He must increase; I must decrease.He must increase, but I must decrease.He must increase, but I must decrease.He must increase, but I must decrease.
3 sermons cite this verse
… he'll say he must increase I must decrease He must increase. I must decrease. He's the one. I'm just the temporary placeholder pointing people to the one. Any good leader realizes this. Every president, every prime minister, every king, every queen realizes they are just temporary placeholders. There will be other kings and presidents and prime ministers after them. All pastors should remember this. every pastor is simply an interim pastor. I'm an interim pastor, and I'm not getting any younger. And as years go on, my son, Nate, will increase, and I must decrease. That's just stewardship. John says, whose sandal strap, we would say shoelace, I'm not worthy to untie. That's the job of a slave, the menial task in a household, a slave when the Lord of the house would come in, the slave would bend down, untie the sandal, take off the sandal and wash the feet. John says, I'm not even worthy to do that. This guy is so great, so awesome. In John chapter 1, he will say he's the son of God. …
… humility. He said this in John 3.30, He must increase, but I must decrease. Greatest man who ever lived up until this time, and he must decrease, and Christ must increase. This is what Paul is saying here. And the mighty impact of Paul was not developed out of his great logical mind. He would not say that that's why he was so successful. It didn't develop out of his vast education or knowledge or even his strong convictions. But it was that same attitude that John the Baptist had. It was his humility that made him so powerful. How humble was Paul. He said, I am the least of the apostles. He said, I am not fit to even be an apostle. In another place he said, I am the very least, not only of the apostles, I am the very least of all the saints, Ephesians 3. And then amazingly in 1 Timothy 1 he said, I am the foremost of all sinners, the foremost of all sinners. …
… Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard that he testifies. And no one receives his testimony. But he who has received his testimony has certified that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give him the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, and he who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. He who has ears to hear the word of God, let him hear. Let us pray. Again, our Father and our God, as we come before this text that You have been pleased to give to Your people as part of the treasury of the church, we pray that the same Holy who inspired it in the first place may now illumine it for us, for our edification, for we ask it in the name of Jesus. …