Sunday Gathering - John 3:22-36 - Erica Lugg

every Saturday. Um, but it's great to

see the building looking like this. And

it's great to see you all. Uh, today

we're in John's Gospel. So, if you want

to turn with me to John chapter 3, we're

going to be reading from verse 22-36.

Um, and just as a bit of a recap, um, we

remember right back at the beginning,

um, actually Nick, would you mind

getting me some water, please? Uh yes,

please. Thank you. Uh right back at the

beginning, um Andy introduced the gospel

to us. We looked at Jesus being the

word. Um and this kind of cosmic thing

that happened that he was there in the

beginning, he was there before the

beginning. He's always been there. Um

and then we looked at the beginning of

the story of John the Baptist and the

beginning of his disciples. Uh we went

to the wedding. Water turned into wine.

And then the very next week we went to

temple Jesus where he's zealous over his

church over over us his people. Um and

then last week uh we had remind me

people what did we have last week?

Yes. And what was the scripture that we

all know?

Come on.

Everybody out. Come on. What did we

have? It's only last week, folks. And it

is the most famous scripture in the

Bible.

I want you to say it.

I absolutely do want you to say it. Yes.

Say that.

The fact that I was pausing is your cue,

Roland. What did we learn last week? The

most famous thing that we learned last

week.

shall notish.

I love the bit where you all went

believes in him.

Who is believes in him?

That's because some people are saying

and some are saying one and only son.

I was actually using the one where it

says whoever believes in him.

Yeah, that kind of

ah

I would like it in French. Alli, if you

wouldn't mind, please. We're going to

speak it in French.

may not be in

lovely. Well done. Thank you. For God so

loved the world. So that's where we

ended off last week. Um and uh we're

going to look at John's gospel 22-36.

Um so I'm going to read that really

quickly. So then Jesus and his disciples

left Jerusalem and went into the Judeian

countryside.

Jesus spent some time with them there

baptizing people. At this same time,

John the Baptist was baptizing at Enon

near Salim. I'm hoping I'm pronouncing

that right. Please don't judge me.

Because there was plenty of water there

and people kept coming to him for

baptism. This was before John was thrown

into prison. A debate broke out between

John disciples and a certain Jew over

ceremonial cleansing. So John's

disciples came to him and said, "Rabbi,

the man you met on the other side of the

Jordan, the river, the one you

identified as the Messiah is also

baptizing people, and everybody is going

to him instead of coming to us." John

replied, "No one can receive anything

unless God gives it from heaven. You

yourselves know how plainly I told you,

I am not the Messiah. I am only here to

prepare the way for him." It is the

bridegroom who marries the bride and the

best man other translations says friend

is simply glad to stand with him and

hear his vows. Therefore I am filled

with joy at his success. He must become

greater and greater and I must become

less and less. He has come from heaven

and is greater than anyone else. We are

of the earth and we speak of earthly

things but he has come from heaven and

I've lost my place. and is greater than

anyone else. He testifies about what he

has seen and heard, but how few believe

what he tells them. Anyone who accepts

his testimony can affirm that God is

true, for he is sent by God. He speaks

God's word, for God gives him the spirit

without limit. The Father loves his son

and has put everything into his hands.

And anyone who believes in God's son has

eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey

the son will never experience eternal

life but remains under God's angry

judgment.

Amen.

I really am enjoying uh John's gospel

and I particularly like the human side

uh that we see popping up as we go along

and we have this amazing interaction

with um Nicodemus and the proclamation

of the simple gospel. you Cornelius

mentioned last week about the bronze

snake and just by looking and and how we

it's symbolic of the cross by looking at

it that's how we're born again. Um and

so I like the human side of it but I'm

also really challenged because you see

humans pop up and behave in ways that

humans are really good at behaving. So

I'm sure because I identified a lot with

this passage as we went through and I'm

hoping that you will as well. So he's

baptizing in a place called Enon which

means many waters because there was lots

of water there. That's your first thing.

