
[00:40:43] As she has been dealing with cancer, may the treatments result in positive effects.
[00:40:50] And Crystal's father with his pancreatic cancer, Father, please draw them close.
[00:40:59] Pray for healing.
[00:41:00] We pray for thy will be done.
[00:41:03] and Janice's uncle.
[00:41:07] Father, we pray for the cancer there.
[00:41:10] Father, we need direction in proceeding from the MRI results that Elle and Addie received.
[00:41:19] Father, make it clear what they're supposed to do.
[00:41:23] And Father, we pray for Karen, for peace and wisdom in dealing with a hostile work environment.
[00:41:31] Let Seth be a strong place for her to come to.
[00:41:38] Father, we pray for Don's mother, Denny's grandmother, as she is transitioning into assisted living.
[00:41:47] Father, give them strength as they work with her.
[00:41:52] Give her peace with the loss of her husband.
[00:41:56] Father, we lift up Bennett to you.
[00:42:00] Father, thank you that he is such a ball of fire.
[00:42:03] Father, he is a blessing to us.
[00:42:05] We ask that you heal him from his seizures.
[00:42:11] Father, be with Emily and Ryan.
[00:42:12] Give them the wisdom they need.
[00:42:15] Give them patience.
[00:42:17] Give them compassion as they deal with him.
[00:42:21] Father, we lift up Dr. Van Dixhorn to you.
[00:42:27] Father, be with his family as they have people coming in for the next three weeks.
[00:42:32] Father, I ask that you bless the time that they have together.
[00:42:37] Father, let your peace reign over all this time.
[00:42:43] Father, I lift up the message He's bringing to us.
[00:42:47] Father, I ask that He be strong.
[00:42:51] He be courageous and be bold in presenting Your message.
[00:42:57] Father, I ask You to please open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, and our hearts to accept Your message.
[00:43:08] We wait in hope for the Lord.
[00:43:11] He is our help and shield.
[00:43:13] In Him, our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.
[00:43:21] May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.
[00:43:29] For it's in the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:43:43] ...forward to take up tithes and offerings.
[00:43:45] This is a chance for us to worship the Lord physically.
[00:43:48] and this is mainly for us as members we promise to support the church and its worship and work to the best of our ability and so if you're a guest this morning we don't expect anything from
[00:44:00] you of course if you want to give that's that's wonderful but we want you to know that we do this because we love christ so in whatever way you give may you give with a cheerful heart

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:44:09] Father God, we ask these tithes, these offerings, Lord, our hands, our feet, our minds, our hearts,

[00:47:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:47:21] and everything, Lord, to glorify you. Let your name would be praised. And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Would you please stand as we thank God for his blessings by singing doxology together.
[00:47:33] This time I'd like to welcome up Dr. Chad Van Dixhorn. He is a pastor in the OPC, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, so sister denomination.
[00:48:19] He also lives in Charlotte here as a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, and so very grateful to have him here not only to preach to us this morning, but also to talk with us during Sunday school.
[00:48:31] So, Dr. Van Dixhorn.

[00:48:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:48:32] Good morning. I invite you to turn with me to John chapter 3, John 3. When Elder Edwards very

[00:48:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:48:48] kindly asked me to share a prayer request, I couldn't think past my busy morning and busy household. But I suppose if you want to keep praying, which would be very kind, pray that the Lord would raise up many, many students who are godly, able, energetic, earnest.
[00:49:15] There is such a shortage of pastors and missionaries today, and we need people to come to the Lord.
[00:49:23] We need people to come from the Lord to the world.
[00:49:27] And so I'd ask that you would pray that the Lord would raise up students, young women who want to be trained to be counselors and Bible study leaders, and then men whom the Lord could call to be, again, pastors and missionaries and church planters.
[00:49:48] Well, I want to read this morning from verse 22 to verse 36 of John chapter 3.
[00:49:58] We'll visit a chapter in John the Baptist's life by reading a chapter here in John the Evangelist's gospel.
[00:50:05] I should say that it's unclear to me if the reflection that we see about Jesus in verses 31 to 36 are the words of John the preacher, as has traditionally been understood, or if they are the words of John the writer, as many modern scholars suggest.
