Would you open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, Chapter 3? And if you do not have a Bible with you, you can reach under the chair in front of you and get one of the chair Bibles. John, Chapter 3. Now, I generally do not like to put likenesses of Christ on the screen because we don't know what Christ looked like, what Jesus looked like. But artist renderings, you know, have many different likenesses that people recognize and say, well, that's Jesus. But this morning I wanted to do that. and wanted to use that in order to bring a point to you. Now this morning you do not see a picture representing John the Baptist up there. You do not see a picture up there representing the disciples of Jesus. Why? Because this morning I want you to see in God's Word in John chapter 3 The focus is on the Son. The focus is on Jesus. That's the title of my message this morning. The focus is on Jesus. Now we're going to read beginning at verse number 22. We'll read down to the end of the chapter. John chapter 3 verse 22. Notice this begins a new section in chapter 3. 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 Enon near Siloam, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized, for John had not yet been put in prison. Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, that's talking about Christ, look, he is baptizing and all are going to him. John answered, Person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son as eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." Now in our scripture this morning, did you see all the different parties represented in the scripture? Jesus, Jesus' disciples, John the Baptist, John the Baptist's disciples, the crowds that had gathered. Jesus, the Son of God, is focused upon. In the beginning, he's not focused upon. In fact, John the Baptist, up to this point, has had the primary preeminence in the ministry. The crowds were flocking to John the Baptist. People were following him, listening to him, as he said, are y'all come out of the city out here to see a reed shaking in the wind, a bruised reed shaking in the wind? He was saying, why are y'all coming out here and listening to me? Why are y'all being baptized? Everyone knew who John the Baptist was in that area. And John the Baptist's disciples, those who were his co-laborers that walked and traveled with him, they got used to the crowds coming to them. But now they complain and they say, John, that one that you pointed to there in the Jordan and said, behold, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, he is now over there baptizing people himself. and all the crowds are leaving us and going to Him. You know what John said? That's the way it's supposed to be. Verse number 30, He must increase, I must decrease. In other words, Jesus is to be in focus. I am now to be out of focus. Have you ever seen that in a movie? A scene where there's a person here in the foreground and in the background there's another person. In the beginning the camera is focused on the person in the foreground. You see them crystal clear. The one in the back is fuzzy looking, blurry looking because the camera is focusing on this one. Then when the camera operator changes the focus, now the one in front is fuzzy and the one in the background has now come into focus and your attention is drawn to that one. That's what we see in verses 22 down to verse number 36. The common person knew John good, John the Baptist. And Jesus even said, there's never been anybody born a woman any greater than John the Baptist. But now Jesus, who is the son of God, now he takes preeminence. So this morning, I want you to think with me. about the focus is on the Son. John the Baptist was important, but the focus now is on Jesus. John's disciples are important, but the focus now is on Jesus. Jesus' disciples are important, but now the focus is on Jesus. Baptizing is important, But the focus is on Jesus. The crowds and the followings, the crowds and the throngs are impressive and important. But the focus is on Jesus. This even mentions a wedding. And he says the focus at the wedding is not on the best man. The focus is on the bridegroom. Whoever the bridegroom is, he has the bride. At a wedding, the attendants, the crowds, the servers, they are important. But the focus is on Jesus. So think with me in these next few minutes as I want to point out several things. In fact, six things I want to draw your attention to in these next few minutes. First of all, I want you to notice that Jesus is the significant one mentioned in this portion of scripture. So let's focus on him. Nobody is more significant than Jesus. John the Baptist, no. Jesus' disciples, no. Even the activities that were good, baptizing, no. Nothing more significant than the one whom God has sent, and that is the Lord Jesus. Look down there at verse number 29 and 30. Here's where he mentions the wedding. What John the Baptist is saying here is that I am just a friend of the Bridegroom. Jesus is the Bridegroom. I'm just a friend or the best man of the Bridegroom. The one who has the Bride is the Bridegroom. The friend of the Bridegroom who stands and hears rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. Complete. I have served my purpose, my joy, my job, my being sent. John the Baptist said is now complete or fulfilled. Now, Jesus must be the focus. What does that mean in your life? Verse number 30. When people look at you, who do they see? Do they see more of you or do they see somebody else in you? Some people are so full of themselves, though they might claim to be a Christian, the world, the unsaved around them cannot see Christ in them. Remember what those guys said in the book of Acts? They came to the apostles and said, Sirs, we would see Jesus. Jesus had already died, resurrected and gone back to heaven. What were they saying? Sirs, we've come to hear from you, but we want to see Jesus. We want to hear from Him. You and I. need to be so minuscule and Jesus be so big in our life. He must increase, we must decrease. How full of yourself are you? How full of Jesus are you? The little boy talking to his mama about Jesus being the creator and how big, he's bigger than the earth, he's bigger than this world, the stars, he's so big. And the little boy said, mama, if I ask Christ to come into my heart, won't he stick out all over? He's not, how can that happen? He come into my life. Well, yeah, he is big. But yet He is by His Spirit of our life, by coming in, and He is now the central person. You and I fall away, or should fall away. You and I recognize we're dead now, and Christ is alive. That Jesus is our sum of living. Jesus is our purpose for living. He's the significant one. Paul said it this way, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. He says, I am dead in Christ. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I still live in this physical body, but it's Christ that's living through me. He said to live is Christ and to die is what? Again, that sends shivers over some people to think about dying. But a person that knows Jesus, the person that Jesus lives in them, and the person that Jesus is significant in them, they see it nothing but a transition. And Paul said there in Philippians 1, I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ. He said, I'm in a straight between twigs. I want to go up there and be with Christ, but yet I love you Philippians down here, and I'm needed down here with you. So I'm in between whatever God wants. I'm willing to go or stay here. That's a man that's talking that doesn't have himself full of I. He's full of Jesus. And he would just as soon die and be with Christ, which is far better. Is Christ. the significant one in your life. Here we see Jesus as a significant one in John the Baptist's life. He points that out to his disciples and he says to these disciples, quit looking to me, quit looking to me, quit looking to me. I fulfilled my purpose. I must decrease. Now Jesus is the focus. Number two, I want you to notice that Jesus is the highest one. Therefore, the focus must be on him. He is the highest one. Look at verse number 31. The apostle says, he who comes from above is what? Above what? Above all. There is nothing that supersedes Him. Jesus is the highest one in this universe. He's the one that created this universe that we read there in Colossians 1 this morning. Everything that is, He created. Everything in heaven and in earth, He created. He is the highest one. He is above all. Look at the last part of verse 31. He says it again, he who comes from heaven is above all. Now, should not the highest one who is above all, should not he be the focus of our life? Should he not be the most important in our assembly here? You see, when we come together, who is important? It's not the preacher. It should not be the preacher. Though I have a function, but the important one should be who? Jesus. His Word. He is the Word. We are to lift up and to praise and to glorify and recognize the highest one. He is above all. Many of us, our attention is on little piddly things on this earth. Little things that don't matter. Little desires and little lust that come and go. Chasing after pleasure. Chasing after fun. Chasing after fulfillment. Chasing after another high. Chasing after what this world has to offer. And neglecting the highest one. The one whose focus should be our life. I want you to notice number three. I see here that Jesus is the sent one. He is the one that has been sent by the Father. Do you see that in verse number 31? He who comes from above is above all. Why is it that He comes from above? Here it's speaking in terms that He has come from there to here. Christ is here. He's come from. Now why did He make that journey from there to here? Look there at verse number 34. For he whom God has what? Sent. That's Jesus. God sent him. The father sent the son. The father sent the son to do something. That was to pay the sin debt of his people. to purchase something, not just to make something available, but to actually accomplish something on the cross to purchase his possession. When Jesus said on the cross, it is finished. That's what it means. That he has completed the purchase, the transaction that he has purchased a people to himself. He was a sent one. He was sent. We saw that last week in John 3.16. For God so loved the world, not just the Jew, but the Jew and the Gentile. He loved a people from every tribe on the earth, the Bible says. Every tribe, tongue and nation, not just the Jewish nation. And He sent His Son into this world. So if God sent Him, do you think He should be our focus? I would think that is rational thinking. Number five, or excuse me, number four. Here we see that Jesus is the loved one. And because of that, he should be our focus. God loves the son. Do you see that in verse number 35? The father loves the son. Father. loves Jesus, the Son. In eternity past, God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit enjoyed perfect, intimate fellowship in eternity past. God, the Father said, I am going to send my son to make a purchase. And after my son completes his purchase and is resurrected, he'll come back to heaven, I'll send then the Holy Spirit. And he will do the regenerating work in individual's lives. We are regenerated, born again by his spirit. It is correct to say that God saved me. meaning God the Father. It is correct to say Jesus saved me. It is correct to say the Spirit of God saved me. It's all correct because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is one God in three distinct separate persons. So we see that he being the sent one was sent And all the father's heart was upon him. Now, if you sent your son or your daughter or grandchild to a far, far, far, far away place, where would your heart be in that far, far, far away place? If you've been separated from your loved one, you wanted to talk to him. You wanted to write to him. In the basic training that my son did in the Marines, was that three months? Every day, his mama wrote him a letter. He treasures those letters today. When we love someone, we are pictured like God loving his son. Jesus