DETRIMENTAL COMPETITION-I—John 3:22-36
A DETRIMENTAL SPIRIT
Attention:
Humility in competition seems somewhat rare.
I can remember seeing & hearing an American long-jumper & runner--Carl Lewis--in the Olympics(1988 Summer?) who just ‘tore-up’ his competition. He outran & out-jumped everybody! In his heyday Carl Lewis won a gold medal in the same event in four consecutive Olympic Games. He set world records in the 100m, 4-man 100m, & 4-man 200m relays. On top of that, his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984.
Mr. Lewis was voted "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations & "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee, "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated, & "Athlete of the Year" by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, & 1984.
America was so proud of their runner...Sort of. You see, on the outset of all the achievements, Carl Lewis was noted for ‘his self-congratulatory conduct.’ That attitude caused him to be passed over by potential endorsers! And his attitude caused me to distance myself from any national pride or congratulations that involved Carl Lewis.
Mr. Lewis undid his own success thru his boastful attitude!
While empowered & triumphant in Christ, the Church & individual Christians within the church, can allow their privilege in Christ to turn into entitlement & deserving. Such a Competitive spirit is Detrimental to the Christian faith.
Likewise, biblically doctrinal(truth) understanding is vital to your growth as a Christian!
*Verses :25 & 26 form the hinge/focus around which this passage flows.
John the Baptist pointed out the weakness/detriments/absurdities/incompatibilities of competitive ministry.
A competitive spirit can be detrimental to Christian ministry.
cf.—Php. 1:15-18—“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy & strife, & some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; & in this I rejoice, yes, & will rejoice.”
“The last thing...Jonah wanted...was for" -(the city of)- "Nineveh to repent at his preaching; but” his... “message)(from God)-...produced repentance in spite of his ill intentions.”—MNTC
Local churches can operate & function as if they are in competition with other churches in the area. Any true church’s ‘competitive edge’ is supplied by Christ Jesus Himself! You do not need to protect Jesus!(cf.-Jud. 6:25-32). You need to be a defender of the faith(1Pet. 3:14-16; Jude :3-5) but not a guardian of Jesus Himself.
We are always best served, & the Good News is best served, & the Kingdom of God is best served, by those who preach Christ from good will, rather than from envy & strife.
When is a competitive spirit detrimental to Christian ministry?
9 detriments of a competitive spirit to Christian ministry.
(And these all center around ‘me,’ ‘my,’ ‘mine’!)
1—A competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when...
Your LAND/AREA is Best(:22-23)
Explanation:(:22-23)
:22—“After these things Jesus & His disciples came into the land of Judea, & there He remained with them & baptized.”
“After” cleansing the temple(2:13-22) & immediately “after” Jesus’ exhortative ministry to Nicodemus(3:1-21),...
...Then “Jesus & His disciples” entered “the land of Judea.”
He was most probably in Jerusalem when approached by Nicodemus(2:23). “...So “they entered the countryside of Judea in distinction from the city of Jerusalem.”—NAC/Carson.
While in the countryside, Jesus stayed with them(His disciples). Thus they were indeed “His disciples,” staying with their teacher & vice-versa. They were “His” disciples—followers & students.
Not only did Jesus “remain” with His disciples, but while they were there in the countryside together, Jesus also “baptized” people. What was the purpose of the baptism? We are not told. No doubt to overall confront earthly sinners with God’s heavenly holiness & their responsibility with it. Jesus’ pre-Cross baptism foreshadowed Jesus’ Cross-work of redemption for mankind in individuals, & our justification(by faith—Rom. 5:1-2) which would be established thru Jesus’ resurrection & ascension into heaven.
Judging from the statement of Jn. 4:2, it is probable that ‘Jesus baptized’ ‘thru’ His disciples, placing His authority upon them. Thus Jesus Himself probably did not actually/technically/physically/personally baptize any.
“& baptized”—not he himself, but his disciples, by his orders, & in his name...”—John Gill
cf.—Jn. 4:1-3—“Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made & baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea & departed again to Galilee.”
On the importance of one’s role regarding baptism. One’s ‘temporary’ event-related role as baptize-er is not nearly as important as fulfilling the permanent role that God has ordained a person to...whether as Messiah, Apostle, or various ministers such as you & me. But all these see fit to encourage that baptisms are accomplished.
Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
1Cor. 1:14-17—“I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus & Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
“Disciples”(See :24)—mayhthv—Noun Masc.—1) A learner, pupil, disciple. Strong—from manyanw[to learn (in any way)]; A learner, i.e. Pupil.
“Came”(See :23, 26, 31)—ercomai—Verb—1) To come—1a) of persons—1a1) To come from one place to another, & used both of persons arriving & of those returning, 1a2) To appear, make one's appearance, come before the public; 2) metaph.—2a) To come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, 2b) Be established, become known, to come(fall) into or unto; 3) To go, to follow one. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to “come” & arrive at, as well as “to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb(used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred (middle voice)-eleuyomai; or (active)-elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“Into”(See :36)—eiv—Preposition—1) Into, unto, to, towards, for, among. Strong—a primary preposition; To or Into(indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or figuratively--Purpose(result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases.
“Land”—gh—Noun Fem.—1) Arable land; 2) The ground, the earth as a standing place; 3) The main land as opposed to the sea or water; 4) The earth as a whole—4a) The earth as opposed to the heavens, 4b) The inhabited earth, the abode of men & animals; 5) A country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region. Strong—contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension--A region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe(including the occupants in each application).
“Judea”—Ioudaia—Noun Proper Locative—Judaea = “He shall be praised”—1) in a narrower sense--To the southern portion of Palestine lying on this side of the Jordan & the Dead Sea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Peraea, & Idumaea; 2) in a broader sense--Referring to all Palestine. Strong—feminine of Ioudaiov(with gh implied); The Judaean land(i.e. Judaea), A region of Palestine.
“Remained/Tarried/Spending Time”—diatribw—Verb—1) To rub between, rub hard; 2) To wear away, consume; 3) To spend, pass time. Strong—To wear through(time), i.e. Remain. Used 10X.
“With”(also “After” above)—meta—Preposition—1) With, after, behind. Strong—a primary preposition(often used adverbially); properly--Denoting accompaniment; “Amid,” association, or succession.
“Baptized”[See :23, 26]—baptizw—Verb—1) To dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge(of vessels sunk); 2) To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe; 3) To overwhelm.
Later Addendum:—Not to be confused with bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet & physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles & is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped'(bapto) into boiling water & then 'baptized'(baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union & identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mk. 16:16—‘He that believes & is baptized shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! (Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.) in Thayer. :23a—“Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came & were baptized.”
John the baptizer also employed baptism(immersion) in ‘his’ ministry. He baptized in the particular area of “Aenon.” “Aenon” was located near “Salim.”
The exact location of both “Aenon” & “Salim” is contested.
Possibly near Shechem in the hill country or more probably ~8mi. south of Scythopolis(Beth Shean) near the Jordan River—per Eusebius. They are both located roughly halfway between the Yarmuk & Jabbok Rivers(east). Both locations are on the west side of the Jordan. There are springs there near modern-day Umm el-Amdan.
That Jesus was “with” John “beyond the Jordan”(:26) suggests that Salim is located on the west side of the Jordan.—ECNT
It appears that the reason for his baptizing in Aenon near Salim was because of the abundance of “water there”...after all, “Aenon” signifies a place of springs.
“Baptizing”[See :22, 26]—baptizw—Verb—1) To dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge(of vessels sunk); 2) To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe; 3) To overwhelm.
Later Addendum:—Not to be confused with bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet & physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles & is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped'(bapto) into boiling water & then 'baptized'(baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union & identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mk. 16:16—‘He that believes & is baptized shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! (Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.) in Thayer.
“Aenon”—Ainwn—Noun Proper Locative—Aenon = “Springs"—1) The name of a place "near to Salim" at which John baptized. Strong—of Hebrew origin (a derivative of Nye(an eye, a fountain), place of springs); Aenon, a place in Palestine. Used 1X.
“Salim”—Saleim—Noun Proper Locative—Salim = “Peace”—1) A well known town 8 miles(11 km) south of Scythopolis. Strong—probably from the same as saleuw( to waver, agitate, rock, topple, destroy, to disturb, incite); Salim, a place in Palestine.
“Because”—oti—Conjunction—1) That, because, since. Strong—neuter of ostiv[Which some, i.e. Any that; also (definitively)--Which same]as conjunction; demonstrative--That(sometimes redundant); causative--Because.