[00:50:28] In either case, verses 31 to 36 are God's word to us this morning, as is everything that we'll read.
[00:50:37] So let's study these words with care and then ask where we are ourselves as we read these final solemn lines of this chapter.
[00:50:50] God's word, John 3, beginning at verse 22.
[00:50:53] After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.
[00:51:02] John also was baptizing at Anon near Salem, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized, for John had not yet been put in prison.
[00:51:16] Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification.
[00:51:22] And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he's baptizing, and all are going to him.
[00:51:37] John answered, a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
[00:51:48] You yourselves bore me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
[00:51:59] The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.
[00:52:03] The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice.
[00:52:11] Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete.
[00:52:15] He must increase, but I must decrease.
[00:52:22] He who comes from above is above all.
[00:52:25] He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.
[00:52:29] He who comes from heaven is above all.
[00:52:33] He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.
[00:52:40] Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
[00:52:45] For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
[00:52:54] The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
[00:53:01] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.
[00:53:07] Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
[00:53:14] This is God's word. Let us pray.
[00:53:18] Our gracious God and Father, we ask that the words that we have read would come alive to us this morning.
[00:53:29] We ask, Father, that your living and powerful word would do its work in our hearts and minds and lives as by your Holy Spirit you impress this message upon our hearts.
[00:53:43] Lord, we ask that you would make us hearers, and not just hearers but believers and then not only believers but also doers of your word.
[00:53:53] Would you do these things?
[00:53:55] We ask that you would for our sakes so that we would be encouraged.
[00:54:02] We pray that you would do this for the sake of our community so that as you change us, we would be better witnesses to our world.
[00:54:11] And most of all, we ask that you would do this for your sake for you deserve all the glory.
[00:54:16] It's in Jesus' name we pray.
[00:54:18] Amen. Well, after a nighttime meeting with a man named Nicodemus, Jesus left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside, and he ended up in the same area as his cousin John. As we see in
[00:54:36] verses 22 to 24, John had needed a steady supply of water for the immense crowds that came to him for baptism. Anon near Salem was a place of many springs, and whether John was putting people
[00:54:54] under the water, or as I think more likely, was scooping up water on top of the head of one person after another, it's a Presbyterian congregation, you can believe either way, John needed water, and he found a place where he could baptize perhaps thousands.
[00:55:17] Well, when Jesus arrived in the neighborhood, he continued John's groundbreaking work for the kingdom of God.
[00:55:23] And his disciples began to do the same kinds of things that John and his disciples had been doing.
[00:55:31] The baptism of Jesus' disciples, that is the baptizing that they were doing, reveals that the king, Jesus, was bringing in his kingdom gradually, kindly.
[00:55:45] Other theologians have said that, or older theologians have described this as Jesus ushering in his kingdom.
[00:55:53] I think that old-fashioned use of that word is good.
[00:55:57] When ushers at a wedding bring family and friends to their seats in the sanctuary, they don't sort of drag them down the aisle and push them in a seat no no they they move people
[00:56:10] with purpose and care and dignity they're sensitive to all the the changes that are going on as exciting as everything seems ushers are careful when they're ushering and when jesus was ushering in his kingdom his pace his practice was perfect here he was treating john and his ministry with
[00:56:34] respect, encouraging him even as he was adding to his message, even as he was changing things right there at Anon near Salem. Nonetheless, while Jesus' introduction of his teaching and of his kingdom was gradual, it was noticeable. People had been listening to John and his message,
[00:56:59] and now they were listening to Jesus, and they spotted a difference between Jesus' ministry and John's, between the forerunner and Jesus himself. People started talking about what John and Jesus were doing differently, perhaps, and a conflict arose. The conflict that we read about was about
[00:57:23] baptism. Why were Jesus' disciples now baptizing, and why were people going to them to get baptized instead of to John? And then a baptism, of course, an argument about baptism quickly became, of course, an argument about Jesus himself, who was the center point and focus of all of this.
[00:57:43] You've already heard me read with you how unhappy John's disciples were. They went to their leader and told them that Jesus was pulling in the crowds.
