The Increase of Christ
"He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30
There is no greater vision than to see Christ increased.
There is no higher purpose than the plans of God being fulfilled.
There is no better agenda than to look to Christ and do only what He says.
We learn from John the Baptist that the abilities and opportunities of ministry that we have come directly from God and they are to be used for God's glory alone. John was tested on whether he would take ownership of his ministry and whether he would tighten his grip on what God had given to him when it was time for him to release his grip and allow himself to fade into the background. John was the lesser light giving witness to the greater light. Therefore, he needed to decrease so that Christ would increase.
We often want to be more than what God has called us to be and to do what God has not called us to do. Pride has a way of altering the plans and purpose of God into something of the flesh for our selfish desires that will end up profiting nothing. This is why we all must be able to daily let go of our control on all the matters of this life and say, "Lord, Your will be done. For You Lord must INCREASE, but I must decrease."
John shows us that true spiritual maturity and leadership has to do with the increase of Christ in our lives. We must be concerned with Christ conformity above all else. To the degree that Christ has been formed in a servant is the degree that a believer has matured and is able to lead others.
For if Christ is not leading our lives, how can we lead others to follow Him?
The Lord desires to manifest His presence and glory when He sees a work that is being done and completed in His Name. We see this in God's various dwelling places on earth.
God’s Glory filled the TABERNACLE when Moses followed God’s direction (Ex. 40:34-35) God’s Glory filled the TEMPLE when Solomon followed God’s direction (1 Kings 8:10-11) God’s Glory filled the CHURCH when Jesus followed God’s direction (Acts 2) God’s Glory will fill the EARTH when Christ returns and His saints are glorified (Hab. 2:14)
Since we are now the house of God today, we learn three valuable lessons about how to practically allow Christ to increase in our lives when we visit the house of Bethany in John 12...where the house was filled with the fragrant oil.
We learn from Lazarus to simple sit at the table with the Lord and BE WITH JESUS.
We learn from Martha to choose who we are to serve and BE SERVANT FOR JESUS.
We learn from Mary to lay everything down at His feet and BE SPENT FOR JESUS.
Let us learn where we will dwell, who we will serve, and what we value most in life.
To degree that we treasure Jesus will be the measure in which God will use us.
Our HEART WORK
- Is the highest aim of your life to see Christ increase in your life and in others?
- Have you prayed to be an active participant in the vision and purpose of your church?
- Look over this vision and purpose statement and make it your prayer to see, be, and do His will.
Our VISION: To SEE Christ glorified, To BE the Church edified, To FREE the living spring in every believer…until we are fully unified in Him.
Our PURPOSE: We exist to glorify God by being true followers of Jesus who are FULL of His Word and FILLED with His Spirit in order to FULFILL His life-giving mission of making disciples who will make more disciples.