“Much”—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong—singular--Much(in any respect) or plural--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
“Water”—udwr; or genitive case, udatov—Noun Neuter—1) Water—1a) Of water in rivers, in fountains, in pools, 1b) Of the water of the deluge, 1c) Of water in any of the earth's repositories, 1d) Of water as the primary element, out of & through which the world that was before the deluge, arose & was compacted, 1e) Of the waves of the sea, 1f) figuratively used of many peoples. Strong—from the base of uetov(rain, a shower); Water(as if rainy) literally or figuratively.
God may have called you to a particular ministry--a particular church, means, type, or method.
But we should NEVER look at our ministry & all that is tied to it, as the ONLY way of ministry!
We should never suppose that ‘our’ ministry ‘should’ or even ‘can’ be ‘copied & pasted’ into a different person’s/church’s calling & location.
Such a competitive mindset actually sets you above the Holy Spirit!
Thus Paul was compelled to warn the Corinthian Christians & ourselves thru their warning:
1Cor. 12:13-14, 18-19, 26—“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--& have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”.....“But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”.....“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Such a competitive spirit causes you to look down on others—whom God has also called & operate in a different fashion.
In such competition are the seeds of some denominationalism that is based on preference.
Friday I started re-reading a book entitled ‘The Baptist Heritage’ by H. Leon McBeth.
Very generally, from the early 1600s there arose Anabaptists, General, & Particular Baptists, etc., etc. These became separated over baptism—infant baptism, & methods of. They were separated over the Lord’s Supper. They were separated over polity/internal governance issues. They were separated over deacons.
The author makes the statement about the Baptists in England, “They demonstrated that extreme conservatism can be as damaging as extreme liberalism.”
Such competition can cause you to THINK LESS of certain ministries that are not like yours.
It can cause you to be JEALOUS of ‘your ministry calling’ in contradistinction to that of others...To elevate your ministry to the exclusion of others.
It can breed ENVY, where you work feverishly & tirelessly to prevent anyone else from encroaching upon your ‘way’ of ministry by ensuring that no one else can be involved in other ways.
Argumentation:
Ezek 16:1-22—“Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, “& say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth & your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite & your mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. And when I passed by you & saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ “I made you thrive like a plant in the field; & you grew, matured, & became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked & bare. When I passed by you again & looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you & covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you & entered into a covenant with you, & you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, & I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth & gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen & covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, & a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, & a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold & silver, & your clothing was of fine linen, silk, & embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, & oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, & succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord GOD. “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, & poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. You took some of your garments & adorned multicolored high places for yourself, & played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold & My silver, which I had given you, & made for yourself male images & played the harlot with them. You took your embroidered garments & covered them, & you set My oil & My incense before them. Also My food which I gave you--the pastry of fine flour, oil, & honey which I fed you--you set it before them as sweet incense; & so it was,” says the Lord GOD. Moreover you took your sons & your daughters, whom you bore to Me, & these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, that you have slain My children & offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire? And in all your abominations & acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked & bare, struggling in your blood.”
Acts 8:1-8—Now Saul was consenting to his(Steven's) death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; & they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea & Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, & made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, & dragging off men & women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria & preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing & seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; & many who were paralyzed & lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
Acts 8:26—Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise & go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.”
Philip went from a great evangelistic harvest to a desert road!
Jonah 1:1-3; 3:1-5—“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, & cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, & found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, & went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”.....“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, & preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose & went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out & said, “Yet forty days, & Nineveh shall be overthrown!” So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, & put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”
Jonah 3:10-4:4—“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; & God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, & He did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, & he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, & said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious & merciful God, slow to anger & abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?””
Illustrations:
I am absolutely convinced that many Christians unwittingly replace God with family! Their family comes first...their comfort comes first...These may show up at worship on Sundays & even be vitally involved in church ministries, but they have not surrendered to God’s will. These will not do what God calls them to do because they have never known what it means to go where God wants them! These have never ‘stepped out of the boat’ as it were! They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!
Others have a desire for recognition among men, a title, a following. These want the LAND to be directly associated with their own name. Whereas they & their LAND ‘should’ be associated with & attributed to God thru Christ alone! They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!