[00:57:54] And listen to the way they talk.
[00:57:56] First, the Baptist disciples spoke about John with respect.
[00:58:00] They call him rabbi or teacher.
[00:58:02] But Jesus, they don't even mention by name.
[00:58:05] He's just the one to whom John bore witness, as if John was doing Jesus some kind of favor.
[00:58:13] The way we talk about people sometimes shows what we think about them.
[00:58:17] and it did not appear that they yet thought very highly about Jesus.
[00:58:23] Second, they kind of exaggerate what's happening.
[00:58:26] All are going to him, they say.
[00:58:29] We know that we often exaggerate when we're trying to justify a complaining spirit.
[00:58:34] The fact is, Jesus was not putting John out of business, let alone out of busyness.
[00:58:41] Even if Jesus did attract large crowds, John would continue to maintain a huge reputation, enough popularity that King Herod himself would want to hear him. Now, I want you to see this morning that John's disciples came to him
[00:59:01] at an interesting, at a critical moment in time. John's ministry had enjoyed a success like no other ministry before him.
[00:59:16] Moses, Elijah, Elisha, not one of them came close to John.
[00:59:23] There were prophets who would get visits from people who wanted answers.
[00:59:27] There were prophets who could teach other prophets.
[00:59:30] There were prophets who were given messages.
[00:59:32] There were prophets who led the people of God.
[00:59:34] But John was the first prophet who was wildly popular.
[00:59:39] All of the gospels agree, rich and poor, Jews and Romans, leaders and followers from Israel and beyond were all coming to hear John.
[00:59:50] John had become a kind of movable pilgrimage site.
[00:59:53] Wherever he went, people went.
[00:59:55] It was a tourist destination, a perennial front page item.
[00:59:59] The evening news was now incomplete without mention of John and where he was and what he's doing.
[01:00:04] Travel guides to the Jordan and now to Salem had to be rewritten to include sketches of that man who was worth seeing. He wore this camel's cloak and a leather belt and symbolic pot of honey and pile of locusts on a rock. His travel
[01:00:20] food would all have to be mentioned. Just imagine all the entrepreneurial opportunities. John was a big deal. Everyone was going to him. And now remember too, John and his disciples did not know what we read this morning. They did not know that this movement would come to a sudden end.
[01:00:43] They didn't know about prison and then death. We who read this chapter know it. We know what was around the corner soon enough, but John did not know it. And so this situation where people,
[01:01:00] a subset of people, a noticeable amount of people were leaving him and going to Jesus, presented a real test of his integrity.
[01:01:09] And his followers were encouraging him to be upset about what was happening.
[01:01:15] They were framing what was happening around John as a problem.
[01:01:21] He could have leaned into that.
[01:01:24] He doesn't.
[01:01:26] This is a real test of John's integrity.
[01:01:28] And given how popular he was, a detraction from that popularity would be very difficult.
[01:01:37] Perhaps a bigger challenge to his ministry than any of us will ever meet in our own lives or ministries.
[01:01:43] His admirers were encouraging him to stop the flow of people who kept drifting over to Jesus.
[01:01:50] And to John's credit, he saw that kind of talk, that kind of a perspective, as a problem.
[01:01:58] He didn't like the way his supporters talked and thought, and so he met it head on.
[01:02:04] In response to his disciples' complaint, John explained his complete commitment to Jesus by issuing a proverb and offering a parable.
[01:02:15] John wanted his followers, at the very least, to recognize that a person cannot receive even one thing unless it's given him from heaven. With this sort of proverb of sorts, he wanted them to understand a basic point about the providence of God.
[01:02:34] Jesus was who he was because more was given him from heaven.
[01:02:41] And John was whom he was, and he was a lot less than the sum total that Jesus was.
[01:02:48] John was who he was because less had been given him from heaven.
[01:02:55] Now, consider what John is saying because I think that it has some relevance for all of us today.
[01:03:04] According to recent sightings, professional jealousy is still raising its ugly head.
[01:03:10] We see it at work, in school, on the team, sometimes at home.
[01:03:16] Indeed, we can spot it in conversations between close friends.
