Latest / Chapel Talks / The Joy of Becoming Less | John 3:22-30 | Bradley Bell

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The Joy of Becoming Less | John 3:22-30 | Bradley Bell · Chapel Talks

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Thank you all so much for your warm welcome.
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I counted a great joy that my first visit and
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literally my first hour to the UK is being spent
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here at Oak Hill. I've admired this college from
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afar for its faithfulness and theological training
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and ministry formation, and the more that I've
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learned about you through my dear friend Chris,
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the more that I've sensed a heartbeat that's
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so close to my own. A deep desire to serve Christ
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and his church well for the long haul. To see
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the church flourish, as I understand it. And
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that's part of why I was drawn back to this particular
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passage, John chapter 3, verses 22 to 30. This
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is a text that I first preached two years ago.
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At that time, it was my final sermon in the church
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where I had served as lead pastor for over six
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years. And to be candid with you, I had reached
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a breaking point of exhaustion and taken a leave
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of absence. Like many who love ministry, maybe
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you can relate to this already, I found myself
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doing good things for Jesus faster than my soul
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could keep up with. But the Lord in his kindness
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met me there. He gave me a fresh assignment,
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a powerful experience of his healing presence,
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and a new hunger to understand. What it means
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not just to start well, but to finish well. And
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out of that season came a question that I'm still
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learning to answer. And it's this. Rather than
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burning out along the way, how can we complete
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our entire race with joy? And how can we do this
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in a space where a friend of mine, Brian Croft,
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who leads a ministry to pastors called Practical
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Shepherding. has a statistic that says 50 % of
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pastors will not make it five years in ministry
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and 80 % will not make it 10. How can we complete
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our entire race with joy in any realm of Christian
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ministry rather than burning out? And I found
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a surprising companion in that question, and
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his name is John the Baptizer. We often remember
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him for his boldness, perhaps his camel hair.
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But in this passage, we see another side of him.
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We see his surprising joy. Here is a man whose
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ministry is fading, whose public influence is
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declining, whose best days, humanly speaking,
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are behind him. And yet he says, my joy is now
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complete. That kind of joy anchored in a sea
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of sorrows is something that every follower of
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Jesus will need if we hope for resilience in
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ministry. And it's this joy that I'd like for
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us to explore together this morning. The first
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wedding that I ever officiated was nearly a disaster,
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and it was my best friend's wedding. Not only
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was I underprepared for the ceremony, and not
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only did I drop the bride's ring, which almost
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rolled into a floor vent. Worst of all, when
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the bride entered the room, I nearly cried. Now
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for you, my British friends, crying is something
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that happens when substance comes out of your
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eyes and rolls down your face. Just for an explanation
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there for context. You see, at this moment, in
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most weddings, everyone stands as the bride enters,
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and they look, first of all, where? To the bride,
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to honor her and her beauty. But then secondly,
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where do they look? To the groom. Why? They want
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to see how he's responding, right? Is he smiling?
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Is he emotional? Bonus points, is there a tear?
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But imagine instead if the minister is the one
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crying. You can almost hear the whispers. What's
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this? Is this man unhappy? Is he jealous? He's
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lost the plot. So the truth was simply that I
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loved my friend. After years of waiting and praying
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to see him finally receive his bride filled me
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with such emotion that I couldn't help myself.
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They were happy tears, the kind that make you
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lose your composure just for a moment. And that,
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I think, gives us a small picture of what we
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see here in John the Baptizer. As he nears the
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end of his ministry and soon his life, John also
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speaks in wedding terms. A groom, a bride, a
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best man, and complete joy. Who was this John?
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Of course, he was the very promised forerunner
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of Jesus Christ, the last great prophet chosen
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to prepare the way of the coming of the Messiah,
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a wild man who ate bugs and preached repentance.
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Probably not the biblical character you think
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of for exemplifying joy. And yet, listen to one
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of the first things that we read about him in
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Luke's gospel. In early pregnancy, when Jesus'
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mother Mary went to visit John's mother Elizabeth,
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Elizabeth said to her, as soon as the sound of
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your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my
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womb, what? Leaped for joy. How can this be?