You may say, ‘In my town-city(Carrabelle), we serve the Lord’....They don’t do that in New York City or Los Angeles or in Podunk or in ‘fill-in-the-blank with another place-land’.....They’re a bunch of liberal schmiberal heretics in those places! If you think that, then you also believe that there is no need for missions in any other place(at home or abroad) & also that those other people are incapable of effective ministry in the Lord! You believe that the Holy Spirit cannot work in them as He has in your ‘LAND.’ They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!
Such a competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when YOUR LAND is Best!
In Wakulla County as you head south on US-319(toward Crawfordville), just past the intersection of US-319 & FL-263(Bloxham Cutoff), on the left side of the road, there is a billboard that tells drivers-by that ‘Wakulla Loves Jesus!’/I appreciate the Christian acknowledgment but I know for a fact that all of Wakulla County does not love Jesus/I hear from some of the Wakulla pastors that souls still need to be saved....that Wakulla County has not ‘arrived’ as it were!/They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!
Such a competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when YOUR LAND is Best!
We can get to the place where look at our own families as being better than others/‘Our family loves Jesus, what’s wrong with yours?’ attitude/Praise God for your family’s commitment to the Lord!/But the moment you begin to measure others by your seeming success, is the very moment that you give your deportment to the devil!/So ‘Charter Members’ can be either the bane OR the lifeline of personal & corporate progress in the Lord!/Family Chapel churches are absolutely convinced that it’s their way or the highway!/Unwittingly chasing everyone else away...putting all but their family on edge/They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!
Such a competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when YOUR LAND is Best! To say, ‘My church is the best & onliest church around’(for me), CAN BE COMMENDABLE—You should love your church—the local assembly of believers—their varied ministries & commitment to Jesus Christ!
BUT to say, ‘My church is the best & onliest church around’ CAN ALSO BE DETRIMENTAL!—Such MAY believe...Nobody else has a line on the truth—Nobody else is as close to God—Nobody else is as biblical—Nobody else is right—Nobody else is blessed of God—Nobody else is perfect!, etc.
I know of a family who own property on which an abandoned clapboard church building sits/It is maintained for it’s historical significance to that family alone/They occasionally have family reunions on the church grounds/But the building itself though maintained, is empty & devoid of the light of life/There is a vibrant living church that operates within 1/4mi. of the abandoned building/It is not a church plant & the two have never been associated/The church body that used to meet in the abandoned building obviously chose the LAND over the Lord!
I was invited to a county-wide ecumenical meeting to confront the drug problem in our county/Involved input from the Sheriff & other law enforcement officials/Substance abuse has devastating effects on our families & our economy... it is a real problem!/We could have been persuaded to think that if our church was not getting on board with the other church’s programs, passion, & intensity, then we were not doing ministry!—They have chosen the LAND over the Lord!/However, our church already has a few fine outreaches to the children who are the unintended collateral damage of substance abuse/And we will do more as the Lord Himself leads/We employ the Holy Spirit’s chosen giftedness to minister in the way God decides, But NOT in the way others would like us to!/We have chosen the Lord over the LAND!
*A local pastor candidly admitted that his now thriving church had been doing well when he came to it/He admitted that the church was healthy & had been for years, & only needed some tweaking/He admitted that the church’s re-location placed them within five miles of 180,000 people!/He admitted that his situation(coming in after the move) was good from the get-go!/God has planted them in that particular place to minister in their particular way so that particular people are saved & will minister particularly!/BUT he will not say that his LAND is Best...Only that it is the LAND to which God has called him! Everyone in that church can & should say the same thing!/He& They have chosen the Lord over the LAND!
Such a spirit is a boon to Christian ministry when YOUR LAND is God’s LAND!
One of the major reasons I am a Southern Baptist is that the SBC has a great deal of diversity in the way they serve God(& no I don’t mean ‘diversity’ as politicians put it). There is great freedom in such diversity of worship & polity style. Church planting & Mission work is vital to who we are, only because the same is key to fulfilling God’s desire!
I don’t pretend that God works only thru Southern Baptists! Nor does He only work thru your denomination! He works thru those who are committed to Him! & thru the LAND that He chooses at any given time!
Application:
?In YOUR mind, Is YOUR LAND Best?
?Is YOUR spirit Detrimental to Christian Ministry?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Carl Lewis’s ‘self-congratulatory conduct’—Mr. Lewis undid his own success thru his boastful attitude!
Action:
A competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when...
1. Your LAND/AREA is Best(:22-23)
Pts. 1 only!/ presented 02/26/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