[01:03:20] Jealousy is everywhere.
[01:03:21] And when we see it, we need to give it a kind of knock on the head with John 3, 27.
[01:03:28] Because John is explaining to his disciples something that should instruct all of us.
[01:03:33] We should not fault those who are given much by God.
[01:03:38] We should not fault those or be jealous of those who are particularly successful in their callings, whatever that calling may be.
[01:03:48] And if that's true in general, surely it's especially true in the work of the church, especially true in the various ministries that we are called to do.
[01:04:01] Surely we need to see if God gives a counselor or a Sunday school teacher or a small group leader or a pastor, special gifts, good content, effective ministry, an unusual acceptance amongst those to whom he or she is seeking to serve.
[01:04:18] We're to give God all the glory.
[01:04:22] Not to kind of casually mention their occasional fault.
[01:04:25] We're not to focus on things that we'd like to see improved.
[01:04:30] No, we're to be thankful for what God has given in what God is doing. That's the spirit of John the Baptist. I just speak for myself. We who are small town professors or preachers need to show leadership by thanking God for the astonishing
[01:04:46] gifts that he's given to others, the people who write the better books, the people who draw the bigger crowds. I don't need to pretend that I'm able to, yeah, how do I say this? I don't need
[01:05:00] to find my security in my ability to critique others or to pretend that they're all my buddies.
[01:05:07] And the same goes, I suppose, for artists, students, plumbers, and lawyers.
[01:05:11] May God help each one of us to be big without pride or small without shame. May he help each one of us to recall that a person cannot receive even one thing unless it's been given him from
[01:05:26] heaven, and then to rejoice in what God has given those who are on our team, those who are Christians serving the same God. Well, John encouraged thankfulness for Jesus in this saying or proverb. He then shows his true loyalty in a kind of parable. Jesus puts a metaphor to work in verses
[01:05:48] 27 to 30, employing the idea of a bridegroom and his best friend in order to show his disciples his devotion. You see, John knew that he himself was not the promised one. He wasn't the Messiah,
[01:06:04] he's not the Christ, and he says so in verse 28. Now just think about that for a moment.
[01:06:11] Just think about the fact that he had to make that comment or explanation. How popular was John?
[01:06:19] John had to tell people he wasn't the Messiah. That's how popular John was. No other prophet, priest or king in the history of the Bible had to make comments like that. By the way, I never have
[01:06:33] to explain to people that I'm not here to save the world. No one makes that mistake about me.
[01:06:39] But such was the prominence, the power, and the effectiveness of John. Such was his authority when he spoke that on more than one occasion he had to tell people, I'm not the Savior. He was
[01:06:54] the one sent before the Savior. He's just the one who gets people ready for the meeting and keeps them from getting distracted, losing their focus, or being won over to anyone else. He was, as John
[01:07:09] himself says, like a best man before a wedding, helping to make sure everything's running right, waiting at everyone's disposal, especially the bridegrooms, willing to do anything to make his friend's day a success. He's there for the bridegroom, he says. I'm not there for myself.
[01:07:30] In those days, the bridegroom's friend did all the conventional things that bridegroom's friends do today, but they also often had a more specific duty. As Alexander Dumas tells it in The Count of Monte Cristo, or as Adele seems to sing it in all of her songs, we know that by experience,
[01:07:53] there are people sometimes around the edges of a relationship or a marriage who are brokenhearted.
[01:08:00] They think they ought to be the ones who are holding hands, exchanging smiles, making promises with someone else in front of a group of friends or in a church. In some cultures, it was the task
[01:08:13] of the best man to fend off disappointed suitors who might like to make a last-ditch attempt for the bride, a last attempt to woo, or whatever the specific task, the friend of the bridegroom is happiest when? Well, he's happiest when the time for the wedding has arrived. When out in
[01:08:38] the hallway, he hears the groom talking or laughing and knows that the wedding's about to begin. That's when he's about to be unemployed. His job's over. The bridegroom's going to arrive and then he will be the focus.
[01:08:53] He rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice, John says.
[01:08:57] His joy is complete.
[01:09:00] Now just stop for a moment and think of what it would mean for that to go sideways.