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A baby throwing shapes in utero? Like what's
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going on here? It can be because we were told
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earlier in Luke's gospel that John would be filled
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with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's
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womb. And when you are filled with the Holy Spirit,
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it's like an umbilical cord that binds your deepest
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desire with that of Christ's deepest desire.
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The late pastor Timothy Keller puts it this way.
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You know you love somebody when you put your
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happiness into their happiness so that your greatest
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happiness is just to see them happy. their joy
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is your joy, their delight is your delight, and
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there's nothing beyond it, then you know you
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love somebody. So we might say that the defining
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legacy of John's life and ministry was not that
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he fully obeyed God or that he became known widely,
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though those things were true, but that he simply
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loved Jesus deeply. And this can be the only
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explanation for what we see here in John chapter
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3. By this point, the door to John's once thriving
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ministry is closing. The crowds that once flocked
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to him are now following Jesus. John's own disciples
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are starting to worry that their leader is no
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longer trending. They say to him in verse 26,
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Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other
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side of the Jordan, the one you testified about,
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look, he is baptizing. And everyone's going to
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him. I don't think John's disciples are rejoicing
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here. I think they're jealous. I think their
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instinct is the same as ours whenever we feel
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passed over in favor of another. But remarkably,
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as the spotlight shifts away, John's joy doesn't
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diminish. It deepens. So here are two things
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that I think made that possible for him and perhaps
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for us as well. First of all, we see that John
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served with open hands. Listen to the first words
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out of his mouth in verse 27. John answered,
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John's disciples are focused on what's happening
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on earth. Who's getting attention? Who's drawing
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the crowds? Does that sound familiar? But John
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immediately redirects them toward where? Heaven.
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And looking toward heaven has a humbling effect,
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doesn't it? It reminds us that we are small and
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that everything that we have has been given to
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us as an act of grace. And as the Dutch theologian
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Abraham Kuyper spoke, there is not a square inch.
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in the whole domain of our human existence over
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which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does
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not cry, mine. You think of a child who in its
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human instinct immediately can begin crying mine
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over this and mine over that, and yet it is only
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Jesus Christ who can rightfully declare mine
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over all. And Paul says, Virtually the same to
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the Corinthians and to us with a simple question.
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What do you have that you did not receive? And
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here lies the gateway to what is a vital quality
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for joy -sustained Christian servants. Humility.
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John was humble enough to see that even his great
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success came from God. So when the time came
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for his ministry to fade, he didn't have to defend
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it. He didn't have to grasp for it. It had already
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been surrendered to God all along the way. In
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his book, The Sacred Wilderness of Pastoral Ministry,
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Pastor David Rohr actually uses John as a model
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for the Christian minister. He argues that the
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calling of a... minister is not to seize a church's
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story, to make it his own, but instead to only
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steward it for a season. To remember that the
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story began before the pastor and the church's
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story will continue on after the pastor. This
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perspective continually pried open my seizing
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hands as a pastor, which as you can see, was
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the perfect preparation for when my pastorate
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ended more prematurely than I had expected. But
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notice this. John's humility, it wasn't self
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-deprecation, was it? Self -deprecation is really
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just pride in disguise. True humility is a true
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assessment of oneself in light of what God says
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of us. And John says this in verse 28. I am not
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the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
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There may be no more important words for promising
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students who hope to complete their entire race
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than these five. I am not the Christ. What a
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freeing confession. Why suffer a career -ending
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spiritual hernia trying to carry the weight of
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the world? Your plate. constantly taking on more
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and more and more that you cannot handle because
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you are not the Christ. Hey, I can be the midwife
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who faithfully delivers the message of the gospel,
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but I cannot save the sinful heart. That's freeing.
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I can be the midfielder who passes the ball forward,
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but only Christ, the true striker, can score
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the goal. Hey, that's a basketball player from
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Kentucky trying to be in context here. Did I
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get it right? All right. Thank you. It is, in
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fact, the humble position where John's confounding
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joy is found. And ours as well. And so we see
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that John didn't burn out along the way, firstly,
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because he served with open hands. But there's
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another reason that I want to highlight today.