Um but that many waters is also really

symbolic of cleansing and preparation.

And the Bible tells us it's near a place

called Salim. Uh which means peace. So

right at the very beginning you've got a

picture that's being painted. John's

disciples are baptizing at this place of

cleansing, at this place of preparation,

and at this place of peace.

And I see in it this picture of

cleansing and peace, this wonderful

harmony. And right in the middle of that

place of cleansing and peace, an

argument begins.

Any of you have ever been in a family

situation where it's all been quiet at

Christmas and everybody is behaving very

beautifully and there's harmony between

everybody and then suddenly an argument

begins. What topics are we not allowed

to have around the meal tables?

Politics. Yes. Don't talk about what

which side of the fence you're on

because what is a calm and beautiful

place of peace will disrupt into an

argument. What's the other thing we're

not supposed to talk about at the dinner

table? What was it?

Religion. Yes, religion is the other

one, isn't it? Lovely place of calm and

peace. You start talking about religion.

Um, and an argument begins. So, it makes

me smile. It highlights to me that we're

talking about real human situations.

Place of cleansing, a place of peace, a

place of preparation for Jesus. And an

argument begins. I was out at Crystal

Peaks the other day and I went into one

of these shops that's got lovely candles

that smell really nice and they play

that whale music.

Oh, that's a that sounds like seagull,

doesn't it? Um, but you get what I'm

trying to say. It was so lovely and it

smelt so nice and I walked in and the

lights were dimmed and what have you.

And I'd only been in there a minute

browsing around and a two-year-old came

in and wanted a stuffed giraffe and mom

said no. And in that moment that was no

longer a place of peace. Lay on the

floor, stamped her foot. I want the

giraffe. I want and then and it just

made me think that we're really good at

because we're human. We're really good

um in this place of peace. Uh this

argument uh erupts this debate between

the John's disciples and a certain Jew.

I love that certain Jew about ceremonial

washing. Now, just to get a bit of

context here, um baptism and washing

wasn't something that was new um to the

Jews at this point. I think Jewish

people were really familiar with washing

practices. They were very familiar with

ritual baths. They were very familiar

with cleansing before worship. These are

things that they would do regularly. So,

this wasn't something that looked

particularly brand new. But what was it

that caused this argument? Well, John

was talking about something different.

He was talking about an internal

cleansing. He was talking about a

repentance. He was not saying this is

about outward washing, but this is an

inner thing. and he was pointing the way

to Jesus. So again, in my mind, and

forgive me if I've done a little bit of

um creative license here, in my mind, I

wonder whether the argument, because I

can hear myself here, full disclosure.

Um I wondered whether the argument about

whose way was better. Any of you ever

had an argument with somebody or should

we let's not call it an argument. Let's

call it a debate because that sounds

about whose way was better. Anybody?

Come on, let's be honest.

Whose way is better? Mine, of course.

Mine, of course. Okay, so that's what I

think was going on. Again, the really

human thing. Um, and maybe John's

disciples, the reason that they were a

bit agitated was because maybe deep down

they didn't understand why things had to

change because we've always done it like

that. Now, let me ask you a question.

Ever had that feeling in you when things

change and you're thinking to yourself,

we've always done it like this?

Anybody? Yeah. Whose way is the best

way? Mine always. So I just wonder

whether there's a little bit of

irritation, a little bit of issue there.

And uh and they go over to Jes uh to

John in this state. And then I love this

verse and I'm going to read it with a

bit of a voice because in my head this

is what's going on. Rabbi,

that man, who are they talking about?

Jesus. If you go back to chapter one,

they knew his name. They knew his name.

So they make a point of saying that man,

that man that you met on the other side

of the Jordan, the one you identified as

the Messiah is also baptizing and

everybody is going to him instead of

coming to us. Now, what kind of language

does that sound like to you?