[01:09:07] For what would we think as Augustine of Hippo, one of the church fathers, once asked, what would we think of a best man who kept the bride from everybody else so that he could get her for himself?
[01:09:20] What kind of friend would we think that man to be if he tried to capture the affections of the bride?
[01:09:28] What would we think in John Calvin's gritty phrase of a best man who tried to make the bride of his prostitute?
[01:09:35] I think we would agree he was not a best man or even a good man.
[01:09:40] And yet, as Scottish theologian John Murray once explained, that's exactly what John's disciples were tempting John to do.
[01:09:48] incongruous as it may seem in the sphere of social life as impossible as it would be in real life it is exactly what they were suggesting in the spiritual and heavenly sphere they wanted john
[01:10:01] to keep his hold on the people of israel to keep their attentions for himself and the prophet john growing up in the home of a priest could not have been ignorant of passages in the prophecies of
[01:10:18] Isaiah and Jeremiah and Hosea, we read one this morning, that call Israel or the believers within Israel the bride, the body promised to the Messiah. But whether he was thinking about it or not, surely we're meant to see the importance of what this last great prophet was thinking about Jesus.
[01:10:39] He's the bridegroom. I'm not. He deserves these people. He deserves their affection, their attention, their loyalty, their time, their love. I don't. No one's to stand between Jesus and his people. No one's to try to win the first affections of the church for themselves. No
[01:11:04] minister is to teach or preach. No counselor is to try and win the affections of people for themselves. No Sunday school teacher is really to make the class all about winning their own following. No, and not only are we not to do this unintentionally, we are to intentionally guard
[01:11:28] against this. We're to avoid any attempt to seek the admiration of the Christian church for ourselves. To seek such a pleasure would be to make the bride unfaithful. And notice this, notice this, John was not resigned to his place. He's not resigned to being second or third place
[01:11:50] or whatever his number is. No, he says this is his great joy. It's his great joy to point to Jesus.
[01:11:59] and it's in that spirit that he could issue the motto about Jesus that no member of Christ's church and certainly no leader in Christ's church should ever forget.
[01:12:10] He must increase, but I must decrease.
[01:12:16] This is the spirit of a true friend and servant of Jesus.
[01:12:19] We know it as soon as we hear it.
[01:12:21] He must increase, we must decrease.
[01:12:26] As an old Puritan, and a member of the Westminster Assembly once said, true Christians set up Christ in their ministry.
[01:12:36] They are content themselves to stand in the crowd and to lift up Christ upon their shoulders, content not to be seen themselves, so Christ might be exalted.
[01:12:47] Perhaps no one ever exalted Christ more under greater pressure than John the Baptist did at that moment.
[01:12:54] But isn't it what we all want to do?
[01:12:59] Every Christian instinctively admires the spirit of John the Baptist.
[01:13:05] We know he's right.
[01:13:06] Jesus must increase.
[01:13:08] I must not.
[01:13:10] At our worst moments, we get this reversed.
[01:13:12] We boast about ourselves.
[01:13:14] We diminish the gifts that Christ has given.
[01:13:17] And in that way, we diminish Christ himself.
[01:13:20] We advertise the excellence that can be found in ourselves.
[01:13:25] In my worst moments, Jesus decreases so I can increase.
[01:13:29] or at least, and this happens more often, I hope that as Jesus increases, I get to increase with him. Well, at our best moments, those are our worst moments, at our best moments, when the work
[01:13:41] of the Holy Spirit is not being resisted in our lives, when we're thinking straight, we can come up with any number of reasons why actually it is Jesus who must increase in the way we talk and
[01:13:55] think and act and worship. We can think of any number of reasons, but we lost an hour of sleep last night, and some of you might be short on caffeine, so you'll be relieved to hear that you
[01:14:07] don't need to do the thinking because reasons are provided for us right in our text. You don't have to come up with your own this morning. In verses 31 to 36, Scripture offers us John's reasoning
[01:14:19] about Jesus, either John the writer of the gospel or John the Baptist, three perfect reasons why we should come to the same conclusion as John the Baptist did. The first cause for the increase of Jesus in our estimation is his authority. He's the one who comes from above,
[01:14:39] and thus he's above all. The fact that Jesus is set above all is mentioned twice in verse 31.
