It is yes, oh nice, okay So I just asked that you would be kind, because I took a devotion I did, oh gosh, back in May, and I thought, you know, there's some things I'd like to say, so hopefully I'll get that all added in and keep you, well not keep you too long, but just thankful again for all that God is doing. Let me just say good evening from Duluth, everyone. So glad to be here. I thought before we dive into our message tonight, we take a little time to think about the wonderful world of basketball. And let's just do this for a moment. Have you guys ever been to a professional basketball game? Yeah, okay, so you'll be ready for this, right? Right, is there any volume in here? Maybe this, oh. Let's try it again. Oh no, it didn't. Ah, that's funny. Try this this way. Do, do, do, do. And... Yeah, but it was on the title slide that I had the little thing. You know what, I'll just make it with my mouth. You guys remember this song? What were you supposed to say? Like half of you guys are like, where are we at? Are you ready for this, right? Well, it's probably for the best so I could come back. So I'm glad the music didn't play. I did warn Pastor Lachlan. But anyway, I want you to picture this for a moment. The court is buzzing with excitement as fans eagerly await the start of the game. Had to move that there. The spotlight is shining brightly on players as they enter the court. Their names are echoing through the arena as it's filled with thunderous applause. And amidst the cheers and the accolades, you notice a figure on the sideline. He didn't come out with the players. He looks like a coach, but you're not familiar with him. And yet this unfamiliarity with him doesn't diminish the fact that he has had an impact And it goes far beyond that of the court. You're asking yourself, who is this coach? Now, you've probably heard of Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player ever, depending on when you were born, right? You may even have heard of Phil Jackson. He was the legendary coach behind the Chicago Bulls. And he went on to coach the LA Lakers. He won a total of 11 NBA championships. So who was the man behind the man? We know behind Michael Jordan was Phil Jackson, but who was the man behind the man behind the man? Who was the man that was supporting Phil Jackson and the players like Michael Jordan? Does anybody know? Anybody know who was that guy? Well, let me tell you who he was. I'm glad you asked. Tex Winter. Anyone ever heard of Tex Winter? Okay, you've heard of Winter. Good. All right. Well, this is a guy named Tex Winter. Let me tell you a little bit about Tex Winter. He was living in the shadow of Jackson and the stardom of Jordan, but he was the mastermind behind the famous triangle offense. This was an offense designed to make it difficult to guard or double-team players like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Now, despite not receiving the same accolades and recognition as Jackson and Jordan, it's important to know where did Coach Winter thrived? He thrived in his role. You see, he thrived in selfish dedication to supporting Jackson and mentoring players. And where did he do this? He did this in the shadows, behind the scenes, amplifying humility and service, allowing others to shine instead of himself. And I'm sure Tex didn't start off this way as a kid. If he's like most of us, he probably dreamed as he was shooting baskets in his driveway of becoming a star one day. I don't know if you remember that. You'd be sitting there playing on the basketball court, and you'd be like, OK, three seconds left on the clock. Get off me, man. Get off me. Three, two, one. Anyone ever do that? OK. Am I by myself today? OK, I got one hand. All right, good, good. I know we're up north, and I'm kind of loud, so just humor me. But I remember that. I remember thinking, man, if I could make that shot. And I'm sure when Tex was a kid, he wanted to be the center of attention. But somewhere along the way, he learned that he could be more effective by playing a support role, by being a support role behind the scenes. Now, have you ever caught that at church, seen someone that is humble yet effectively or incredibly effective? Have you witnessed humility in action? So why am I talking about basketball and a Bible message? Well, like Tex Winter, you and I play a crucial role in the success of the body of Christ in the local church. You and I not only can support and uplift believers, especially when they get saved and as they grow in their relationship with the Lord, but you and I have a mandate to support them and assist them in their service to God. Now some of you may never be called to lead from the forefront. Others, like Tex Winter, are called to lead from the sidelines, from the shadows, assuring the team functions smoothly and achieves its success. Now let's transition from basketball to the wisdom of scripture. Before we do, I want to ask you this question. I want you to think about this. What role do I play here at Itasca Bible Church? How am I contributing to the team's success, even if it's not a prominent leadership position or role? Some of you may not be called to lead on the court, but you're still on the team. And so the question here tonight is, are you still in the game? Even if you're not in a spotlight, do you realize you can still make an impact by supporting and uplifting others in their service to God, even if no one sees it? So let's move our attention to a