And good morning. I can't help but think of a song that a man wrote many years ago, and then Brother Joseph Terrell had added some words to it, and part of it says, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, for, Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee, hadst thou not chosen me." And that's true. That's true for me, and if you believe on Christ, I know it's true for you, too. I invite your attention this morning to the Gospel of John, chapter 3. And your brethren in Kingsport, brother Gabe and the brethren there, send their love and greetings. John chapter 3. Look here with me beginning in verse 22. John 3 verse 22. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Anan near to Salem, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized, for John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all come to him. This is an account of John the Baptist. I looked into John's name to see what it means. I never saw this before. John means Jehovah is a gracious giver. You know I love that. Jehovah graciously gave himself for John the Baptist. And I think most of us probably know this, but John the Baptist was the earthly cousin of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was born a few months before him. And if you didn't know this too, John's mother, Elizabeth, she was barren. She was old in age. She was past the age of childbearing. And then the angel Gabriel came and told her, you're going to have a son. His name's going to be John. And he shall be great in the sight of the Lord. Many shall he turn to the Lord their God. I love reading this about John the Baptist. We're told that when Mary came to Elizabeth, John's mother, And John was in her womb. She told Elizabeth the salutation that the angel had told her about how the son of the highest, the son of the most high God, was going to come forth from her womb. And I love this. It tells us that John the Baptist, as a babe in her womb, leapt. Leapt for joy at that announcement. Scriptures tell us that John was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb. I can't explain that, but it blesses my soul to read about this. Now, John was greatly used of God. John the Baptist was a faithful witness. He was a faithful prophet, a faithful preacher of the gospel, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as is often the case with God's ministers, John had a following. He had some disciples, and that's all that means is a follower, okay? Now, here in our text, These disciples of John, they heard that men were going to the Lord and going to His disciples to be baptized of them. And John's disciples were upset. John's disciples didn't understand that. They couldn't understand why somebody would go to someone other than John the Baptist to be baptized. They thought all men should come to Him. And reading John's response, which is the next and the last 10 verses of this chapter, bless my heart so much, this was, in a way, his rebuke to them, because what they found fault with was there was no fault at all. And I hope this will be an encouragement to you as it has been to me, all right? John's response to them, I've titled this John the Baptist Testimony, all right? John the Baptist testimony, look at verse 27 with me. John answered and said, a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. What a response. You know, his disciples, his followers were all torn up. Why aren't they coming to you? This is terrible. John was not upset in the least. You know, if you're anything like me, you struggle with jealousy sometimes. There was no jealousy here for our brother John. In fact, I'm sure when they told him this, he was most glad. John's desire was for men to come to Christ. That was the whole point of his message, was to believe on Christ. We read it here in the last verse. Come to Christ. He couldn't have cared less if men came to him. Two, like all true faithful pastors, preachers of the gospel, if someone comes to us wanting to confess Christ and be baptized, identifying with Him, confessing what He has done for them, we would rejoice. But you understand what I'm saying? You understand what John's saying? It wasn't about him. It wasn't about His ministry. What did it tell us right here? A man can receive nothing. My sinner Martin says, take unto himself. A man can take unto himself nothing, including our ministry. It must be given unto us from heaven. It's God's ministry. The ministry here, the ministry in Kingsport, the ministry in Crossville, and all the places where God has a ministry, we have received this ministry. It's His. It's His. You know, I don't really like the term winning souls and converting. God calls His people. God is faithful in calling His people unto Himself. And He uses His ministry, His messengers, and His message, His word, to do it. Verse 28, Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. John was going to make sure that these men knew He is, we're not in competition. We're not rivals. Again, for lack of a better phrase, we're on the same team. We're on the same side. Alright? Now, you may hope, that's just a page over, but in John 1, we're going to go back and forth between John 3 and John 1 a bit. Okay? Look here in John chapter 1 verse 6. I'd love to read the whole chapter, but it's a long chapter. Just going to read a few verses here and there. John 1 verse 6. says, there was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light. He was sent to bear witness of that light. John was sent of God. He did not send himself. He was sent of God for this reason, to bear witness of Christ the light. That's it. That's it. Look right here at verse 15. John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John was sent with a message. It was to bare witness of Christ the Light, He said, don't look to the law. You look to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's full of grace and truth. Look to Him. He declared Christ. Look down here at verse 