Open our Bibles to the Gospel according to John Chapter 3 and I'm reading from verse 22 Just 22 and up to 24 Yeah, so that says the Lord After this, Jesus and his disciples went into Judea, the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Enon, near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized, for John had not yet been put in prison. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we thank you for granting us this time to be here under your word. Oh, Lord, I pray that you use me to teach us your truth. And Lord, in it, Lord, they defy us, encourage us, rebuke us, teach us your ways. And Lord, don't allow me to speak my mind, but only that which will give you glory. Help my brothers and sisters as they follow so that all of us together will be edified. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen. Yeah, the overall theme of in this whole epistle It is the manifestations of Christ's glory and we are still under the first part of the manifestation. Christ is still manifesting His glory to Israel. And again, for you to appreciate, let me go back and remind you of the meanings of these two words, manifestation and glory. Beginning with glory, the word glory simply means something, anything beautiful. Anything surprising, anything lovely, anything that can attract other people to itself. When it comes to God, this is just extreme. Extreme beauty, the beauty that you've never seen and you cannot see anywhere else. Extreme splendor, extreme power, extreme love is characters. That's simply what we mean by glory. And to manifest means to reveal. Meaning that something has been hidden. People have not been seeing it, and time comes you want it manifest, you want it revealed. And what do we mean by Christ manifesting His glory? It's because He was born just like any of us, a child of a carpenter. He had come to accomplish a mission. When he was 30 years of age, time was rapid enough for him to manifest, to now show to everyone that he had glory. And he began by manifesting his glory in Cana of Galilee, by turning water into wine, then in Jerusalem by cleansing or chasing people from the temple. and then in Jerusalem still we see his conversation with Nicodemus one of those people who had believed in Jesus falsely They had believed in him simply because they saw the power he had manifested, the authority. And Nicodemus came to him in the night, and their dialogue started there. That's what we saw in the previous sermon. And I showed you that in all of that conversation, it has two major parts. In part one from verse 21, sorry, from verse one up to verse 21, to verse 13, sorry, Jesus Christ again, as I need you, it's very important, he did not mention anything like believe there. But he was just turning around the work of the Spirit, of the Holy Spirit. And then from verse 14 to verse 21, he repeated the word believe five times. For a reason. So these two put together is what it means for you to be born again. On the one hand, there is the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. to break your stony heart and creating you a fleshy heart that can easily be broken by God's words. You have no work in that. You cannot contribute anything. So then from verse 14, That's when you find in verse 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that you know very well. You need now to believe. Even this is also a gift from God. You cannot be born again if you don't believe. In the Son, the only Son of God. Where I left you in the previous sermon, I had not told you what to believe means. What does it mean? To believe has nothing to do with your going to church regularly. It has nothing to do with your being a full member of a local church. It has nothing to do with you understanding theology well. Preaching well, being a church leader, being a prayer warrior, you can have all these things and you don't believe in Christ Believing in Christ has nothing to do with you accepting that God exists Because where you are seated, you might be believing that Christ is God, and that he came and died for sinners. In short, all these things that the Bible teaches about Christ, you might be believing in them. and yet heaven sees you as a non-believer. So to believe in Christ is something beyond this brain knowledge. James 2.19 tells us that you believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe. And they tremble. So what you might be believing about Christ, Satan and his demons believe the same. By the way, they believe more than you because they were with him. They know him better. The reason why they tremble whenever they think about Christ. Now, what does it mean now for one to believe in Christ? So you believe in Christ through verbalizing your faith by confessing your sins. Romans 10.9 You believe in Christ through repentance by abandoning the sins you confessed. Acts 3.19 You believe in Christ through faithful obedience by obeying his commands. In John 14, 15, he says, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. You believe in Christ through the fruit of the Spirit by displaying the character and virtues of Christ. Galatians 5, 22 and 23. You believe in Christ through perseverance, by enduring trials and remaining faithful to him to the end. Matthew 24, 13. You believe in Christ through love for others by demonstrating love and care for fellow believers. John 13, 35. So today's text gives us another sign or proof that you truly believe in Christ. So I've just given you a few signs that can prove that you believe in Christ. But in today's text from verse 22 up to verse 36, we are going to learn another sign because remember we are still rotating around the word believe. In this text we will see again another sign that can prove to you and other people that you truly believe in Christ or not So