[01:14:47] The simple meaning of this statement is that he holds a rule and authority that's above all others.
[01:14:53] no one can approach his greatness. We who are earthly, we who are people of Adam, belong to this world and our thoughts and words are limited by our humanity.
[01:15:07] As John Calvin put it, Christ speaks from the throne, I speak from the footstool.
[01:15:13] Now, preachers of the word do have a real authority delegated from Jesus, but the point is that even the commanding presence and the authority of someone like John pales beneath the ultimate presence and authority of the one who comes from above.
[01:15:32] It is because of this matchless authority that he must increase and we must decrease.
[01:15:38] John lifts up the authority of Jesus.
[01:15:40] He also, in verses 32 to 34, exalts the testimony of Jesus.
[01:15:46] The one who came from above brought with him a reliable testimony.
[01:15:51] He's heard and seen things above.
[01:15:53] much was known to him that could never be shared, but he bears witness to much that he had seen in her. The sad irony is that his teaching is accredited by the agency of heaven, and yet no
[01:16:05] one receives his testimony. All are going to him, John's disciples complain. Ah, but no one is receiving his testimony, John himself mourns. They thought too much was being given to Jesus.
[01:16:21] John says, no, not enough.
[01:16:24] It's not enough for people to hear about Jesus.
[01:16:28] It's not enough to hear a testimony about who he is and what he's done.
[01:16:32] He's only honored when people receive this testimony.
[01:16:37] Only when someone receives this testimony do they set their seal to the fact that God is true.
[01:16:45] Anything less calls God a liar.
[01:16:47] and sending us his Son, the Father sent the one who is truth incarnate.
[01:16:55] To reject the person of the Son is to reject the truth of God too.
[01:17:00] Jesus spoke the words of God because he was from heaven.
[01:17:04] He also did so, as verse 34 explains, because along with the Son, the Father sends his Spirit.
[01:17:11] To Jesus, he gives the Holy Spirit without measure.
[01:17:16] Jesus is the heaven-sent, spirit-filled truth of God.
[01:17:23] You know that.
[01:17:23] If you read the first part of the four Gospels, you'll hear this in his teaching.
[01:17:29] And if you read the last part of each Gospel, you'll see this in his testimony because he spoke more in his death and resurrection than he did in all of his sermons.
[01:17:39] It's because of this unrivaled testimony that he must increase and we must decrease.
[01:17:48] The final reason that the gospel gives for the elevation of Jesus is the gift of Jesus.
[01:17:55] And once again, to understand why Jesus must increase, we are directed in our thoughts heavenward.
[01:18:02] You see, it's not only true that the gift of Jesus is a gift from the Father and is sourced in the bottomless love of the Father.
[01:18:14] No, it's also true that the Father has given a gift to the Son.
[01:18:20] So Jesus is a gift to us, but the Father has also given a gift to the Son.
[01:18:25] And it's a gift that's in measure for how much he loves his Son.
[01:18:31] Do you see that in verse 35?
[01:18:34] The disciples of John look at Jesus and they worry that all are going to him.
[01:18:40] But the Father looks at the Son and he gives all things to him.
[01:18:46] Christians often wonder at the love of the son for us, rightly so, but John is telling us that we can only begin to understand this love when we see the love of a father first.
[01:19:01] It's this love which the son is passing on because he's here because the father so loved us that he gave his son.
[01:19:11] It's this love which the son is passing on and which by His Spirit He continues to pass on today.
[01:19:16] The gift of Jesus to us is given because the Father gave Jesus a gift too.
[01:19:25] The Father gave us to Jesus.
[01:19:30] And so Jesus came for us.
[01:19:34] I think we might spend an eternity trying to figure out how we could ever be considered a gift to anyone.
[01:19:44] let alone a gift from the Father to the Son, as an expression of the Father's love for the Son.
[01:19:51] But John's words end on another note, don't they?
[01:19:55] Because he reminds us that God's gift of love to us comes in the form, comes in the shape of life for us.