character I think you're familiar with. His name is John the Baptist. John the Baptist is a figure who demonstrated for us an example of humility and selflessness. As he learned the beauty of decreasing, he was committed to knowing his role, to embodying it with humility, and to exalting someone else, namely Jesus Christ. So I want to invite you to consider his life and how decreasing actually made him more effective in his ministry. So we're going to turn to John 3, so we can look at this together. Turn to John 3. Before we do, let's pause here. Before we read, let's pause here and pray. Father, we thank you for this great illustration of learning to be less. We thank you that it's okay to be in a place to support, to come alongside of those who you've called to go as forefront people, people on center stage. You actually want us to be good at uplifting and supporting them, but this can only be done as you work through us. We ask for your strength, as we know we can't do this on our own. We know that in time, you'll teach us that you are sufficient for your purposes and that if we do that, we can be refreshed, we can be reminded. We can be recharged to continue to serve. And as we do this, you alone, your son alone will get all the glory. And it's in his name we pray. Amen. So again, let's turn our attention to John the Baptist. And let's look at some of the things about his life that will remind us again the beauty of decreasing, seeing that John the Baptist served by knowing his role, by embodying humility, and by exalting Christ. So if you're not there already, we're going to turn to John 3.30. It's a long passage here. Here we go. John makes a very simple statement in verse 30. He says, He must increase, but I must decrease. He must increase, but I must decrease. Now this is a powerful declaration. It reveals John's humility. It reveals that he understood his role in God's plan. He's acknowledging Jesus' supremacy, his own subordination, the fact that he was secondary in fulfilling God's mission. So when you hear this verse, what comes to your mind? He must increase, but I must decrease. Now I know in the past when I would hear this verse, I thought it meant he became invisible. That's not necessarily what we have here. It's not the only meaning. We'll get to what it means, but let's consider how important was John in that historical timeline. Well we know John was, in the Hebrew perspective, very much a big deal. He still is to this day. You know, he was a person that was prophesied in Malachi. He fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah, make known the way of the Lord. And so his ministry was very much a fanfare. His ministry marked a transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament. And so he was a pivotal person in what we call salvation history. as we consider his impact at how he prepared the way for the Lord. We can glean some lessons from him, but first, again, let's look at the context of this verse so we don't miss what John was really saying. I want you to go back to John chapter three. We're gonna look at verse 22. In verse 3, 22 through 29, Jesus and his disciples are baptizing alongside John. Both have followers, both are baptizing, and both are making an impact. So we see the verse says, after these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judah, and there he remained with them and baptized. Now, John was also baptized in the Iran near Siloam, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized, for John had not yet been thrown into prison. Verse 25. Then there arose a dispute between some of Jesus' disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan to whom you have testified, behold, he is baptized and all are coming to him. Let me pause there for a second. So here, John's disciples are expressing concern. They fear Jesus' growing influence might overshadow John's ministry. Now, I want to ask you an honest question. Does that sound familiar? What I mean by that is, have you ever felt overshadowed, overlooked? Have you ever wondered, I think I'm being marginalized? I know I have. having that desire to be in the game, having that desire to hit, and then not even being acknowledged. But how do you respond to that? So John's disciples were concerned about the growing ministry of Jesus. They were asking the question, what happens now? Because a disciple at that time would not only link to the teaching, but to the lifestyle of the teacher, following the rabbi, being a part of their life. And if this is going away, I've given up so much, what am I gonna do now? Well, how did John respond? Look at verse 27. John answered and said, a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before you. So verse 27, a man cannot receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven, reminds his disciples. John is telling them everything comes from God. Then he points out his role in God's plan, verse 28, he says, I am not the Christ. I have been sent before him. And so John knew his role, John knew his place, and we can adapt the same type of attitude by remembering the source of our gifts and the ministry are the Lord. He uses then the metaphor of the bridegroom, that is John, and the friend of the bridegroom to further explain his joy in fulfilling his role. Look at verse 29. He who has the bride has the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. So where did John's joy come from? It wasn't in fame or popularity. It was in