He Must Increase: Forty Days of Decrease

The sermon unfolds a clear call to intentional decrease so Christ can become central in daily life. It opens by urging trust in God's good and constant love, noting that divine love proves itself supremely in the cross and that many people carry wounds from inconsistent human affection. Using an Olympic-athlete analogy, the message shows how excellence requires subtracting distractions and how spiritual growth similarly demands removing competing commitments. A jar illustration makes the point tangible: many necessary and optional “rocks” fill life, and only by removing some stones can space open for Christ to take the central place.

John the Baptist’s encounter in John 3 provides the theological backbone. John’s disciples worry as people shift their attention to Jesus, and John answers with confidence that all gifts come from God and that his role is to prepare the way. The memorable line—“He must increase, and I must decrease”—frames the Christian life as a deliberate posture of relinquishment rather than a loss. Decrease appears not as despair but as liberation: admitting human limits frees faithful obedience and reduces the compulsion to control outcomes or claim glory.

Jesus himself models the pattern by choosing humility, incarnation, and sacrificial death so people might find reconciliation with God. The sermon emphasizes that decrease imitates Christ and produces authentic joy, because joy springs from faithfulness, not fleeting approval or social media acclaim. Practical rhythms follow: the church invites a forty-day season of Lent framed as an experimental lab for subtraction—daily prompts, a flexible calendar, and concrete steps such as pausing social media or breaking an entrenched habit. The purpose of these practices remains focused and pastoral: not to earn affection from God, but to clear away what competes with it so that Christ’s presence becomes more vivid and life gains renewed meaning.

Finally, a tangible invitation encourages physical response—moving forward, kneeling, or choosing a private space—to solidify the inward decision to make room for Jesus. The call centers on ongoing surrender: identify stones that obscure Christ, remove them, and allow his increase to reshape purpose, joy, and daily priorities.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. He must increase; I must decrease John’s declaration condenses the Christian vocation into one deliberate posture: allow Christ’s influence to grow by relinquishing personal prominence. This stance frees people from the exhausting quest for fame or control and re-orients ambition toward preparing the way for Jesus. It reframes success as faithfulness to a calling rather than the size of a crowd. [57:58]
• 2. Decrease sharpens the sense of Christ Reducing distractions creates spiritual clarity; when noise fades, subtle promptings and deeper listening become possible. Subtraction reveals whether devotion is merely informational or genuinely relational, and it cultivates an attentiveness that perceives God’s presence in ordinary moments. Practicing decrease trains habits of discernment that persist beyond any single season. [36:55]
• 3. Joy arises from faithful surrender Contentment grows out of obedience, not applause; John found joy in pointing others to Jesus instead of clinging to attention. When tasks align with vocation rather than self-promotion, fulfillment follows even amid loss or shrinking influence. This reorients emotional currency from external metrics to covenantal trust. [56:43]
• 4. Lent practiced as a lab Treat Lent as an experiment in subtraction: try small, adaptable practices that reveal what competes for Christ’s centrality. The aim eliminates legalism—these practices test assumptions, expose hidden dependencies, and invite iterative change. Framed this way, Lent becomes a disciplined curiosity that cultivates deeper love rather than a checklist to earn favor. [62:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:52] - Reminder of God’s Love
• [27:20] - Proof of Love: the Cross
• [33:30] - Olympic Analogy: Subtraction for Excellence
• [35:16] - Series Introduction: Forty Days of Decrease
• [36:55] - Noise, Clarity, and Spiritual Hearing
• [38:07] - Jar Illustration: Stones of Life
• [44:44] - Jesus’ Baptism and Rising Ministry
• [45:13] - John’s Disciples Confrontation
• [57:58] - Key Truth: He Must Increase, I Must Decrease
• [61:28] - Lent Calendar and Practical Steps
• [65:16] - Invitation to Respond and Pray

Bible reading: John 3:26-30 (ESV)
26 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.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride 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. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Observation questions

1. What specific concern did John the Baptist’s disciples bring to him, and what does their statement reveal about their perspective?
2. How does John describe his own role and purpose in verse 28?
3. What analogy does John use in verse 29 to describe his relationship to Jesus, and what emotion does he associate with this role?
4. What is the simple, two-part declaration John makes in verse 30 that summarizes his entire outlook?

Interpretation questions

1. John states that "a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven." How does this belief free a person from insecurity and the need to control their own success or reputation?
2. John finds complete joy not in his own popularity but in his role as the "friend of the bridegroom." Why is faithfulness to one's God-given calling a more reliable source of joy than external success or acclaim? [56:43]
3. The statement "He must increase, but I must decrease" implies an intentional, active choice. In what ways is decrease a deliberate posture of relinquishment rather than a passive experience of loss? [57:58]
4. How does treating a season like Lent as an experimental "lab" for subtraction help eliminate legalism and instead cultivate a deeper love for Christ? [01:02:32]

Application questions

1. John’s disciples were worried about people leaving them for another ministry. When have you felt tension or insecurity when God seemed to be blessing someone else more than you? [46:36] What does your reaction in those moments reveal about what you believe brings you value and significance?
2. The jar illustration shows that for Christ to be central, some things need to be removed. What are the "necessary" and "optional" stones currently filling your life's jar? [38:07] Which optional stone could you experiment with removing for a season to create more space for Christ?
3. Joy comes from faithfulness, not from fleeting approval or social media acclaim. [56:43] Where are you currently looking for your emotional currency—external metrics like likes and comments, or covenantal trust in God's approval? What is one practical step you can take this week to reorient your source of joy toward faithfulness?
4. John was secure because he knew he was not the Messiah. [50:13] In what areas of your life (family, work, friendships) are you still trying to play the messiah by fixing, healing, or controlling outcomes? What would it look like to shift from being a fixer to being a faithful messenger who points people to Jesus?
5. The call is to make it easier for people to see Jesus through your life. [57:36] In your closest relationships, your workplace, or your school, what is one way you could better "prepare the way" for others to encounter Christ this week?
6. Decrease is not about losing something but about making room for someone. [37:22] Is there a habit, a commitment, or even a "streak" on an app that, while not inherently bad, has begun to control you and compete for Christ's centrality? [01:04:55] What would it look like to break that pattern as an act of surrender?