in this sermon God shows you how you can decrease so that Christ may increase in your life The problem that we do have as human beings is the sin. This sin disturbs both those who are not born again and those who are born again. You know very well that our hearts are factories of idols. They manufacture, they form all kinds of idols. And one of these idols is Human beings wanting to be like God. That was the beginning of sin, by the way. Pride. That's why I always say each and every human being is proud. Each and every. Whether born again or not, it's the degrees that differ. Each and every human being would like to be God. The tenter who wanted to lift his throne and be like the most high, always wants to tempt you to also want to be a small god somewhere. If you fail to be a small god here, you'll want to be a small god in your own home, if you are a husband. Verse 22 says, after this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. After all that conversation with Nicodemus, Judea was not very far from Jerusalem. And he remained there with his disciples. and they were baptizing there. In another small village, Inon, near Salem, John also was baptizing with his disciples there. Christ wants to manifest his glory in Judea. In which way? Because the glory of Christ is seen in three ways. Or let me say, it's manifested, yes, in three ways. One, by what it does. It turned water into wine. He showed authority by chasing people from the temple of his father. Two, his glory is manifested by what he says. And three, his glory is manifested by what others say about him. And here in Judea, The people there are going to hear about His glory through the mouth of John the Baptist. The problem of increasing is a problem with us all. We want to increase. We want to be famous. We want to be powerful. When the members of your family, all of them come to you because you have some money, you help me, you feel great, you feel okay, very good. But Christ's glory has to be seen in you if you are born again. Because he came so that he could manifest, he could reveal to other people his glory. And he wants to reveal, he wants to reveal it through you, through your body, through your lifestyle. But do you know why he is failing to do that in your body, in your life? Because There is also some part of you that wants to increase yourself. And yet, Your glory and Christ's glory will not increase at the same time. If yours increases, like it or not, Christ's glory will decrease in your life. And if yours decreases, Christ's glory will increase. The title tells us that I want to help you know how or God through his word wants to help us all know how we can decrease and how Christ can increase in our lives for his glory How do you do that? Lesson number one You can decrease and cross increases in your life by recognizing that whatever you have, whatever you are, is a gift from God to you. Therefore, you don't have any reason for pride. for boasting. You have no reason to despise others. We find that in verse 27 John answered, a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven Ask yourself, why did John give this answer? Jesus is baptizing somewhere in Judea, John is also baptizing somewhere in Salem with their disciples And then there arose a discussion between some of John's disciples and a particular Jew. Those discussions are always there even up to these days. And these were just pulling ropes, discussing about purification. The Bible is not clear what really they were discussing about purification. And they felt to come to terms. And the disciples of John said, no, let's go and ask our rabbi, our master. And these words in verse 26 are very, very important. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing and all are going to him. Do you know what was going inside the hearts of John's disciples? They wanted their rabbi, their master to be high, to remain high. They wanted everyone to be going to John and tell him all you are coming. But now, Everyone is going to Jesus. And this is not okay with them. They come to complain to their master. Say, do something. This guy cannot have a name more than you, bigger than yours. He was baptized by you. You made him known. But now everyone is going to him. when John came up with this answer. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. If this can be deep in your heart, it will help you want to decrease every day. Some here are more intelligent at school, more than others. Don't boast, it's a gift from God. Some might have different gifts. Gift of counseling, gift of preaching, gift of this, of that. It is not from you, it is from above. In other words, it's not yours. God gave it to you for the edification, for the blessing of others. You might have been blessed with money and others do not have. It is from above. If this reality is kept in your heart, it will keep you humble. John is telling his disciples, that guy to be like that, Was give with his from above was give the father gave everything to him as you're going to see down in here How can you decrease and let Christ increase in your life Just know that whatever you are whatever you you have is is not yours. That house you built is not yours. That car you're driving is not yours. So you'll not splash dirty water on people who are footing on the road. Everything, your degree you got from your university or whatever, it's a gift from God. Us leading you for Christ here, we don't deserve. It's a gift from God. We are not any better than you. Keep this secret in your heart. It will help you be decreasing. This is a war that we need to wage against every single day. Wanting to be known. To be recognized. This is not only with Pentecostals. No. Just try one day and we say, next Sunday, the preacher here tell me she will be Vodibokam. You'll