knowing the bridegroom. It was in knowing Jesus Christ and making him known. His role as a forerunner was the source of his joy. So instead of being consumed by jealousy or rivalry, John's testimony to his disciples was this. Rejoice when your efforts result in someone else being exalted. When people seek God because of us, not us, we've done our job. That's what it's all about. You know, I made the joke one time if I, I don't think I ever do it because it sounds so arrogant, but I sometimes want to get like a big outlet and put it on my, like a t-shirt with a Ghostbusters sign, you know, that little red sign with a mark through it and say, don't plug into me, you know. And not that you want to plug into me because I'm just broke, broke down as the rest of you, but the point is this. I want to be reminding people, if there's ever a time in the spotlight you see Poochie Jones looking like he's got his act together, you think he's got something to offer you, I ain't got nothing for you. But I know someone who does. And John was saying, it ain't about me. It ain't about you. It's not about us. It's about pointing others to Jesus Christ. It's about bringing glory to his name. Let me break down the verse a little more here just to kind of get us some understanding here as we go forward. So we have this verse that says, he must increase, but I must decrease. And so we work through this. In the Greek, we see it literally means that one, Jesus Christ, is the main focus of our faith. He's the central focus or figure of God's gospel mission. God is on a mission. Jesus is the centerpiece. When you get to must, it is necessary or it's a must. It conveys the idea of an unavoidable thing for Jesus to become more important. It's gotta happen. And that's John's mission, which is part of the bigger mission of God's redemption plan for mankind. What was necessary, required, was for Jesus to increase, to grow. What way? In influence, in authority, in significance. And what John was saying is, is that his status, his popularity, his time in the spotlight was changing. He says, as for me or myself, I'm secondary to Jesus. That role that I've been in, that I've played, is now fulfilled and he simultaneously, as I'm going this way, he's going this way. That's the but or however, the destiny of Jesus and me are contrasting, the paths are different, the roles are different, and that's the way it's supposed to be. That's God's intended, ordained purpose. And then the last decrease means to diminish. It means this is not only a position, but a posture of heart. Yes, your position is dropping, but so is the attitude of your heart. This is humility in action. John has stepped back from his center stage to let Jesus step forward. And so when you see this ideal of decrease, John 3 isn't just talking about becoming invisible. John was visible. He was popular. Decrease is more about asking, why are you seen? If you're in a season in your life where you're in the limelight, where you're center stage, and that happens from time to time, know that it's not about you. The real question is, why has God given me this position? And the answer should be to bring glory to God. So this shift in mindset isn't an easy one. It's not a natural one. We don't naturally put ourselves under. We don't naturally want to not be known. Some of us are not happy with attention, but in the back of all our hearts we want to be valued and liked. And so we need to constantly redirect the focus away from ourselves. and back to Christ in our relationships with others and in our ministries to others. But again, we can't do this on our own. So again, in the spirit of the basketball, Let's jump into this with three fast breaks. Just like in basketball, a fast break is a quick strategic play that moves you towards your goal. Similarly, there are three fast breaks that I think will help you sprint towards our purpose in God's mission. Here's a roadmap. I'll say all these and then I'll go through each one separately. For number one, we have To actively contribute to God's mission, you need to understand your role so you can play your part. To actively understand God's mission, you need to contribute, you need to understand your role so you can play your part. Number two, to effectively serve in God's mission, you need to embody humility. You need to embody humility, acknowledging your dependency on God, and serve others with selflessness. So you gotta embody that humility, depend on God, and serve others without being selfish. And number three, to wholeheartedly engage in God's mission, you need to prioritize exalting Jesus Christ above all else. That's the number one priority. This includes above you and your ministry. And your ultimate goal is to seek his glory. So again, it's just a reminder there. So let's look at the first one here. In order to actively contribute to God's mission, you need to understand your role so you can play your part. Fast break rule, or fast break number one is know your role. Now do you understand that there is a unique contribution you bring to IBC? You are essential for something here at this church. And when you understand that, it can help make your meaningful impact more present. In other words, it's just not about you fulfilling the obligation to come in a church. God has designed you for this church. You are a part of a body, and so as you see yourself as a part of a greater team, you can function as the body of Christ. I love how Paul