is the loved one. So if he is the loved one, we should pay attention. Have you ever noticed some people you really like because they're interested in your son or daughter? They might even invest in your son or daughter and because of that you just can't help but like them because they are showing attention to somebody you love. Well here we see that God loves the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and I should have the same focus and love for Him. That should be our focus. I see something else. Number five here, I see that Jesus is the endowed one. You know what an endowment is? It's when someone leaves something and gives something into one that is going to inherit something. That same verse, verse number 35, the father loves the son and has given all things into his hand. God the Father says He's given all into the Son's hand. He's given all judgment into the Son's hand. He's given all power into the Son's hand. Authority on the earth into His Son's hand. So shouldn't the focus be on Him? Shouldn't we focus on Him who has been endowed with all things into His hand? The story is told, and you might have heard this before, but a story is told about a wealthy man and his son who loved to collect rare works of art. In fact, for many years they had traveled together. When they found out a piece of art was available, they would go together and they loved the hunt to try to find these unique pieces of art. And they amassed over time a huge gallery of unique, rare works of art. They had Rembrandts, they had Picassos, they had Monets, they had all of these famous and many pieces of art that were worth millions of dollars. It was said that this man's collection was the envy of other collectors around the world. Well, the story goes that the son, this was during the Vietnam era, the son was drafted, had to go to Vietnam. The daddy got that telegram that his son had died valiantly saving another soldier. Later, in fact it was Christmas Day, a man stood at this dad's door. He had a large package. He knocked on the door. The father came to the door. This young man said, you don't know me, but I'm the one that your son saved. Your son talked often about you and about your love of art and all the pictures and the searches y'all made for these different pieces. But he saved me on the battlefield when I was wounded. And as he was dragging me off, A bullet found his heart and he was killed. But I brought for you a painting that I have made, a painting that I have painted that I want to give to you. I'm not a good artist, but he tore the paper off and there was a picture of his son in his uniform. with his helmet on, pulling this young man to safety. The daddy was overcome with emotion. It wasn't a brilliant piece of art. It wasn't fancy. It was not painted by anybody famous. Nobody would recognize it. But did it mean something to that daddy? Sure did. In fact, in their den of this humongous house, Over the central focus point of that big room, over the fireplace, he took one of his prized possessions off the wall and put that picture in its place so that anybody that came into his home, they saw that picture. And he had great joy telling people the story that I just told you. Well, as time went on, this father died. And of course, people around the world, knowing of his collection, they were itching to get their hands on some of those pieces. So an auction house was contacted, and the auction house publicized the date, and it was said that people from all over the world came to this auction because they wanted some of those pieces. Some of them said they didn't even know what all he had that he had tucked away over the years. But the flyer said, everything's going to go in this auction. So they assembled that day on the property. They had a little platform. And the auctioneer came up to begin the auction. People were rumbling, talking all in the audience. They couldn't wait for it to start. But they noticed on the platform there was only one picture, that picture of the sun, and this one that he saved. The auction began. And the auctioneer said, this is a little bit strange today, but it was the wish of Mr. So-and-so. to auction first this prized possession of his son. People were kind of upset. We didn't come for this painting. We came for the works of art. But the auctioneer said, who will give me $1,000 for this painting? Nobody held up their number or their card. Nobody wanted it. The story says that the gardener that had been with this family for many years and had seen the boy grow up, he was in the far back there just to help with some of the details that day. Nobody wanted it. People were saying from the audience, hurry up and get this over with so we can get to the things that we came for. The gardener in the back, after being kind of ashamed that nobody wanted that painting, raised his hand and said, I don't have $1,000, but I sure would like to have that painting. And the auctioneer said, you got it. All of a sudden, the auctioneer took the hammer and said, the auction is over. People were very upset. and said, what do you mean the auction is over? And the auctioneer says there was a secret stipulation in his will that whoever took the painting of the sun got everything. Not just all the paintings, but all the inheritance. Whoever got the son would inherit the entire estate. I said Jesus is the endowed one. If you have Jesus, what do you have? Look with me at the last thing. The last verse in this section. Jesus is the pivotal one. Everything pivots on Jesus. Do you see what verse 36 says? Whoever believes in the Son. Now that doesn't mean just in your head. But it means you believe and put your faith and trust in and obey Him, live for Him. He says you have eternal life. But whoever does not obey the Son or have the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. You see, what you do with the son is the pivotal question. Do you have the son? If you have him, you have life, eternal life, everlasting life. And not only do we have everlasting life, we have all things that have