He Must Increase

He Must Increase

John the Baptist embodied the whole Old Testament only to point away from himself. "He must increase, but I must decrease" wasn't resignation; it was joy. This week we look at what it means to find contentment not in our own increase, but in Christ’s, and why that pattern of decrease has always been the path to glory. 

Outline

The man: John, the Old Testament embodied

The text: he must increase, I must decrease

The calling: decrease, that he may increase

Discussion Questions

John found joy, not resentment, in decreasing so Christ could increase (v. 29). Where do you struggle most to celebrate someone else's increase over your own? 

"A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven" (v. 27). How would resting in that truth change the way you hold your gifts, role, or position in life? 

Verse 36 moves from belief to obedience — dead faith stops at belief, but living faith walks. Where is there a gap between what you believe and how you're actually living? 

The sermon traces self-denial through family, church, and community as the shape of the Christian life. Where is God calling you to decrease this season so someone else can increase?