[01:20:09] Whoever believes in the Son, we are told, has eternal life.
[01:20:12] life with this spirit this son this father life that discovers this kind of love just talked talked about here life that will meet no tragic tragic eternity life that will not be diminished in its glory and listen to what Jesus says there's a key phrase here he does not say
[01:20:33] that this is a life that's restricted to those who have conquered all rivalry and rivalry and jealousy. This is not a life, he says, that's offered to those who have never started or continued a stupid argument. This is not a life for those who have managed to put all complaining
[01:20:53] behind them. This is not a life for those who have never failed in the same way that John's disciples failed. No, it's a life, we are told, that belongs to all who believe in the Son.
[01:21:10] The truth before us, if a Presbyterian can quote an Anglican in a Presbyterian church, the truth before us is one of the most glorious privileges of the gospel.
[01:21:20] J.C. Ryle says, there are no works to be done, no conditions to be fulfilled, no price to be paid, no wearing years of probation to be passed before a sinner can be accepted with God.
[01:21:36] let him only believe in Christ and he is at once forgiven and it's because of this priceless gift that he must increase and we must decrease it is this gospel that some of us a few of us at least
[01:21:54] are commissioned to preach all of us are called to believe but it's the happy privilege of every Christian to be able to say to our friends and family and neighbors trust in Jesus and you will
[01:22:08] have life and you will not merely be offering a hope of life. You will not just be speaking about a later life or an afterlife, although whoever believes in Jesus has all of that too.
[01:22:27] You'll be offering life itself because look at what our passage says. Whoever believes in the sun has life. Whoever believes in the sun, as jarring and brutal as death is for those left behind, whoever believes in the sun will find that in their death, it is a movement from one life
[01:22:48] to the next. But if given the opportunity to say anything like this to a friend or a family member, it will also be our solemn duty to note that the opposite is also the case. Whoever does not obey
[01:23:06] the son does not see life. So great is God's love for his son. So firmly does he call for a similar love from his people that to reject this gift, this testimony, this authority is called disobedience.
[01:23:21] When it comes to Jesus, to refuse to believe is to refuse to obey, and we should give that gracious warning too. No doubt it's because John had begun to understand how much people needed Jesus that he quieted his disciples, issued his proverb, and offered his parable. No doubt it's
[01:23:46] because he saw Jesus' matchless authority, his unrivaled testimony, and priceless gift, that he could say nothing other than, he must increase and I must decrease.
[01:24:01] The fact is, as verse 36 says in its closing words, we need salvation.
[01:24:06] We are sinners.
[01:24:07] Without Christ, the wrath of God is already upon us.
[01:24:11] Without Christ, it will remain upon us.
[01:24:14] There is no hope of trying to avoid the wrath of God through careful management.
[01:24:19] It's already there, and it will be fully revealed on the last day.
[01:24:24] In other words, we must be saved by Jesus, from Jesus, because he's coming back again as a judge.
[01:24:33] Psalm 75, verse 7, reminds us that it's God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
[01:24:40] Look around us. Look around us from day to day this week.
[01:24:44] We are part of a broken world and a fallen race.
[01:24:47] We're already down.
[01:24:49] There's only one way up.
[01:24:51] And God has provided that in the one who came from above.
[01:24:56] He sent his son who set aside his full authority and bore with indignity.
[01:25:01] He sent his son who gave his testimony in his words in his life and death and watched it rejected.
[01:25:09] He sent his son giving all things into his hands.
[01:25:13] and then Jesus put his life into the hands of sinful men who unwittingly offered him as a sacrifice for sinners on the cross.
[01:25:23] He died, but no power could keep him dead for the Father put in him an abiding and eternal life that no grave could resist.
[01:25:34] He sent his Son, who in a sense declared that he would decrease so that we could increase and know his presence, see His face and live in and bask in His glory. May we all ever believe in the Son
[01:25:51] and find eternal life, and may His name increase through all the ages. Let us pray.
[01:25:59] Our gracious and loving Father, You who love the Son and have loved us in the Son, Teach each one of us to believe in him.
[01:26:16] Give us the eternal life that's found in him alone.