beautifully describes this in 1 Corinthians 12, where he compares the church to a human body. And he says each believer has a distinct necessary function in that body. Verse 18 in 1 Corinthians 12 says, but now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. So God in his wisdom has placed you in here for a purpose. The question is, do you believe that? That's where you start. Do you believe that you have a part in the body of Christ? And do you see yourself as someone with a role in helping this body function and fulfill its mission? Now you might be saying, that sounds like you're really poking the bear there. Why does it really matter? It matters because if you don't see you're a part of this body, it could hinder you from aligning yourself with the word of God. There are things that this church is called to do. There are things that as a body you get to do together. That's the whole purpose of Ephesians chapter four and the seven ones in verses four, four through six. If you don't understand that you're part of the body, it could cause you to not reflect on how your life fits into eternity, because you're living for now. You're missing that it's not about here and now, it's about there, and about giving the gospel out. And it might cause you, if you don't really know you're part of a body, not to come alongside your teammates and support them in the ministry God has for this church. Now it's very interesting here, you know, a lot of people want to know when did God start designing me for this assignment, this body of Christ? Was it the day I trusted in Jesus Christ? Yes and no. When you were saved, you became spiritually alive. The Holy Spirit moved in and you became a new creation. You became a part of the body of Christ. But do you realize there's an amazing thing that is also true, is that before you were born again, before you became saved, God had already crafted your personality and character. It's not like he is saying, OK, you're going to look like a different person. Blake, I'm sorry, man, but when you got saved, we're going to make you into a tall African dude. He doesn't change the way you look. He doesn't change your personality. But what he wants to do is transform your thinking. But let's just look at this for a second. Let's look at how God saw that you were knitted together, and he did the knitting. We have Psalms 136 or 139 says that God was intimately involved in you as a creation, as a person. Verses 13 through 16 of Psalms 139, I have the wrong reference on there. It says, verse 13, for you formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works. And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and I was skillfully rotted in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed in your book. They were all written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them. So this beautiful thing happens where we can say we were fearfully, wonderfully made. Let's see here if I can get this to work. Do you believe that? That God says he carefully made you. Wonderfully made. Do I believe that I'm wonderfully made? Marvelous are your works. I remember with young, beautiful girls growing up, you try to kind of Give them something other than the world's standard. And I would say, do you realize you're marvelous? And show them this verse. But I would always attach it to the maker. Marvelous are his works. Reminding them of the fact that God doesn't make junk. And then, scarefully wrought. So God took his time to make you. In other words, there's a God behind the scenes. who shapes your identity, your personality. And he wants you to see that this God has a plan for your days. He says right here, all the days fashion for me. That's the extent of his sovereignty. He has a purpose for your life. And when you get saved, that's the other part of the equation. So just think of this before we get to that. As believers, you need to understand that God has a specific plan for you. It is not to remake your personality. It is to transform your person, your thinking, and your use of your body. So when you realize, when you hear that God has a unique plan for your life, when you realize that God has made you and fashioned you together in such a way as to fulfill that, obviously when you get saved, do you get excited? Does that make you go, this is great, let me discover it? Or does it fill you with fear? Do you take comfort in this truth that God has this plan for you or are you urged to cover up and hide because you don't want to mess up or fail? Now obviously being born in the world with a personality made by God isn't enough. A person has to get saved. A person has to find that the only one that can save them from the hell they deserve to have and they don't is Jesus Christ. And so no matter how much you have been made in God's image, you need a savior. No matter how nice you are, you need to be redeemed. When God saves you, it's just as you are, but you are guilty of sin. You deserve judgment for falling short or not being like God. God is all good and we're all bad, no matter what layer or level of good or of unsaveness we have. But once we believe the gospel, once we trust in Christ, then something happens. Now we become a part of God's workmanship. Thesis 210 says, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So this is enforcing the idea that you are God's special project. The Greek word is poema. Poema. What does that sound like? Poem. So you're God's poem. He is