Thursday, August 27, 2015

A Testimony From John, The Baptist, And Dr. K, The Baptist

He must increase, but I must decrease.     John 3:30

John, the Baptist, describes Jesus as the bridegroom at a wedding, and himself as the bridegroom’s true friend. The true friend wants happiness for the bridegroom. He wants the groom to get all the attention. He stands back and smiles, laughs, and rejoices as everyone pats his friend on the back, hugs him, shakes his hand, and expresses that they couldn’t be happier to know him and rejoice with him. The groom’s friend does all he can do to be a joy and a blessing to the groom without seeking his own personal glory. If you are human that’s a hard thing to do. John tells us exactly what his heart feels in this verse: He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease. In all that I’ve done, in all I am doing, and what I do in the future I want to lift Him up for all to see and glorify, and I want to fade into the background.

John's view of his life and ministry is my view of mine. As a preacher and pastor it is Jesus I have preached. He is the Savior, not a church, not the preacher, not a denomination, not even the Bible. My desire in ministry and life, though like all sinners I have failed at times, has been and always shall be to point to Jesus and say Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

I preached, except for vacation time, nearly every Sunday for 44 years pastoring churches, and Jesus was the focus of my preaching. He still is and always will be in any ministry in the days ahead. Ever since I heard it I have recognized the truth of Puritan preacher Richard Baxter’s great statement: “I preach as never sure to preach again, a dying man to dying men.” As I get closer and closer to the great denouement of earthly life, I realize how true it is for me in a very personal way. But Jesus will always increase. When Baxter died there were others who lifted up Jesus to increase Him in the eyes of men. When I retired from full-time ministry there was another who took to that pulpit to proclaim Him and increase Him in the eyes of that congregation, and when I die there will be still others to raise Him up in the vision of the world. He must increase. Jesus must increase. My Savior must increase. He is Lord of all!

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