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He also... finished with an open heart. John
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continues in verse 29. The bride belongs to the
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bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom
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waits and listens for him and is full of joy
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when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy
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is mine and is now complete. So John turns to
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a wedding image that would have been familiar
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to his listeners. In Jewish culture, The friend
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who attends the bridegroom wasn't just a best
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man with a speech to give. He had serious responsibilities.
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It was his job to not only arrange many parts
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of the wedding, but also this when the ceremony
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had finished. And I'm quoting here from New Testament
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scholar Colin Cruz, so that you know I'm not
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making this up. The friend would then lead the
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groom to his bride. and wait outside the bridal
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chamber while the marriage was consummated. Thus,
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the reference to the bridegroom's voice refers
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to the shout of exultation by the groom over
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his bride. The work of the friend of the bridegroom
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is then complete and he takes pleasure in the
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bridegroom's joy. What an intimate responsibility.
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Like it's maybe a bit jarring to our modern sensibilities
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here, okay? Get that. But what does John mean
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by this? In the Old Testament, the people of
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Israel are often described as God's bride. And
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so John gladly, as he releases his own hard -earned
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disciples to Jesus, he's saying nothing less
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than the bridegroom has come for his bride. What
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does that mean? It's a confession of lordship.
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He's saying, Jesus is God. And the church is
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his bride. And so what does that make John in
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the analogy? The friend of the bridegroom who
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couldn't be happier. This is... This is another
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vital quality for joy -sustained Christian service
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that makes it to the end and doesn't burn out
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before. And I want to highlight it here. It's
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the perfect complement to humility. Do you know
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what it is? It might be quite surprising. Confidence.
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Not the arrogance that thinks too highly of itself
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or grasps for control or attention. But the grounding
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assurance of knowing Christ intimately, like
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we sang about just a moment ago, knowing that
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he loves you, that he loves you enough to entrust
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a part of his bride to your care, whether that's
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a classroom, a congregation, a child, or a faraway
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people. He counts you his dear friend. What a
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privilege. What confidence that brings. And when
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the privilege of that grips your heart, do you
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know what confidence sounds like? In a world
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where people are spewing all kinds of arrogant
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nonsense all the time, even in the name of Jesus,
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what does confidence wed to humility sound like?
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It sounds like this. He must become greater and
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I must become less. That's not resignation. That's
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resolution. It's the confidence of a servant
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who knows his story is safe in Jesus' hands,
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even as his own part of it comes to an end. And
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we know here really that John's ministry didn't
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come to an end, though he would soon be jailed
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and then beheaded. His ministry still bears fruit
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today because we are absorbing. From his life
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and testimony, aren't we? Right now. John was
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finishing a season with an open heart, ready
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for whatever would come next. Don't you want
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that? And so what does all of this have to do
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with you? Well, for every one of us, there will
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come moments. when it's time to lay something
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down, and often sooner than we expected or before
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we feel ready. A hoped -for opportunity will
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pass by. A ministry role will change. A great
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success will fade or perhaps never materialize.
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Even the life you're now preparing for here at
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Oak Hill, the study, the structure, the community,
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it will give way to a new chapter that asks something
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different of you. And someday, yes, the letting
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go will become even deeper. Parents, spouses,
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children, health, even life itself. The question
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is, when those moments come, what will be true
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of you? Don't you want to be like a marathon
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runner? I know Larry and Chris do. I'm not quite
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like a marathon runner myself, more of a sprinter
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when it comes to basketball. But don't you want
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to be like a marathon runner who's found their
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ideal pace, who knows their limits because they're
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humble, but also knows their abilities because
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they're confident, and therefore they can finish
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their entire race without collapsing in exhaustion
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like I would? Don't you want that? That is, well,
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in fact, the calling of Hebrews 12, is it not?
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It tells us, let us run with perseverance the
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race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
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the author and perfecter of our faith. That's
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what I want. But if I'm honest, I've often run
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my race of ministry over the last 25 years. More
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like Mr. Bean. Arms flailing. Tripping over my
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own shoelaces. Darting between lanes with a completely
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nonsensical pace. And occasionally crashing headlong.