been committed into his hands. We have an inheritance. Did you know the scripture teaches that God has adopted us into his family, we that are saved. He has made us legal heirs. Jesus Christ is our elder brother. The father put everything in his hands. Now that we have believed upon the Son and received the Son, we now have the Son. He has also made us co-inheritors of an inheritance laid up where moth and rust cannot touch, nor can thieves break through and steal. Jesus is the pivotal one. Listen to me carefully. Church is important, but the focus is on Jesus. Church will not save you, nor will baptismal water save you. Jesus is the only one that saves. And if you don't have the Son, you walk away with nothing except the wrath of God continues to abide on you. That means eternal. destruction, eternal separation, eternal punishment, the wrath of God. Those that put their faith in his son, God's wrath was poured out on his son on the cross and it satisfied that wrath. But if you refuse his son, then you will experience that wrath. that abides on you right now. You say, oh, I don't feel it. That doesn't mean anything. God says the wrath of God is abiding on every lost sinner right now. And you will not feel the force and you will not experience the force of that wrath of God until after you die unsaved. Today, focus is on Jesus. The Son. He's mentioned as the Son in verse 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 35, 36. The Son. The Son. The Son. The Son. That's our focus. He's our focus. Let's pray. Do you have the Son today? Does He have you? Oh, today let the Lord have His way in your heart and life. God's dealing with your heart today. Praise the Lord. Oh, when He brings conviction from the Holy Spirit upon one, oh, He's doing a work in you. And the Scriptures teach us that when He does that work in us, that we are to repent and believe. Repent just simply means to turn away from whatever you've been trusting in. Maybe you've been trusting that you've been a church member for many years, or you got baptized, and that's what you've been trusting in. God says you must repent of that, turn away from that, and turn to Jesus. He's the focus. Turn to Him and believe upon Him. That's what the scripture says, to repent and believe the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. Turn to Him today, dear friend. Embrace the gospel, believe the gospel, claim the gospel today. In just a moment, we're going to stand and we're going to be singing a song entitled, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior. Some of you know that. You won't need a song book. If you don't know it, just listen as some will be singing up here on the platform. But a blind woman wrote that song. Her name was Fanny Crosby. She wrote this song because she had a dream one night. And in that dream, Jesus came into the old country church through the front door, or as they were sitting in the sanctuary, the double doors in the back. He came in, people turned around and saw Jesus come in. And Jesus began walking down the aisle. Pews on one side, pews on the other side. And Jesus would stop and put his hand on somebody. He'd walk a little bit further and on the other side, put his hand on somebody. Fanny Crosby said in that dream, now remember she's a blind woman, but she said in that dream, I could see that happening. And Jesus, it looked like he was gonna walk right by me. And she said, I woke up. And she said, I got a pen, paper, and began to write this song. Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling, do not pass me by, O dear friend. He's dealing with you today. Reach out. Take Him. Believe Him. Be saved. Quietly stand to your feet. Brother Shane is going to be here. Anyone needs to talk, you come, feel free. Bless me, Lord, gentle Savior, in my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Sing the other two stanzas. ♪ Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, Hail, ♪ The elders of our glory ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ ♪ Trusting only in thy grace ♪ ♪ Would I see thy face ♪ Save me, I am grace. Savior, Savior, make my heart to cry. Street. Or am I to be? Who am I on earth beside Thee? Who in heaven but Thee? Savior, Savior Here I am We can be seated as they prepare for Donna's baptism. Our Lord has commanded that when a person has put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is to be a public profession of that faith. That public profession, as I mentioned earlier, being baptized or put underwater does not save anyone. But this is a sign, this is a testimony of an inward work that God has done of salvation. As Shane read earlier about Miss Devakar in India, when those people go down to the river and publicly are baptized, some of them are cut off from their family, their Hindu family. Like you said, they can ask for salvation and be saved, but when they make that public profession, that's where things are cut off, and even some are persecuted, even giving their life. So today we're doing as the Lord has commanded. Radonna Edge has followed the Lord in Believer's Baptism. Radonna, if you'll come and join me down here. Redonda, let me ask you a few questions. Has God opened your eyes and opened your heart to salvation? Yes, He has. And that was on Easter Sunday morning. Yes, it was. Yes. Redonda, do you now profess before all here today that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? Yes, I do. And do you promise to live for Him the rest of your life? Yes, I do. Amen. Do you all rejoice in that? Today I baptize my sister in the Lord, Redonna Edge. Redonna, upon your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus and in obedience to his divine command, I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Buried in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus, God bless you. And you pray for Redonna that she will walk with the Lord and that God will use her as he already has. We're glad to have several of her family here and friends on the front row here. Thank you all for coming and being a part of this today.