He Must Increase Series

An urban legend has Microsoft’s Bill Gates speaking at a COMDEX computer expo several years ago. Supposedly, he was comparing the computer industry with the auto industry. He said, “If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles per gallon.”

General Motors allegedly responded to Gates by releasing the statement, “Yes, but would you want your car to crash twice a day?” (“Microsoft and GM Engage in a Battle of Wits,” Wards Auto newsletter, 1998; www.PreachingToday.com).

Comparisons often backfire on you and are rarely helpful.

For example, 23 years ago (February 2000), the elders of a church in rural Nebraska asked their pastor, a friend of mine, to resign. They were comparing his ministry to that of a popular preacher in the Chicago area. Now, my friend’s church was growing, and people were coming to faith in Christ, but his elders wanted more. They wanted a church like that Chicago pastor had, so they asked their pastor to resign. Within a month, the church, averaging 140 in Sunday morning attendance and growing, was left with only 60 people and declining.

Their jealous comparison nearly destroyed the church, and such comparisons can destroy your family and your relationships, as well.

So, what can you do to combat this terrible, subtle enemy? What can you do to conquer jealous comparisons before they conquer you? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to John 3, John 3, where John the Baptist effectively conquered jealousy among his own followers.

John 3:22-24 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison) (ESV).

Now, no one knows exactly where Aenon near Salim is today, but Bible scholars think it is likely midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. What we do know is that two itinerant preachers, Jesus and John, were baptizing their converts in that area.

John 3:25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification (ESV).

The “discussion” was actually a dispute. The word in the original Greek pictures “a forceful difference of opinion” (Louw & Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains). They were fighting over whose purification rituals were better. There were the Pharisaic rituals, the Essene rituals in the Qumran community nearby, John’s ritual of baptism, and Jesus baptizing people just up the river. In fact, Jesus had a larger group following Him.

John 3:26 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 is baptizing, and all are going to him” (ESV).

John’s disciples were complaining that Jesus was becoming more popular than John. John’s followers were dwindling while Jesus’ followers were increasing, and that angered them.

JEALOUSY HAD REARED ITS UGLY HEAD.

The various religious groups were arguing over who was better, and the situation was getting nasty.

Oscar Wilde told a story of the devil crossing the Libyan desert when he came upon a number of small demons tormenting a holy hermit. The holy man easily shook off their evil suggestions. The devil watched their failure and then he stepped forward to give them a lesson.

“What you do is too crude,” he said. “Permit me for one moment.”

Then he whispered to the holy man, “Your brother has just been made bishop of Alexandria.”

A cloud of malignant jealousy at once clouded the serene face of the hermit.

“That,” said the devil to his imps, “is the sort of thing which I should recommend” (Gordon MacDonald, The Life that God Blesses, Nelson, 1994, p.143).

Jealousy is one of the devil’s favorite tools to bring down God’s people. Please, don’t let it consume you and rob you of your peace.

So, what can you do to combat jealous comparisons before they consume you? Well, let’s see what John the Baptist did.

John 3:27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven” (ESV).

John recognizes that everything he has comes from God, and that’s where you start in your battle against jealous comparisons. Recognize that God sovereignly gives whatever He wants to whoever He chooses. That means any success you experience comes from God, not so much because you earned it, but only because He graciously wanted to give it to you.

In a 2015 commencement speech at Dillard University, Denzell Washington told the graduates to:

“Put God first in everything you do… Everything that I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It's a gift… I didn't always stick with him, but He stuck with me… While you're [on your knees], say thank you. Thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, thank you for parents, thank you for love, thank you for kindness, thank you for humility, thank you for peace, thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what is already yours… (Michael W. Chapman, Denzel Washington to College Grads: 'Put God First,' CSNNEWS.Com, 5-11-15; www.PreachingToday.com).