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me." Do you see how John very simply pointed men and women to Christ? Pointed them away from themselves, away from himself. He didn't want people to Put their trust in Him? No. But in Christ, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. John said right here in verse 23, he said, I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness. That's it. I'm nothing. I love the quote from our dear brother Scott Richardson. You wonder what a preacher is and we tend to glory in preachers and put them on pedestals. A preacher is a nobody. who tells everybody about somebody, capital S, who can save anybody. I love that quote so much. Oh, I pray none of us ever forget that. We're just men. The best of men are men at best. Every man in his best state is altogether vanity, empty. That's what it means. Look back in our text, John 3, verse 28 again. John said, ye yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him. This verse blesses my heart so much. Verse 29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. Now, in this illustration, that John gave. Very simple illustration. Christ is the bridegroom. John is the friend of the bridegroom. Let me tell you about the bridegroom. Look how that verse is worded. Verse 29. He that hath the bride. For years I wondered if I would ever have a bride. I did some seeking of a bride. There was a time when it could be said, I did not have my bride. Even after we were engaged, something could have happened and I could have not had my bride. When people say things like, Well, I saw it yesterday. I drove down to the Brass Band Festival for a little bit. And these people were standing out on the corner of Main Street and I forget the other road. And they had signs, God loves you, Jesus died for you. He loves his bride. The Father chose a bride for his son called the Lamb's Wife. Christ came to redeem his bride. Christ died for His bride. I have had the blessed privilege of conducting two wedding ceremonies. And the beauty I see in that is you turn to Ephesians 5, or you look in Genesis when God gave Adam and Eve. When you think about marriage, think about Christ and His bride. You think about how He loves her. It's kind of like Hosea and Gomorrah. How could He love her? That God should love a soul like me? Oh, how can it be? Here's how. In Christ. For Christ's sake. It's all about the bridegroom. And He hath the bride. He has always had her. He has her now. And He's going to have her forever. He has loved her forever with an everlasting love. Nothing shall be able to separate her from His love. In tenderness, He sought her. He bought her. He went to prepare a place for her. He joined her unto Himself forever. They're one. You know, when we enter into marriage, how often does it not last? I'm not here to cast judgment on any of us, but for the grace of God, I'd be in... When man makes a promise, at the end of the day, it may or may not mean anything. But when God makes a promise, the Lord is faithful who promised. He doesn't break a promise. You know, marriage is so serious. And I told the people that I'm married, I said, listen, If you view divorce as an option, don't even do it. I don't want to marry you if you even think, well, if it doesn't work. Because there is no divorce between Christ and His bride. It's impossible. Well, what if I'm just not a good enough husband? That happens. What if I'm just not a good enough wife? That happens. But thank God this marriage doesn't hinge on the bride. It doesn't hinge on us. It all hinges on Him. And it can never be broken. Here's who John the Baptist declared, he that hath the bride. He that hath the bride. And I can't help but think, from John's perspective, I can't help but think of a best man. I've never been a best man. Maybe some of you have had the honor. But I thought about this. A best man, one, that's someone whom the bridegroom loves. I had a best man. That's someone who is near and dear to the bridegroom's heart. And here's what the best man gets to do. He gets to stand there beside the bridegroom. and hear Him proclaim His love for His bride. That's how John referred to himself. I get to stand here and hear Christ proclaim His love for His bride. Do you promise to have and hold? Do you promise all your earthly goods? Do you promise to love her as long as you both shall live, in sickness and health, in poverty and in wealth? I do. I'm not telling you you need to do something to earn the love of the bridegroom. No. I'm telling you He has the bride. The bridegroom hath the bride. And I pray God would be pleased to reveal to you and to me that we're the bride. He's not waiting on us. He's not hoping. He's not putting the ball in our court. He's not... Proposed, if you will, waiting for us to accept. No, He hath the bride. He hath the bride. And John said this, he said, my joy is fulfilled in getting to hear His voice. Have you heard His voice? Have you heard Him proclaim His love to you, child of God? If we do, if He reveals to us we're the bride, every time we hear His voice, we're not going to be able to help but rejoicing. Just like John. Look here, verse 13. He went on to say, He must increase, but I must decrease. You know, it seems obvious in this account that John's disciples wanted John to increase. They wanted John to be the one to get to baptize them. They wanted John to get the credit. They wanted John to get the glory. They wanted John to have some sort of role in this. I'm okay with not having any role in this. I would have it no other way than for Christ the bridegroom to have all the glory. He must have all the glory. It's not unto us, it's unto Him. He will not give His glory to another. It all belongs to Him. The prayer of John's heart, the sincere desire of his heart and soul was for the Lord Jesus Christ, His Lord, to increase. He just wanted Christ to increase. When we come here, you know, I hear it said that in false churches, I