creating a story to declare his glory. So like a well-written poem, as you walk by faith, you start to see that God has this divine intentionality. He was intentional in setting things up. And when you became saved, plugging into him means that now that which he has prepared you for, can be fully fulfilled as you walk by faith. God doesn't need your ideas. He's not looking for your, hey, what should I do today? Should I bring the sun up? You think that'd be a good idea? No, he's looking for your yieldedness. He's looking for your dependency. When we walk in that plan of God as the person we are, we get to participate in his work. I had a friend of mine say it this way. When you are walking by faith, you are the best example and you are the best you you can be. He calls it the sanctified self. Sanctified, set apart, new man in Christ. When you're walking by faith, you're your sanctified self. When you're not, then you know what happens. Things of selfishness and distractions. So you were created, Christ Jesus, for something that he planned before you even here. Have you considered that, that God has just things for you to do on this planet? Have you considered that you are indispensable and needed here at IBC? That God wants to use you because you bring things to the table that even Pastor Lachlan doesn't bring. Because the value is not the size of the role you have, but in the function and you fulfilling that role. that God has designed you for. So you may not know your role. You may be wondering, well, what is that role? I would say don't focus so much on that. It's know your place. You're in Christ. You have the Spirit of God in you. You have the Word of God taught correctly. Let the Word of God do its work, 1 Thessalonians 2. Receive it, appropriate it, apply it, and let it mightily work in you. And as you do that, you'll start to see more and more of the fingerprints of God. You're in Christ. God has things for you to do as you get to know him more, but get to know the bridegroom. So we need to be able to just really rest in the things that God has for us. There's a lot that needs to be done. And just thinking, even as me and Pastor Sean were talking to Dave, all the things he needs to get done for winter. There's a lot of things that happens at this church. If someone doesn't show up, things kind of don't work. And so you may be asking, well, what do I do? Tell me what to do. I just want to know what to do. Again, don't try to focus on the specific role. But let me just throw out some of the roles that are happening, whether you know it or not. There are visible roles, there are less visible roles, and there are roles that are invisible. There are things happening in the forefront. We know those people like the pastor, and the teachers, and the youth director, and the worship leader. Those are all the ones we know, but there are people behind the scenes that no one knows about. There's the usher, and man, don't forget the nursery worker. One of the dirtiest jobs in the building, right? How many of you guys have been peed on at least once? I'm just kidding, don't tell me, don't tell me. But we have all these roles, and then you got people that are doing things that no one even knows about. You have people praying for you right now. When I was hearing some of the prayer requests, I was excited to realize I've been praying for that person, not remembering that they were from here. There are people who are encouragers. Some people come alongside of you and say the right words at the right time. Some people give money. There was a lady that gave $30,000 one time just because she wanted to support the ministry of our local outreaches and so forth. There's these times when people just give. There's these behind-the-scenes service. There's these people that do things, and if they don't happen, things don't work. And again, don't focus on this, like I gotta figure out what to do. Focus on him. Being available to him to grow, get those roots to go down so the flowers can come up. I think one of the coolest things in here, I don't know if I wrote it on here or not, but when I was looking this up of different roles in the body of Christ, I saw one was called a connector. Ever heard that term? It's interesting. The connector is a person who excels at inviting others to connect with others. And I'll explain. But let me give you a little background on me. When I was in St. Louis in 1991, someone gave me the gospel correctly. I got saved in 84. And I never went back to asking Jesus in my heart. I was clear on the gospel. But over the next few years, just went through a lot of different things, Calvinism, hyper grace, and so forth. But I could struggle through giving someone the gospel. I could try. And as you go back to the churches that don't have a clear gospel, you start to forget to emphasize it. So when I visited DBC in 2004, I noticed there was a strength of teaching. And I remember asking Scott Johnson, what are you doing different here? Why are there so many believers growing? He says, we anchor everything to the gospel. So when I moved here in 2005 and started to interact with people and I would have a chance to give the gospel, I had on speed dial, Pastor Rocks or Brad Smith. So I called Brad Smith this one time and I said, hey, I think the person at my job got saved, but I'd really like to make sure. Now before I say that, I was just being a connector. I hadn't really given the gospel. In fact, I was in a bad place. I just gave them the gospel booklet. They read it and got saved, and I needed bread to make sure they got it. But I was a connector. And so let me ask you this question. Has there ever been anyone in the Bible that didn't get noted for sharing the gospel but was really good at connecting people to the gospel or to Jesus? I'll give you an example. Look at John chapter 1. John chapter 1, verse 40. This is a biblical example of someone who didn't directly preach the gospel, but played an instrumental role in bringing others to Christ. All right, verse 40 of John chapter one. One of the two who heard Jesus speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah and brought him to Jesus. So Andrew's simple act of inviting his brother changed Simon Peter's life. Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas, meaning stone. Can you just think about that? His simple invitation connected him to someone that could transform his life. And so sometimes it's hard when you don't have the vocabulary down to articulate the gospel. And this person that you have in your speed dial hopefully knows it better than you. Having that person in my speed dial build confidence as I would listen to Brad give the gospel and he'd say it again and again and repeat himself. I'm like, I could have done that. I could have said that. Had Pastor Oxford come over, I could have done that. And eventually, I started to listen with the intent to say, I can do this one the next time. And eventually, I realized I had enough information and began sharing what I knew and learning to be more effective in giving the gospel. But it was very helpful to have people I could connect to, or people that I could bring to people that had a better handle on the gospel. Some of you guys aren't called to be pitchers and quarterbacks, but you're called to something. And John understood he had a role. Let's move on here. Let's play out this illustration a little more with missions. There are multiple people in the mission support role. Can you guys think of some roles of different people who help with missions? Different things that people can do to support the mission. I'll throw out one here. You got to have an evangelist, right? Someone to go with the mission. Who else is going to help out? Just throw it out here. Go ahead, say it. Glad you asked. Financial supporters, right? Anybody else? Who else do we need? Well, I just mentioned connectors, people that invite people. You know, sometimes you go to the Fair Evangelism. You guys know Randy Zimpel? He's great at inviting people in. We have every table filled when he's helping. He might never give the gospel when he comes, even though he can give it very well. Who else is there? Prayer warriors. These prayer warriors are people that intercede for the spread of the gospel. They're praying for open doors. They're praying that people will have receptive hearts. They're praying that there would be empowerment in the speaker to engage in evangelism. Sometimes you get ready to give up, you got those encouragers and supporters. These are people gifted in encouragement, coming alongside of those who are actively involved in the gospel work, providing emotional and spiritual support During the Bible conference, I'm so tired, I fall asleep doing your pastor's message. Music comes on, my daughter hits me hard. You're supposed to be up there leading the song. Sean's looking around. And I'm like, oh man, am I supposed to go up there? I'm like half asleep. I'm like, I don't know. I'm going to just walk. But I had people throughout the conference come to me and just say, how you doing? You doing OK? And I'm like, man, this is great. I got all this emotional support. Sometimes you just need someone to come alongside you. The word encouragement doesn't just mean to poke. It means to just be verbally or non-verbally there. Just come alongside. But these people offer words of affirmation. They give you practical assurance. They tell you that God is working through you, remind you again of the fact that he's doing the strengthening in your service. Sometimes when people get saved, they don't have any place to go. What do they need? Well, they need to start to grow in the Word of God, so we're thankful for teachers. These are people gifted in the ability to teach and disciple, to train, to play a crucial role in nurturing this new believer, to equip them for the ministry of them, not them, but the Word of God, to provide the Word of God that does the equipping. They're providing this instruction that's foundational for this believer to get their brain wrapped around their new identity to help them grow in their understanding of their new position and the application of it. And then you have people here that all they do is open their house. I'm going to brag on Sander Smith. Sander Smith has probably people over every other week. And he's like, I'm not sure if I'm impactful. I'm like, do you realize you're giving us an excuse and an opportunity and a launching pad to be at a fellowship? He always says, I got to meet, just show up, bring a side. You think of Lydia who opened her home to Paul and his companions in Acts 16, 15. There are people who have a propensity to host. When a believer gets saved, they need to be around other believers. They're not figuring out things. They need to be able to hang out and hear things that start to put things in alignment. And sometimes when you're saying things, like when