tell me. You won't have where to put people here. Why? It is part of us, even those who are redeemed, just wanting to get human beings and turn them into idols. It's part of us. And we need to be fighting that otherwise, We will not let Christ increase in our lives. Truth number two. If you want to decrease and Christ increase in your life, do that by not calling yourself what you are not. or by knowing exactly what you are and what you are not. This is the truth that we find in verses 28 through 30. John the Baptist knows exactly who he is and who he is not. And as he continues answering his disciples, he says, You yourselves bear me witness that I said to you, I'm not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who 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. Christ is manifesting His glory. In Judea, He wants people to see His glory through John. In Kampala he wants people to see his glory through you. Through what people hear you say about him. Through what people see your lifestyle. His disciples are following him. And he says, no, I am not the Christ. I told you already. I am not the Christ. I am just John. Don't please start comparing me with him. I know who he is and I want you to know who he is. He is not someone you can start equating with me. These days, Even among reformed, some speak more about their pastors than they speak about Christ. You hear people talk more about these big names, Charles Spurgeon, John McArthur, ABCD. Those people have no problem, but people want to idolize them. More than they talk about the Christ of Spajan, the Christ of Makata. Many people want to drag everyone to their local church, to their denomination, not to Christ. This is what God is teaching us here through John's words. Members of RBC, Did he plant you in this country so that you bring people to be reformed Baptists? If that's what you believe, I don't believe so myself. You talk more about being Reformed Baptists than you tell people about joining the Kingdom of Christ. They come to join and say, look, everyone is even leaving your camp and go to him. Pastor Bill, Brother Sumani went to and worshiped in this church. Why did he go there? You want them here always, only here. Even if where they went is a biblical church, sound. I'm not saying you should touch now with one Sunday at RBC, another Sunday in that biblical church, another Sunday in that. I'm not saying so. That's also a bad spirit. It's a spirit that you are not really, you don't know what you are looking for, right? But why should you feel bad if a brother or sister went to worship with those you believe are brethren? We are here to make Christ increase. Not our local church, RBC, to increase. Not our names, our reputation, to increase. Or else you will not manage to make both increase. You won't manage. On the one side, you want the reputation of your church, RBC, to increase and be known in the world as the reputation of Christ. No. So, point number two, know who you are and who you are not. Many people teach in this world that we are gods, we are also gods. We are not. Know who you are. Be love, not Christ. I'm just a servant, a slave. Unfortunately, many slaves of Christ want to take Christ's position. They want to be recognized. They want to be known more than Christ. Shame on us, leaders of RBC. If people the world will know about our names and they don't know the Christ we preach here shame on us if people would be coming wanting to worship here in this church because they want to meet you not Christ didn't I tell you I am not the Christ. Christ is divine, you are earthly. He is eternal, you are temporal. He is all powerful, you are all powerless. You are all powerless to the point of being killed by a tiniest virus that cannot be seen by eyes. If you know who you are, it will keep you humble you might brag and say bill i want to be great a small virus next week gets you they take you to the hospital they put you under icu and tomorrow they say is no more John says, I'm not the Christ. Why do you want to lift yourself? Why do you want people to respect you? And yet they are not respecting Christ. In verse 36, which gives the idea of... Sorry, that's lesson number three. I've given you two secrets if you want to decrease and increase in your life. Number one, by not calling yourself what you are not. Sorry, sorry, by knowing that everything you are and everything you have is a gift from God. Then number two, don't call yourself what you are not. Don't take a place of Christ. Accept who you are. And then the third lesson is you will remain, you will decrease and Christ increase by knowing the differences between Christ and yourself. I'm going to explain this. It's a bit different from lesson number two. That's what he teaches from verse 31 to the end. John says, he who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. We are from the earth. Christ is from above. We speak like the earthly people. We cannot be like him. 32. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard. Whatever we tell you, every Sunday here we bear witness about these things by faith. Heaven will be a nice place. Jesus Christ is full of love because we've read them here and we believe them by faith Christ alone speaks about those things because he has seen and heard about them Don't try to get even the tiniest glory from him or to share with him. So John says, much as what is witness, what it tells us, is what he has seen and heard still people don't believe him yet no one receives his testimony what is the testimony of Christ He says, I am the way, the truth and the life. And that no one will come, will see the Father. No one will see glory without coming through me. He says, if you continue in your sins, you'll perish. None of us knows about hell. We only hear that it will be a terrible place. We end there. Christ who is God, who knows what hell means. He says it is a place of gnashing teeth. Yet no one receives his testimony. in verse 36 now which bears again um we are talking about believing in christ if you have it if you receive this automatically christ's glory will be manifested in your lifestyle in your life don't forget i said to believe in christ is not what is in your head no You accepting everything that the Bible says you should accept, you accept them. You might not still be a believer. John says in verse 36, again, try to see now how these two words are synonyms. are to believe and to obey. They are the same. You cannot believe without obeying. You cannot obey without believing. Period. He says the same words, using other words, repeating. Let's see verse 36. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. He says the same words. In other words, whoever does not obey the sun shall not see life. To obey is to believe. To believe is to obey. You might have gone to the seminary, Bible college, and have pumped this knowledge in you and you believe whatever the Bible says, but you don't obey laws that you know. You have not believed. You have not believed. You need to be born again today. To be born again means to obey Christ and his commands. He says what manner of love this is for one to give his life for his friends. And then everyone again goes, oh, thank you, Lord, thank you. Say, wait a moment. He continues, and you are my friends if you obey my commandments. That's where the trouble comes. My question to you this morning, how do you obey Christ's commands? In which way? Because you know very well that almost whatever he says you should not do, you do them. There are those who do them unwillingly and they are not at peace. They are praying day and night, God to help them. I'm not on those ones. But if everything you do, you've been doing it since year 2000, then you are not born again. Even if you have remorse, by the way, for your information, Even if you have remorse, you do it. Oh Lord, I don't like this. Please help me. You go again. Since 2000, today it is 2024, you are not born again. Change has to be there. The struggle is okay. But you won't struggle forever because you have to grow. Growth has to be there. These things that you do willingly, intentionally, You give bribes intentionally. Because you know that I'm going to feel bad and repent. You are making your feeling bad, you make it, you fashion it. Do you make it? It comes automatically because the Holy Spirit puts it in the hearts of true born-again believers. You don't need to cook it. How are you decreasing in your life so that Christ can increase. We are full of selfish ambitions. Planting churches, people have their own selfish ambitions. Wanting to be a pastor, people have got their own sinful, selfish ambitions. To one living, because Pastor Bill went there and there. If I become a pastor, so I can also go there and go there. So that's just the reason you want to increase yourself. Those are sinful. You cannot increase and Christ increase at the same time. And Christ in this message wants to manifest His glory from among your parents, your neighbors, through your lifestyle. Through your words, do you also Refute the glories that come your way, the way John did. In most cases, you receive them. Oh, you're one of the best doctors in this country. Oh, thank you, brother. Thank you, sister. Tell them glory to the Lord. I know nothing. It's by the glory of God that I am whatever I am now. Oh, pastor, today's message was powerfully touched me. Oh, it did? Thank you. Thank you, why? What do you mean by thank you? He must increase, but I must decrease. Check the tenses there. He is not saying He can increase or He can't. It is a must. It is a must that Christ has to increase in your life. And as it increases, you must decrease. May the Lord help us, all of us, all of us. I am not out of this circle. We have things that are making Christ not to be seen in our lives. We have things that tend to want you to be seen, to be praised. May the Lord give us strength to fight this war. Ask yourself, if you want to plant a church, what's the motive behind that? Is it truly Christ 100%? Or it is Christ 50% and you as a person, the other 50%? When you help your brothers and sisters, you want them to come and tell you thank you. I have had one believer, Christian tells me, I feel so bad when I help someone and they don't come to tell me thank you. Do you know what that means? They want to be recognized. They want to be appreciated. Let me change that way. You want to be appreciated. You want to be recognized. Why don't you say, even if they don't come to say thank you, the Lord has received His glory already? And you say, that's why I'm now stopping helping people, because you do good to them, they pay you evil Please continue. Because you are not doing it for them. You are doing everything for Him. Can He receive glory in our church? Can He receive glory due to Him in our lives? Sin is a problem with us. Lord, we thank you. Salvation alone is solution to our idolatry. Salvation through genuine conversion, because then will be the spirit to be helping us to wage war against this spirit of wanting to increase together with you. to increase our ministry together with you, not your glory. Lord, help us. We thank you for the triumphant church, those who have already won this battle. We are here, the militant church, we also thank you because we are victorious already in Christ our Lord. Those who among us here who are not yet born again, O Lord, have mercy upon them and save their lives. And those who are already born again, help us together to make you increase in our lives the way John did. This we pray through Christ our Lord.