Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Who Are You Trying To Be? | New Testament | John 3

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

Are you striving for recognition? Do you think you get the praise you deserve? Is it better to be successful or humble? In today's episode, Tanya turns to John 3 to learn am important lesson about humility. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Join the TMBT community in reading the entire New Testament in one year. Get your FREE reading plan here. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: John 3

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Tanya Wilmeth. What can you learn from an 18-year-old high school boy? Quite a lot, actually. At least I did. We had a friend who was an incredible athlete. He played multiple sports really well, but his heart was in basketball.

He played for years in season and out of season. He played in middle school, and he couldn't wait to take the court in high school. But for some reason, the dream didn't play out like he expected. He was often overlooked on the bench and sometimes didn't get in the game. So the upperclassman who was supposed to lead the team in rebounds and shooting percentages was relegated to the bench where he had a choice to make. He could have quit the team or quit trying as hard at practice. He could have formed alliances and divided the team.

He could have minimized the accomplishments of his teammates. But he made a different choice. He was the first one on his feet when someone scored a basket. He was the first hand out when someone came off the court. He was the one to tell the other team good job and probably the first one at practice the next day. When all was said and done, we had a chance to hear coaches, teachers, and friends talk about him. And the thing they all kept saying was that he was an exceptional leader. Except he wasn't trying to get people to follow him necessarily.

He was leading them towards something even greater. A lifestyle of humility and hard work and honesty. When Jesus began his ministry, there was someone already on the scene, teaching and baptizing in the name of God, and that man was John the Baptist. When John the Baptist disciples saw Jesus ministry growing, they came to John and said, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him. The disciples were worried that John's influence was diminishing as Jesus' influence was increasing. They saw their life like a pie, and when one piece is taken from the pie, you have to compete over what is left.

But John saw his life in the kingdom of God differently. To John, God's kingdom wasn't a pie. It was a kingdom where Jesus would be on the throne, and there was enough for everyone who would come to him, and they would have everything they needed in him. So John the Baptist answered, He must increase, but I must decrease. I must decrease. Isn't it something we hear. in this day and age. We live in the age of the selfie and the online image that is filtered and groomed to look better than it really is. We put out resumes that are partly true and partly just embellished language. We want to look more polished, more beautiful, more athletic, and more influential than we actually are. We use our social media to say to the world,

look at me, I'm important, I matter. John the Baptist had known this feeling of being in the spotlight. there had been lines of people waiting to be baptized by him at one point. But when Jesus came, John recognized Jesus for who he was, the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecy that pointed to a perfect Savior. John recognized that Jesus was the reason for his ministry, and the fulfillment everyone following him actually needed. So he gladly stepped back into the background and used his voice to proclaim Jesus. John the Baptist made much of Jesus while fading into the shadows.

How do we follow what John the Baptist said, he must increase, but I must decrease? And why should we do this? Well, first let's talk about why. In this same chapter of the Bible, John chapter 3, Jesus encountered a man named Nicodemus, who wanted answers about Jesus and the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was looking for a five-point checklist, and Jesus didn't give him one, but told him he needed to be born again. Nicodemus wanted to do more or be more so he could enter it.

the kingdom, but Jesus told him there was nothing he could do because life and salvation are a free gift from God. Now, it was scary for Nicodemus to come to Jesus in the first place with his question, because Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council, and Jesus was an outsider. Jesus didn't have the respect from the Pharisees because he wasn't educated like they were. I think maybe Nicodemus believed Jesus when Jesus said, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only son. and Nicodemus might have believed that Jesus was the only way to be reborn into spiritual life. Because when Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arimathea, secretly asked Pilate for a Jesus body so they could take it and personally purify it and prepare it for burial.

Now remember, Jesus was executed as a criminal outside the city gate, so asking for his body was bold. It was even dangerous. To add to that, dressing a body for burial was something only women and slaves did. So Nicotemus had to have a reason to step outside of class lines and outside of society lines and outside of gender roles to prepare Jesus' body for the tomb. Why would Nicodemus do this? Perhaps it was because he knew that following Jesus was the only way to truly live. While it was very scary to give up outside appearances and performances and the checklist for success, To follow Jesus, maybe Nicodemus experienced the peace and the rest from a true relationship with Jesus that changes priorities. Knowing we are made in the image of Jesus gives us a sense of worth that changes our priorities.

When we go against the grain to resist the urge to play the power game, when we go against the tide to resist the temptation, to constantly reshape our image by who we know and what we've done, it can be scared. But we want something more for ourselves, and we want something more for those we love than the kind of shifting attention and adoration that comes from the self. We want to be so sure about Jesus and His love that we take every opportunity to make more of Him and less of ourselves. When you're a sinner saved by grace, there's a boldness and a humility that work together to change you. You will be courageous to do things that are important for the kingdom yet. you'll be motivated by something outside of self. And this is also scary. It's scary to think about spending your time and your energy and your talent on something that won't increase your name or maybe even your bank account. It is amazing to reflect the glory of someone who won't ever do

anything to disappoint us. It is amazing to know that when people look in our direction, they will see someone greater than us. It is amazing to know we don't carry the weight on our shoulders, but we point to someone who does. I want to tell myself and my kids, it's okay. It's okay when you don't get the recognition you deserve. It's okay when you don't have the attention of your friends for one reason or another. It's okay when you don't perform as well as you would have liked. It's okay when you're doing something important and no one notices.

It's okay because you're okay with Jesus. You're going to be okay. because He is so much greater than you, it's not about you. And that's a good thing. Lord, help us to love giving you glory more than we love to get it for ourselves. Give us the wisdom to know when our desires for achievement are good and worthy and when they're motivated by pride and self-centeredness. Give us the humility and discernment to become less

so that when people look at us, they see that Jesus is true and real and worthy of their attention. Amen.