Intro
What is success? What does it mean to you this morning to live a successful life? One of the hardest aspects to having satisfaction with our lives is that we haven‘t really defined what success is. What makes you successful … prosperity? popularity? As a culture we tend to refer to certain accomplishments as reflecting success… but those very lives then seem to crash in what we also call failure. The result is that few lives seem to find the satisfaction of success and even fewer seem to end well. Today we have an opportunity to look at a life that rally understood what true success was… and how actually knew how to end well. This is a life that Jesus called truly successful.
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Matthew 11:11 (NLT)
That‘s a rather remarkable statement… the Son of God said was the greatest who ever lived. Today we get to hear what was central to his success… and what God seeks to teach all of us.
John 3:22-36 (NIV) 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less. 31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Lets catch what is at hand…
John the Baptist was one called out by God to prepare the way for the Messiah… the Christ… the anointed One. While that is easy to say and simple enough to hear… think about it for a moment… imagine being John. What is at hand is nothing less that the promises of God waiting to be fulfilled for thousands of years … that which we might expect to involve quite an elaborate public campaign to help prepare the people to get right and receive…perhaps flyers posted in every street…. processions…. but God sends a man… one man to bear this role. It wasn‘t simply about promotion at all… but preparation. John had an amazing life and ministry he had seen thousands of people repent and take the baptism of repentance. He had preached through out the land a message of repentance ―repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.‖ He preached the coming of the lamb that would take away the sin of the world. He even had the opportunity to baptize Jesus which was the start of Jesus public ministry.
But now we see Jesus ministry has began to flourish and John‘s influence is being eclipsed by Jesus ministry. He did continue to receive people around the Jordon… calling for them to repent and offer a baptism of repentance. This baptism continued to raise issues for the Jewish religious rulers. (This baptism didn‘t fit the norm.) Apparently some of John‘s disciples got into a discussion with one of these leading Jewish rulers who raised the point that many were now going to Jesus… and being baptized by his disciples. They now come back to John the Baptist and express this.
As we read in verse 26…
They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." – John 3:26
A couple telling aspects of where their hearts were at..
“That man…” - we can almost hear the sense of depersonalizing… it‘s easier to toss our criticisms at people who are separate from us… ‗those people‘.. ‗that man‘…
„EVERYONE is going to him” –the old proverbial ‗absolute‘ that arises when we‘re in an argumentative mode… but also is a sign of anxious… when we tend to catastrophize things. It‘s an obvious exaggeration… after all… in verse 23 it stated that people we ‗constantly coming to be baptized.‘
> What‘s the real issue here? Well we could translate their feeling as ‗he‘s getting more attention and it‘s making us feel less important…less successful.‘
What would we call that? Jealousy. It‘s comparison that‘s rooted in insecurity that breads resentment… jealousy. Without the Holy Spirit working grace in our hearts, that is the natural, human response we all have to that kind of situation. We want other people to succeed, but not more than us!
We‟d all like to think we‟re above it… but most of us know that it‟s a potential in us.
How do you react inside when a co-worker is promoted?
How do you react inside when you hear that good fortune has come to a friend or neighbor; and it came in the form of something you have wanted or needed?
When someone testifies about blessings and answers to prayer… do we ever find resentment when we know we should feel joy?
The desire for recognition is a universal human drive. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction. This desire often drives much that we do in life. Actually we all do need attention… recognition. It is part of human development and essential as an infant. It establishes that we have a unique place in life… a unique part to play. When that sense of self is secure… it can play it‘s part well. When it is not secure… it can become an ego looking for validation.. and it can become as destructive as any power on earth.
It‘s the empty insatiable ego of the Hitlers, Stalins, Ida Ammins, Saddaam Huseins.
It‘s a challenge that runs through religious leaders as well. When King Saul heard of David‘s popularity… he not only sought to kill him… he went crazy.
> Today we have a guide to true success.
At the peak of his career, Jesus appeared on the scene and the crowds, who had once streamed out of the villages to follow John, began to follow Jesus instead.
This is a defining moment. Every leader has one or two very defining moments in which their character is truly at a crossroads. Every life has one or two very defining moments in which their character is truly at a crossroads. Sometimes they come when one suddenly comes into some notable outward success. Most often these defining moments come in the midst of the most threatening and difficult of times. Then there is the challenge of learning to finish well. John ministry was coming to an end and he no long looked as successful in the eyes of the world or even of his disciples. Yet it is here at the end of his ministry that he shows he is a true success. This becomes the moment when the ultimate choice within him is beckoned. Because his followers are really speaking right into the depths of his ego.