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It's almost a comedic miracle that I'm here at
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all. And if John were here, perhaps he could
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say the same. Because as much as we may want
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to exalt him as an example to us of how to do
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it, how to get it right, we also need to acknowledge
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that while he sat in prison with great discouragement,
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he sent a message to Christ, the one he loved,
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and said, is it you or should we be looking for
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someone else? We all crash. We all get it wrong.
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We all go at the wrong pace in a modern world
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that comes at us faster than we can keep up with.
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And yet perhaps that's the point. Because in
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the universal absurdity of real life and real
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ministry, none of us will run smoothly for long.
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The question isn't whether you'll stumble. It's
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who will carry you when you do. How will your
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joy -sustained Christian service be possible?
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It will be possible for you and only possible
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because Jesus first did it in your place. Tell
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me who more than anyone embodied humility when
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he laid down not just his ministry, but his very
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life. His open hands nailed into that position
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on the cross. And tell me who more than anyone
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displayed confidence. in his father's love to
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never abandon him, dying with an open heart to
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the resurrection that would come next. And yet
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what was it that gave Jesus this resilience to
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the very end? The very next line of Hebrews chapter
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12 tells us, for the joy set before him, he endured
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the cross. scorning its shame, and sat down,
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I'm sure, to great, great joy at the right hand
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of the throne of God. The umbilical cord that
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nurtured Christ's deepest desire was seeing the
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joy of his Father. And what makes God's joy complete?
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It's receiving his bride. And brothers and sisters
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in Christ, you are part of that bride. And so
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what makes God's joy complete can only be answered
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by saying in part, it's you. That's staggering,
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isn't it? What the gospel testifies is that God
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has put his happiness into your happiness. His
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delight into your delight. His joy into your
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joy. That's what fuels your sustaining joy no
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matter what comes at you in the highs and lows
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of this life in obedience to him. That's how
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you know he loves you. That's how you become
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both humble and confident at the same time. A
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sinner. and yet dearly loved on the basis of
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Christ and what he's accomplished. That's how
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you finish your race as part of the beloved bride
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and helping to deliver her to God with joy. To
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change the analogy slightly from umbilical cord
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to another cord of sorts, the scriptures speak
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of the vine. That Christ himself is that vine
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and we are the branches. There is our connection.
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The joy of God flowing into our hearts and filling
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it up, knowing that we are deeply loved by him.
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And our responding in like kind with the joy
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that we bring to him by loving his bride and
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helping her to flourish. There in that analogy,
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and I'll end with these words, there are none
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better. Jesus speaks, John chapter 15. I've told
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you this, Jesus said, so that my joy may be in
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you and that your joy may be complete. Let's
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pray. Lord Jesus, we bow our hearts before you
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here in this chapel. I can only speak for myself,
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though I hope this will echo true for others
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in this room and who may be listening. You have
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filled our hearts with joy at the wonder of your
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love. I confess to you, Lord, that often my heart
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has not been receptive to your love, and therefore
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I have lacked joy that... Humility has maybe
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been easier for me than confidence, though there
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may be those in this room who find the opposite
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to be true. Confidence is easier than humility.
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And yet, Lord, I just ask, as I have been asking
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for everyone under the sound of my voice, that
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they would walk away from this moment with a
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deepened, ever so slightly, or even greatly,
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sense of receptivity to your love. based on the
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truth of the gospel and the risen and resurrected
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Christ who sits enthroned at your right hand.
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I pray, Lord, for each one, God, that you would
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sustain them with your joy, that they may be
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able to finish their entire race. Use them mightily,
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Lord, just as you did John, so that their lives
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and testimonies will continue to bear fruit.
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even long after their race has finished. And
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Lord, to conclude, I know no better way than
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how you concluded your word and revelation, where
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our hearts, filled with joy, the wonder of your
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love, and with great affection for you and your
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bride, cry out with the Spirit, come. The Spirit
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and the bride say come. We want to see your face.
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We want to be present at the... Great marriage
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supper of the Lamb. And so come. And until that
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day, let us bring many to that feast as well.
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I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.