I first came, I had so much legalism. I'd spend time with Scott Johnson, and Scott would say, hey, Poochie, what do you think about this verse? I'm like, oh, yeah, I got this one. Blah, blah, blah. He goes, really? I'm like, ooh. Go slow, Scott. He walked me through it. But I kept coming back. I kept wanting to hear more. But I couldn't have done it on my own. So some of you guys are really good at just opening up the door, setting a place for two people, and calling those two. Sean, can you come talk to Sonny? Blah, blah, blah. So don't marginalize your role. There's so many roles. The evangelist isn't driving the mission. Jesus Christ is. The body of Christ functions like an orchestra. Some musicians play in the foreground, and some are in the background, like the viola or the double bass. Now, they play, and everyone might give them different attention because we have a perceived value system that's not biblical. Oh, that person's so important. Oh, they're the soloist. They're the conductor. And they're functioning where God has them. Their contributions are vital, whether they're there or there. Because when they all play together, this symphony of difference sounds beautiful. You are different. Let yourself know that God made you in your mother's womb. When you got saved, he put in that game plan, gave you the Holy Spirit, now to walk in that newness of life and fulfill your mission. So even if your service feels less than visible, even if you don't think anyone notices it, if you're doing what you do is unto the Lord, then it's vital, essential. There's no insignificant role in the body of Christ. And I like to say it this way, I've said it here before, but you have to recognize that you are in the body of Christ and you have a part, or that you are a part of the body of Christ and you have a role or part to play in. So you're in the body of Christ and you have a part to play, a role to play. And when you do that, you will reflect God's intended purpose and placement of your life. So do you believe that? Will you let the Lord do that? Let's continue on here as we think through the rest of this. There's a second thing we want to look at, fast break number two, is humility. In order to effectively serve in God's missions, you need to embody humility, depending or acknowledging your dependency on God and serving others with selflessness. So we saw how John responded to his disciples. Let's make a couple observations about humility. Humility is defined as that modest or low view of one's own importance. Not a low view of yourself. Though I've heard it said, I really like this, is humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. Thinking not less of yourself. I'm so worthless. I'm a piece of garbage. That's not how God wants your value to be determined. That's not humility. That's false humility. That's not good. Thinking less of yourself, you're trying to not be the center of attention. And so the classic definition is humility is a virtue that allows you to acknowledge your own limitations and imperfections. recognizing the worth and dignity of others and having a true, honest, humble opinion of yourself. And this was not an option. He says it here that the one, he says he must, he must, I'm going to turn it on here. Can you see me just moving around in there? He must means that it's an obligation. He must increase and I must decrease. So when you embody humility, it allows you to be able to think less of yourself, but not to think of yourself as nothing. I love what Galatians 6, 3 says here, for if anyone thinks of himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Thinking you're better than others, thinking you don't need the Lord is the idea. St. Corinthians 12, 11, I have become a fool in boasting you've compelled me. For I ought to have been commanded by you, for in nothing I was behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. So Paul says I could use my credentials, my resume, all the things I'm good at to brag, but why? Because ultimately my posture of heart is I'm nothing. He says to the Corinthians, what do you have that you have not received? So there's these barriers to humility. There's the pride and self-centeredness and thinking that you have something and that you can do all these things in your own strength. It's fear of vulnerability. You start to be afraid to admit your mistakes. You have a desire to control people, to seek the validation from people. gives you an entitlement mentality. I wrote down five things that I want to summarize here. When we embody humility, it allows us to serve authentically without seeking recognition or praise. I can just serve. Oh, are you good at it? I'm just doing what I do as untold. I'm growing in grace. Number two, it allows you to prioritize others without seeking validation or approval. You don't have to worry about getting anything out of this. Just do what is unto the Lord. Number three, it allows you to listen intently without dominating conversations. I struggle with that one. I always have something to say. Well, be quiet. There's other people here that God has a spirit into, right? And this is one of my favorites. When you embody humility, you can care about people, but not let their opinion influence you. You can care about people without letting their opinion influence you. Think of Daniel and the people that had to live in a world that God's name was profaned. And so you want to have humility be there so you