In this testimony of Scripture we may have the clearest window into the understanding that allowed John the Baptist to navigate the defining moments of life so well.
1. True success in life is embracing the role given to us by God
"A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' (cf. 1:19-28)
The first thing that stands out is how settled John had become about his identity and role in life… who he was and who he wasn‘t. The Jewish leaders were really pressing him… and his response is definitive and directs everything he does. That is what he does here as well.
His response in saying: That Jesus is the Christ… the anointed Messiah… I have been preparing and pointing to him. This is exactly what should happen… people should now be following after him if they can. I‘ve continued to call people to turn back to God… and baptize all who want to be cleansed and prepared… but now it‘s time that people can follow him.
He is embracing the will of God for his life—fully accepting the place God has given him to fill—not grasping for more, not competing for the preeminence.
Many things come into our lives that we don‟t understand. It‘s okay to express our pain to God. It‘s okay to ask for more understanding. We see that often in the Psalms. But the bedrock of our faith is to realize God has the right to order our steps and direct our lives. He knows what experiences we need to prepare us for His eternal purposes. John‟s life is about one thing—and only one thing: obedience to the will of God. In this he is an example for all of us.
We waste so much of our lives wishing and wanting to be someone else.
John had an advantage. He had been given the honor of his role of preparation and assisting from the beginning. So this was not a threat but an honor. But it meant he had to forego other roles.
He actually was the son of a priest named Zechariah. In the life of Israel… the role of priest was a matter of lineage only. So this set him apart as a priest… yet he clearly did not try to serve in such a role. This helped him as others tried to press him about what his role was later in life.
Personal example: Decision not to do the PhD program in Psychology. It was a great privilege to get accepted into this particular program… and I was only given a week to decide and respond. I met with a couple people who knew me well… prayed… and processed. What became rather clear was that it wasn‘t my calling. I could appreciate the more clinical role… but my calling was to build community. I‘ve never had to regret that or resent that.
There is nothing more frustrating in life then trying to be something God did not intend for you to be. There is nothing that offers more peace than knowing you are fulfilling what God has for us to do.
It‘s vital to understand that embracing what God has for us is not the same as choosing what is easier. He confronted the powerful King Herod about his ungodly relationship with his brother‘s wife. That ultimately cost John his life. John is not backing up because he is afraid to move forward. There is something far more admirable behind his response. Peaceful doesn‟t mean easy. John faced enormous opposition and isolation. Eventually he will confront the local ruler and be executed. So when we hear that the safest place to be is in the center of God‘s will… we better think about what kind of safeness we are presuming. It‘s the inner peace that settles us against all odds and opposition that made John successful.
It‘s also vital that we understand that this is not a false humility. False humility is really our fears masking themselves with the idea of not wanting attention. Our false humility just doesn‘t want to step out. John is not a passive person. He is not backing off just because he does not want to confront the issue. This is a man full of backbone and courage. When the prominent Pharisees and Sadducees approached him with all their prestige and pride, he looked them in the eye and said, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.‖ [Matt 3:7]
False humility will just back away… but true humility will embrace what God gives us. It maybe be a small thing in the eyes of the world but there are no small things to God.
1 Peter 4:10 (CEV) ―Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well.‖
1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (NLT) ―I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It‘s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What‘s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.‖
2. True success in life finds great satisfaction beyond oneself.
Look at verse 29 ―The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.‖ – John 3:29
John uses an analogy of a wedding he says Jesus is the bridegroom and John is the ‗friend who attends the bridegroom.‘ It‘s similar to what we would refer to today as the ‗best man‘ but involved even more.In Jewish culture of the time this was a very prominent role. He was the liaison between the bride and the bridegroom. He was instrumental in the arranging of the wedding and the inviting people to the wedding. He brought the bride and the bridegroom together and guarded the bridal chamber making sure no others came in. He negotiated on behalf of the perspective groom (and his father) with a representative of the bride‘s father. Arrangements had to be made to pay a work compensation (―mohar‖) to the bride‘s family because they would be losing her labor in the home, and a dowry had to be paid to the bride‘s father. In other words, you‘d want someone who was
going to look out for your best interests! John saw himself as privileged to be entrusted to serve Jesus‟ best interests. (Drawn in part from from Paul Decker)
So John says
His joy is COMPLETE… fulfilled
The news his disciples brought to him was not bad news. It was good news! The groom and the bride are becoming wed. people are coming to Jesus! Great! John is overjoyed to here of Jesus success. John sowed Jesus reaped.