[01:26:20] Help us to make him our portion, to cast our cares on him, the one who saves from death, destruction, and despair.
[01:26:29] Enable us to see him in our distress, to find in him our righteousness, and to esteem him our treasure.
[01:26:37] And then make it the call of our lives that we would decrease, and the cry of our hearts that he would increase.
[01:26:47] Aid us by your spirit as we ask this in Jesus' name.

[01:26:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:26:51] Amen.

[01:26:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:26:52] Thank you very much.
[01:26:56] At this time, I'd like to ask our ruling elders to come up.
[01:27:01] We celebrate the Lord's Supper every single week to be reminded again the grace that we have in Christ that's been proclaimed already, that's been sung already, prayed already, read already, to press into our hearts to know the love of Christ.
[01:27:21] This meal is not the meal of the Presbyterian Church in America.
[01:27:25] It's the table of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[01:27:29] This is for those who have made a public profession of faith in Christ.
[01:27:33] And so if that's not where you are this morning, we're glad that you're here, whether you're a kid or just a friend.
[01:27:39] But let these things pass you by.
[01:27:41] We don't say that because we don't like you.
[01:27:43] We're glad that you're here, but we take really seriously 1 Corinthians 11.
[01:27:48] It says that some who in an unworthy manner, not being able to discern the body and the blood, have ate and drank judgment upon themselves.
[01:27:57] We don't want that for you.
[01:27:58] But we encourage you, as you just heard the gospel proclaimed, maybe today is a day in which you believe that gospel.
[01:28:05] And if you don't know what that looks like, please talk to one of these men.
[01:28:08] Please talk to myself or the person who brought you to church.
[01:28:11] we would love for you to know the life that you can have in Christ.
[01:28:15] It was a night in which Jesus was betrayed.
[01:28:17] He took the bread, he broke it, and he said, This is my body, given for you.
[01:28:21] Eat of it, all of you, in remembrance of me.
[01:28:24] Out here at Harbor, we like to serve family style.
[01:28:26] So you hold on to your bread until everybody's been served.
[01:28:31] Then we'll all eat together.
[01:28:32] And as we just enjoy a few moments of silence, I just encourage you to pray, meditate on God's word, focus your attention on Christ. Christ gave himself for us. Let's eat in remembrance of him. In the same manner, after
[01:31:11] the supper, Jesus took the cup, he blessed and he said, this is my blood in the new covenant, shed for many for the forgiveness of their sins. We are forgiven because Christ went to the cross for us
[01:31:21] and we have life because Christ was raised for us. Christians believe that truth.
[01:31:28] Now, here at Harvard, we have both wine and grape juice. Wine is on the outermost ring.
[01:31:32] All the inner rings are juice, just like the bread.
[01:31:35] If you want to hold on to your cup until everybody's been served, then we'll drink together.
[01:34:12] Let us, Christ, who is shed for you, let's drink your remembrance of him.
[01:34:18] Let's pray together.
[01:34:20] Lord God, we thank you that through the work of your spirit, you have fed us upon Christ through faith.
[01:34:26] And Lord, I pray that this would not just be an emotional moment, Lord, but that you would continually empower us to live as followers of Christ.
[01:34:38] Lord, whatever danger, suffering, whatever joys, whatever sorrows, Lord, that you would help us to walk in all the ways in which you have prepared for us to walk.
[01:34:50] Lord, glorifying you and enjoying you forever.
[01:34:53] We ask these things in Christ's name.
[01:34:55] Would you please stand as we sing our closing song together?

[01:36:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[01:36:17] Before we close, just to remind you, we've got coffee and snack in the room to the right.

[01:38:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:38:30] Kids, you've got your Easter devotion right after the service, in the room to the left.
[01:38:37] Make sure you don't run.
[01:38:39] We don't want to be knocked over.
[01:38:40] But there are snacks there, so don't worry.
[01:38:42] Don't need to get a snack.
[01:38:43] Just go straight in.
[01:38:45] Receive the Lord's blessing over you as you go out into the world.
[01:38:48] It's from Colossians chapter 1.
[01:38:50] May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in life.