"He must (literally, 'it is necessary, inevitable') increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)
The, "necessary, inevitable," puts a whole new "slant" on it, doesn't it?!? In the vernacular, "It's a done deal." Make no mistake; whether you or I are involved, it is, "inevitable," that Jesus will continue to, "increase."
If people walk away from me with good thoughts about me, then I increase. If people walk away from me with good thoughts about Jesus, then Jesus increases. After a noted professor heard Charles Spurgeon preach, a friend asked him, "Well, what do you think of the prince of the pulpit?" The friend responded, "I don't know; but Jesus Christ must sure be a wonderful person." Spurgeon was a living example of the inevitability, "[Jesus] must increase."
Jesus said, "You shall be witnesses unto Me," literally, "for Me," not to, or for myself; this can happen so easily. If my testimony of what Jesus has done for me magnifies me, then I increase. If my testimony of what Jesus has done for me magnifies Jesus, then Jesus increases. From what I see in the Interlinear Greek, there is a very real sense in Acts 1:8 of, "I will continue to witness to the world in you, my People, My Church." Jesus is indeed, "the Author and Finisher/Perfecter of our faith," i.e., our life style; Jesus is "The Prime Mover." As E. Stanley Jones once said, "Jesus is the Word become flesh, and the Church is the Word which continues to become flesh;" therefore, since Father's sole purpose was/is to reveal Himself to lost, but very loved humanity in Jesus Christ, you and I are commissioned with the continuation of that purpose. "It is necessary that Jesus increase, but (it is also necessary that I) decrease." If we are to "win" the world to the Living Triune God, this, "is necessary."
If Jesus is not the center of our lives, our teaching, our worship, our songs, then we are not the of, "the faith of Jesus." Muslims use the term, "god," every bit as much as does Christendom. The lost know no difference; hence, the ever popular assertion, "We worship the same God." Such talk, however, is speaking only of a god. None but the lovers of Jesus testify to the words of Jesus , "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." If all we hear in our Church gatherings is talk of "God" and songs about "God," any who come in among us could rightly think that we are all, with the world, one big happy religious family. How many thousands in Christendom still sing, "Imagine"?
"He must increase." According to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance, this literally means, "to make to grow," or as Strong's says, "to be made to increase." This tells me that our "call," our responsibility, our mission is to see that Jesus is literally magnified to the world. "....but I must decrease." When you and I are witnesses to Jesus Christ, we decrease. When we talk of God without speaking of Jesus, we increase. Why? Uncertainty about that to which we refer will always bring people back to us, because apart from Jesus Christ humanity can only see God as a concept, an idea of their own making. This is not true, however, when the Church speaks of Jesus as, "Emmanuel, God with us."
This is the work of the Holy Spirit, "He will testify to," literally, "about, concerning, around Me." This is it, my friend. Do you want to know "the will of God for your life?" Do you want to know your "purpose in life?" Do you want to know joy, peace, and happiness? You need not hear another sermon or read another book about it. "....Bear witness about, concerning, and around [Jesus Christ,]" When we so live, then our "increase" will come------------ in Jesus.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I glorify Your Name, the Name of Jesus. Amen.
*****************
The, "necessary, inevitable," puts a whole new "slant" on it, doesn't it?!? In the vernacular, "It's a done deal." Make no mistake; whether you or I are involved, it is, "inevitable," that Jesus will continue to, "increase."
If people walk away from me with good thoughts about me, then I increase. If people walk away from me with good thoughts about Jesus, then Jesus increases. After a noted professor heard Charles Spurgeon preach, a friend asked him, "Well, what do you think of the prince of the pulpit?" The friend responded, "I don't know; but Jesus Christ must sure be a wonderful person." Spurgeon was a living example of the inevitability, "[Jesus] must increase."
Jesus said, "You shall be witnesses unto Me," literally, "for Me," not to, or for myself; this can happen so easily. If my testimony of what Jesus has done for me magnifies me, then I increase. If my testimony of what Jesus has done for me magnifies Jesus, then Jesus increases. From what I see in the Interlinear Greek, there is a very real sense in Acts 1:8 of, "I will continue to witness to the world in you, my People, My Church." Jesus is indeed, "the Author and Finisher/Perfecter of our faith," i.e., our life style; Jesus is "The Prime Mover." As E. Stanley Jones once said, "Jesus is the Word become flesh, and the Church is the Word which continues to become flesh;" therefore, since Father's sole purpose was/is to reveal Himself to lost, but very loved humanity in Jesus Christ, you and I are commissioned with the continuation of that purpose. "It is necessary that Jesus increase, but (it is also necessary that I) decrease." If we are to "win" the world to the Living Triune God, this, "is necessary."
If Jesus is not the center of our lives, our teaching, our worship, our songs, then we are not the of, "the faith of Jesus." Muslims use the term, "god," every bit as much as does Christendom. The lost know no difference; hence, the ever popular assertion, "We worship the same God." Such talk, however, is speaking only of a god. None but the lovers of Jesus testify to the words of Jesus , "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." If all we hear in our Church gatherings is talk of "God" and songs about "God," any who come in among us could rightly think that we are all, with the world, one big happy religious family. How many thousands in Christendom still sing, "Imagine"?
"He must increase." According to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance, this literally means, "to make to grow," or as Strong's says, "to be made to increase." This tells me that our "call," our responsibility, our mission is to see that Jesus is literally magnified to the world. "....but I must decrease." When you and I are witnesses to Jesus Christ, we decrease. When we talk of God without speaking of Jesus, we increase. Why? Uncertainty about that to which we refer will always bring people back to us, because apart from Jesus Christ humanity can only see God as a concept, an idea of their own making. This is not true, however, when the Church speaks of Jesus as, "Emmanuel, God with us."
This is the work of the Holy Spirit, "He will testify to," literally, "about, concerning, around Me." This is it, my friend. Do you want to know "the will of God for your life?" Do you want to know your "purpose in life?" Do you want to know joy, peace, and happiness? You need not hear another sermon or read another book about it. "....Bear witness about, concerning, and around [Jesus Christ,]" When we so live, then our "increase" will come------------ in Jesus.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I glorify Your Name, the Name of Jesus. Amen.
*****************
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