If you are faithful to what God has shown you then you can rejoice in others. True success in life rejoices in the gifts God has given others.
John‘s defining statement is there in verse 30…
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
> John does not in actuality become LESS… he becomes greater.
We think that attention and recognition is what makes us bigger. Certainly there is a fundamental attention that is essential to human development…. but once we solidify that we exist as a valued being equal with others… our real growth comes in what we give and not what we get. Our greatest means to what is life giving and expansive is not recognition but participation … not attention but influencing… not consuming but contributing.
The narcissist doesn‘t care how everyone does as long as we are at the center…and it is ultimately a very small place… undeveloped…. while the greatest accomplishments are by those who see and serve the greater goods regardless of what role they play.
The self indulgent is the self consuming… and it always seeks to demand attention to get on top but ends with a fall.
Long before God created man, this catastrophic event occurred. The archangel, Lucifer, rose up in rebellion against the Almighty God. Isaiah 14:12-17
―How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground-mighty though you were against the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, "I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High." But instead, you will be brought down to the pit of hell, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, "Can this be the one who shook the earth and the kingdoms of the world? Can this be the one who destroyed the world and made it into a shambles, who demolished its greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?" - Isaiah 14:12-17 TLB
At the root of demise lies an attitude of self-promotion, self-ambition, self-aggrandizement—a rebellion and defiance of the sovereignty of God.
When we say the word “down”, what kind of thoughts go through your mind?—down and out, down under, down hearted, a downer. By and large ―down‖ is considered negative. In contrast, ―up‖ sounds real good.—up and coming, upper class, upwardly mobile. We associate the word ―up‖ with increase in status and power. Advertisers promise to take you up with a product, not down. Employers promise to take you up the ladder, not down. This is the mindset of our society. It has always been the way the world thinks. (Michael Deutsch, cited by Richard Tow) It is in perfect accord with the human ego. But that ego is set in motion by a force that has faced the fall.
Matthew 23:11 (NIV) The greatest among you will be your servant.
It‟s amazing what we can do for God when we don‟t care who gets the credit.
A quality that marks our community
3. True success in life will give oneself to glorifying the greater good of Christ
Our greatest honor lies in who we give ourselves to.
John isn‘t struggling with self esteem… he is proud of who he gets to reflect.
In truth only insecure people get a Messiah complex. Insecurity drives us to false inflation or to identify with lives that offer little. Secure people can be proud of what they support and who they support. So John begins to explain why he is so satisfied.
There is only ‗One who has come from above‘
There is only One who ‗bears the ‗Spirit without Limit‘
There is only one who has ‗been given All by Father‘
There is only one who bears ‗Eternal Life‘
When our life is over… it won‘t matter how much money we made … or how big an impression of ourselves we made… all that will mater is our faithfulness to his cause… his reclaiming and restoring of lives.
Conclusion: What words are you living for?
Jesus wants us to know what the eternal realm longs to bless every life with.
When we finish he longs to welcome us with all the pride of an eternal Father…
„Well done, my good and faithful servant.‟ Matthew 25:21 (NLT)
Prayer
Resources: I am also grateful for the great thoughts of so many who I may draw from. I will usually study the text and form my own shape to the points and structure. In the process I may insert various ideas and statements from others (commentaries and messages related to the same text) which are related to the points I have developed. I do not use these notes as a manuscript that is either memorized or read… but rather as a guide for the thoughts I offer. If I actually read or quote another I will refer publicly to the source. In this series, from week to week such resources may include commentaries by William Barclay, IVP, Wiersbe, and others as well as many series that others have done including Tim Keller, John Piper, John Hamby, Richard Tow, Jim May and others teaching through John on Sermon Central… whose names may appear in parenthesis next to a thought. This message drew thoughts from Clark Tanner, Rodney Fry, Richard Tow, and Alan Hughes.)