was privileged to grow up here. This is the only message I ever heard, even though I didn't like it for a time. I never had to sit under a false message, but I hear that it's all about coming in here and, well, I got up and cleaned up and got ready and went to church. It's all about feeling good and leaving here feeling good about ourselves and going about our day. You know, we think Monday is the first day of the week. Today is the first day of the week. We're starting our week worshiping God. We should get some credit for that, right? Absolutely not. He must increase. This is all about Him. We're not put on a show. We're not here to play games or put on a charade. This is about Christ. This is about exalting the Savior. I love what Rex always says. Come brag on Christ. That's what we're doing. We must decrease. Decrease. We like to be wise in our own eyes. We like to seek the praise of men. Do you not like being complimented? Do you not love when someone pats you on the back and says, good job? I always have. He must increase. I must decrease. He alone is worthy. You read how the Apostle Paul spoke of himself after conversion. My soul. He said, I'm nothing. Nothing. Less than the least of all saints. No wretched man that I am. I need to be delivered. It's all about Christ. All he wanted was for people to know Christ. We read it. He said, Behold the Lamb of God. Quit looking at me. Behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world, the world of His elect, His people. You know, John didn't even want people to know his name. A voice. The voice of one crying in the wilderness. I'm on sermon audio. John isn't. It's not about us. It's all about Christ. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 11. Paul said, I've become a fool in glory. And God gave him thorn in the flesh. He made glory in Christ. In His sufficient grace. Here in Matthew 11, look at verse 11 with me. This is the Lord speaking. Matthew 11.11, Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. There is not a greater than John the Baptist. But he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Well, how do you explain that? I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all. Same for you too. Jesus Christ, He's our all in all. We're nothing. We're the body. He's the head. He's the preeminent one. He gets all the glory. We glory in Him. You know, people like to talk about getting their crowns. We're going to cast our crowns at His feet. If we're going to be with Him, if we're going to be accepted in Him, stand before His presence in all eternity, that's exactly where we're going to be is at His feet. And we're going to be delighted to stay there forever, singing His praise, glorying Him and Him alone. Back in our text, John 3 verse 31. He must increase, I must decrease. He must be exalted, I must be abased. Let's glory in Him alone. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. John 3.31 says, He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above all. He's above all. Job put it this way. He said, God is greater than man. What a statement. What a statement. God is infinitely greater than man, isn't He? Absolutely He is. We're of the earth. We're earthly. Thus we are, to thus we shall return. Not Christ. You remember how long He stayed in the grave? Wasn't long. The grave could not hold Him. It had no power over Him. You and me, we have a problem. We are carnal. Fleshly. We're sold under sin. Paul said, to will is present with me. He said, but how to perform that which is good? I find not. We want to. God's given us the will. He said, sin shall not have dominion over us. Let me tell you about Christ. He's holy. He's holy. Hymn number 70. Holy, holy, holy. It's always been one of my favorite songs as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I loved that song. But especially once I came to rejoice in the words. He's the most high God. He's separate from sinners. He's not like us. Ultimately, here's the problem. By nature, we think the Lord Jesus Christ is just like us. Thou thoughtest I was altogether such and one as thyself. But He's not. We are sinners. God's Word declares us to be fallen, helpless, ruined sinners. And it tells us Christ is separate from sinners. Our sins have separated between us and our God. We're not similar. We don't have anything in common. We can't bridge the gap. We can't fix our problem. We can't get to God. You remember the Tower of Babel? They tried to just climb on up to heaven. We can't. We can't do it. Here in John 3, in verse 14, it talks about Christ being lifted up. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That's what it says right before God so loved the world. And whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Listen. He came from above. He's above all. He came down to be lifted up. And in being lifted up, He came down. As Christ was lifted up on the cross, He was coming down in love. In love for His bride. In love for those He came to save. He condescended. You just read it. He endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. He who is holy. In Philippians 2, we read that glorious account about how he humbled himself. He whom God had highly exalted, giving him a name above every name. He humbled himself. We want to be exalted, don't we? I want to leave here thinking, man, that was a good message, wasn't it? God forbid. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Even the death of the cross, He came down. That was John's testimony, that He reached down His hand for me. Let's remember that pit from whence we've been digged. Oh, my soul. We have no idea just how far He reached down for us. You imagine the Son of God the spotless Lamb of God who knew no guile, who knew no sin, pure, perfect, righteous, righteousness Himself, the Light, the Life, the Life. That's what we read in John 1. The Life, the Light. In Him is no darkness at all, and yet He hung on a cross to save those who are nothing but darkness, who are nothing but death. We read right here, I think in verse Maybe 17 to 19 talking about lightness has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because we're evil. This isn't about us. That's John's message. It's not about me. It's all about Christ who loved me and gave himself for me. He came down. Oh, He came down. So let that remind us who and where He is. He's exalted and lifted up. He's seated on His throne. Heaven's His throne. This earth is just His footstool. The heavens aren't even clean in His sight. He's above all. He's above all. Look here, verse 32. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth. And no man receiveth His testimony. The Lord Jesus Christ is the faithful and true witness. He is. I hope that by God's grace I can be a faithful and true witness, but He is the faithful and true witness. And He said this, I believe He said it to Pilate. He said, For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. And that's Him. He is the truth. Now, although He is the faithful witness, although He is truth itself, Himself, what did we just read? No man receiveth his testimony. Does that not strike you? We hear the truth himself. I won't believe that. Look right here in John 3 verse 7. He was talking to Nicodemus about being born again. You must be born again or you're not going to enter into the kingdom of heaven. John 3 verse 7, Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, that's the Spirit, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered in verse 9, said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness." Now, why? Everybody claims to believe God. Everybody claims to know God, love God, love Jesus, follow Him. We're told in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14, The natural man discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God. Neither can he know them. They are foolishness unto us. God must reveal these things unto us by His Spirit. God must birth us again. We must be born of the Spirit. Born of the Spirit of God. In John 1, we read that Christ came unto His own, and His own received Him not. We read in Isaiah 53, prophesying of Christ's coming. We read that He is despised and rejected of men. No exceptions. We all despise and reject Him by nature. Here in our text, verse 32, And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth, and no man receiveth his testimony. But look at the very next verse. He that hath received his testimony hath said to his seal that God is true. No man receiveth his testimony, he that receiveth his testimony. Make sure you're paying attention. That don't make sense, does it? That don't make sense. There are some who receive God's testimony. I mentioned Isaiah 53. It starts like this. Who hath believed his report? To whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Those who believe his report. Those who hear and believe God's testimony. are those to whom the arm of the Lord has been revealed, Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. If Christ has been revealed to us, though by nature and though on our own and according to our will, we could not receive His testimony by God's grace, by God-given faith in Christ, we receive His testimony. Those upon whom the Spirit moves. Believe. Now, remember what John already told us. He said, a man can receive nothing, except to be given him from heaven. Faith is the gift of God, not of yourselves, lest any man should boast. God's gift. Now, if God has given us faith, here's what we can do. We can set to our seal that God is true. We know whom we have believed, don't we? And we know we didn't wake up one day and decide to believe it. I didn't just come here one day and decide, I'm going to love Christ. I'm going to dedicate my life to Christ. God would call me a fool. You read God's Word. That's not how it works. All our lifetime we were subject to bondage. Sitting here, hearing the gospel preached. Nah, I can do without that. And then next thing you know, I've got to go hear about the Savior again. I gotta go hear about Him who's washed me from my sin, cleansed me with His blood. He who's my all in all. I teach the Sunday school class for the middle and high schoolers at the church in Kingsport. I just lost five to graduation. I taught them last week, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days draw not. When the years come, you say, I have no pleasure in that. You know, you graduate and we want to get out on our own. When I grew up here, graduated from Boyle County High School, everybody I knew wanted to get out of Dodge. They wanted to get out of Danville, Kentucky. I had no desire to leave here because the gospel was here. Now, I moved to Kingsport because I felt led to. I felt led to be there with my wife and have a family there. God forbid we just move away from the gospel. Is He not your daily bread? Is He not your life and sustenance? In Him, do you not live, move, and have your being? Well, a job's more important. I moved to Kingsport making... I didn't have a job, but when I got a job, I made 11 bucks an hour. Supported a wife on 11 dollars an hour. You think... I'll tell you why. Because God has caused me to trust the Lord shall provide. Who cares if you make 11, 12 bucks an hour? You remember the manna? that He provided in the wilderness? Is God able to supply all our need through the Lord Jesus Christ, or is He not? I can say to my seal, God is true. He's faithful. He's faithful. We can trust Him. Believe God's testimony. I pray He'll cause us to. Look here, verse 34. For he whom God hath sent, Speaketh the words of God. Now let me say this, John obviously was sent of God. We read it in John chapter 1. A man sent of God named John. All those who declare the gospel, we must be sent of God. But Christ is the one who was sent of God. God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. Now every time Christ spoke, He spoke the words of God. He is the Word of God. We're told that in John 1. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. When we stand and open God's Word and speak, may we speak as the oracles of God declaring His Word. Anything I have to say of my own accord matters not. We must hear Him. We must hear His words. We must hear His voice and His alone. Verse 34, for he whom God has sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. I love this quote I found, Matthew Henry. He said, the Spirit was not in Christ as in a vessel. You know, you and I are vessels. But as in a fountain, as in a bottomless ocean. I love that. All the fullness of God, we're told in Colossians, dwells in Him and we are complete in Him. In Christ, we're complete. He's not left anything for us to complete. You know, someone might start something and then you come and flip a switch or something to finish it. You say, oh, I did that. Salvation's of the Lord from start to finish. You read this too. He's the author of our faith and He's the finisher of our faith. It's all of Him and He's the object of our faith. Here, verse 35. The Father loveth the Son. If we hear nothing else, may we truly hear this. God the Father loveth God the Son. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 3. The Father loveth the Son. This right here might be my favorite account with John the Baptist. Matthew 3. Verse 13. Matthew 3.13, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Now look what happened right after this. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water. And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him. And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And, lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Now, it'll never cease to amaze me that our Lord had one of His people baptize Him. To me, you know, when we're baptized, we're identifying with Christ saying, I believe with all my heart that Christ came to save me. I know it's not because of anything in me, but it's all for His great namesake, for His glory. And then Christ came and was baptized. You know what I see in that? I see Him identifying with His people. And what other response could John the Baptist possibly have? Whoa, whoa, I need to be baptized with you. You know, kind of like when Peter in, I think, John 13, when our Lord was washing his disciples' feet, and Peter said, no, no, no, no, no. The Lord said, Peter, if I don't wash you, you can have nothing to do with me, no part with me. He said, you wash me all over. You've washed me from head to toe. Oh, we must be washed in Him. The Father loveth the Son. That's exactly what the Father said when the Lord took Peter, James, and John upon the Mount of Transfiguration. And again, Peter, it's good for us to be here, but let's build three tabernacles. The Father spoke and He said, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. Hear Him. Don't glory in each other, Peter. Glory in Him. Glory in Him and Him alone. Here in our text, John 3 verse 35 again. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand. I love that too. He hath given all things into His hand. You know, people think of the Lord Jesus as being less than God. He's equal with God. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He is God. Yes, the Scriptures refer to Him as the Son of God. But He's God the Son, the Three-in-One, the Thrice-Holy God. He's no less God than the Father. Told you in Him dwells all the fullness of God. Listen, John 17.2, Thou hast given Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. John 5.22, The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. All judgment, all power. Colossians 1.17 says, He's before all things. And by Him all things consist. The Lord Jesus Christ is our sovereign God. He's our sovereign God. Now, here's the conclusion of what John had to say to his followers. Verse 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Do we believe on the Son of God? This is the critical issue. This is the only thing that matters. Don't matter how much we make. Don't matter. The poor man who has Christ is the happiest man on the face of this earth. Because he's the wealthiest man on the face of this earth. That's what I tried to teach the kids last week. All that matters is do we have Christ? Do we know the Son? Do we believe on Him? Turn with me and I'll close. Turn to 1 John 5. 1 John 5. 1 John 5, verse 9. 1 John 5 verse 9 says, If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in Himself. He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in His Son. Now let me tell you, That's what this book declares. Life in the Son. Life in the Son. Look right here, verse 12. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I don't know anything else in this life that is of any significance than that right there. That's it. He that hath a son, he that believeth on the Son, that's all that matters. Nothing else matters. 401k is tanking? Oh well. The Lord will provide. John the Baptist, his disciples came to him troubled. I don't know how they responded to this. Just because it says they were his disciples, it doesn't necessarily mean they were believers because in John 6, there were some men referred to as the Lord's disciples, followers, but it says they went back and walked no more with him. They were interested in making Him king, interested in having Him feed their bellies. So I don't know if these were believers or not, but I pray so. I love to picture them just laughing at their silliness after John's glorious response. You see, John the Baptist had one purpose in life. And it wasn't to baptize. It was to declare the Lord Jesus Christ. It was to bear witness of Him. It was to preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. He was sent by God to declare God's testimony of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Christ is all. I pray God will give us the same glorious testimony that Christ is all, all in all. Nothing else matters. All right. May the Lord bless His word.