can be lifted up. That brings out exaltation to God. You can have grace from God. You can have wisdom, guidance, greater understanding, and so forth. Strength and weakness, 2 Corinthians 12 too. Well, let's move on here as we wrap this up here. Let's look at, in order to have the beauty and impact of decreasing, we need to wholeheartedly engage in God's mission. In other words, you need to be prioritizing that this is about exalting Jesus Christ. This is your bottom line. Christ above all, including yourself in ministry, you need to make sure you're seeking his glory, not your own. So he must increase. and I must decrease. The word must is used twice to show that not only is the increase of Jesus Christ important, but the decreases of John is important. And so there's this conflict, but actually it's a parallelism of two different directions. And so it's important to recognize that humility, when it's played out, actually lifts up Jesus Christ. He's got to be the one. He's got to be the one that is more important to you. I'm stepping back. I'm fading in the background. I'm deliberately being humble. I'm relinquishing my desires. I'm relinquishing my ambitions, my ego. I'm making space for God, his will to be fulfilled, his name to be known. And so when this happens, we're able to be able to say, as it says, I can decrease. Why? Because it's all about him. If everything I do is pointing you to me, then I've missed it. And so ultimately what happens when we let ourselves be seeking to bring Jesus Christ's name in front, we can be able to authentically, like I said, we can, I'm sorry, not authentically, we can make his name known, we can focus on what he's doing, and we can focus less on ourselves. When people come to us, the ultimate goal is what do you think about Jesus Christ? but you have such a great this, I understand. Are you saved or are you abiding? Do you recognize all that Jesus Christ is? When we do this, we see that the focus of our lives becomes worship. I'm not sure if you ever read the book by Alfred Gibbs, but it's worship, the Christian's highest occupation. and he defines worship as many things, but he says the ultimate goal is it overflows into service. So when you see a verse like Romans 12, one and two, the act of worship is not music or gatherings, but it is that posture of heart, that exalting of Christ, that lifestyle of gratitude and reverence where every action starts to reflect the Father, the one you're dependent on. And as I said, it starts to overflow in your service. John was not concerned about his name. He was ready to serve and to bring Jesus Christ to the forefront. I love what Matthew 30, 23, 11 says, Jesus reminded us that the greatest among you shall be your servant. Serving others with joy should be our goal. Humility, when it's done, is unto the Lord, magnifies the work of Christ. And so we're just seeing all these variables here where John is coming to the table. of our scripture reading, and we're seeing he says, it's about knowing my role. My role is to do whatever the Father has created me to be in the body of Christ. In his case, it was setting up the mission, the gospel mission of Jesus Christ. But in this covenant of grace in the church age, you're called to be a part of a body. And if you recognize that, you can yield to the head and let him show you. Now, as you do what you do, Let it be embodying humility. Let it be, Lord, do whatever you want. Use me in whatever fashion. And as I do that, then I am going to ultimately point people to Jesus Christ. Point people to the only one that matters, God and God alone. Go to 1 Corinthians, and we'll end with this. I believe it's chapter 10. Verse 31. Yep. Do everything for the glory of God. That's what it all boils down to. The goal of our life, if we're in front, if we're supporting behind, is to bring glory to him. And when we do that, not only will his name be known, not only will people see who the gospel mission person focus is, but Jesus Christ will get the glory. Let's pray. Father, we thank you again for the fact that you are willing that none should perish. We know the gospel is a good news for sinners, but we also thank you that you didn't stop with just getting us out of hell, but you want to now take us, mold us, for your purpose on this planet. Thank you, Lord, that John the Baptist was a great example of one who was willing to become more for a time and when it was time to become less. And so, Lord, if you have people in a place of limelight or focus, whatever it is, Lord, help them realize it's not about them. It's about pointing people to the only saver that saves. And if that changes, let them be humble enough to just step aside, to let you put them in a different role, not be worried about losing face or value. Know that their value is based on their position in Christ. Their value is based on functioning in that role as a humble servant. Their value is in ultimately exalting Jesus Christ. We thank you for every believer that makes up IBC. We thank you for the leadership here. The many trials that are going on, we know that they're happening all the time, but this church is known for its faith and its love for one another in your word. So we just pray that you would just continue to strengthen them in their inner man, to remind them of their purpose, to remind them that you're coming soon. So in the meantime, let's remind each other of that fact. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.