Why do we get defensive?

Insecurity.

Insecurity and fear. To understand this,

we need to kind of have a bit of an idea

of what it meant to be a disciple back

then. When you followed a rabbi,

basically you gave your whole life to

them. You walked with them. You learned

from them. Your whole identity was

wrapped up in the rabbi. If your rabbi

was doing really well, then guess what?

You were also really doing very well. If

the crowds were gathering, you felt

significant. If people were coming, if

you felt like you belonged, John was a

big deal. And there was an awful lot of

momentum around John and crowds

gathering. Lives were being changed. So

when when the I've got a bit of fluff on

my finger that won't go away

when um so these disciples are getting

their significance and their sense of

worth and their identity and sense of

value from what John is doing. So when

people start going to Jesus instead for

them it must have felt like a loss of

identity. Any of you ever felt that? Not

quite sure who you are. um circumstances

change and suddenly the footing that

seemed really clear you're not sure

about anymore and um and I can be harsh

on them in my mind but I I see it in

myself. I want to feel significant.

I want to know that I matter in this

life. I want to know that my life has

purpose. And so if there's that loss of

identity, if if the disciples are going

or the crowds are going to Jesus, you

can imagine the disciples are beginning

to feel a little bit insecure.

That man, well, they knew his name, but

immediately distancing himself

themselves from Jesus.

The one you identified, what's happening

there?

What was that?

Blame. John, this is on you. You're to

blame. I love this bit. Everybody is

going to him instead of us.

Everybody.

What? Everybody. Like the king of

England or the I mean who have you used

language like that?

Yes. Everybody is going to him instead

of us. We all do that. Everybody doesn't

listen. Nobody listens to me. Everything

in my life is a mess. Everything is

going wrong in is everything going wrong

in the world.

No, but don't we use language?

Everything is going We use these big

exaggerated things when there is fear

and insecurity. And um I really am

speaking to myself this morning. I said

to Nick uh Nick said, "Go for it. Preach

this morning." I just I actually just

want to go home because everything about

this makes me feel insecure

and a little bit fearful.

I go through self-doubt working it

through in my head. When I go home

tonight, I will analyze absolutely

everything that I say today because of

self-doubt and insecurity and

vulnerability. And the reason I can be

really open about that with you today is

because what? I'm in a room full of

people that also understand what it

means like to feel vulnerable, to feel

self-doubt, to feel afraid, all of those

kind of things. And insecurity makes

small stuff seems really massive and it

exaggerates and amplifies threats. And

do you know what it does for me? It

justifies what I feel.

Insecurity and fear also says that

there's only so much significance to go

around and I'm not going to get any of

it. That's what it does. Um because I

felt insecure. Um because Cornelius, you

had slides last week, didn't you?

You did. And when Chris Simpson

preaches, he has slides. So because I

feel insecure and a little bit fearful,

I have a slide.

I have another slide.

Do I? No. There we go.

I knew that would have that effect.

That's what I was hoping for. I wanted

you to go a and then it would build my

significance. You see my sense of self.

That's me there

obviously staring into the distance

thinking about something else as usual.

That's my younger sister. I absolutely

love her face in that. I don't know what

she was thinking about, but it's

probably I don't want to be part of this

family. Um,

the reason I show you this, let's go

back to the other one of me because I

love that I look like a rabbit. Go back.

There we go. Look, I think I was

probably about nine there. When I was

seven, I grew up in Ghana. And when I

was about seven, uh, Ghana went through

a lot of turmoil. They had several

revolutions that went wrong. U, not went

wrong, but failed revolutions. So, there

was a lot of military presence, a lot of

shooting, a lot of drama. And just

before my seventh birthday, I think it

was, Nick will tell me, 1979, the 4th of

June or something, um there was a

successful revolution and there were u

machine military men all over with big

machine guns. There were roadblocks. I

remember going to school on the way to

school with uh dead bodies at the side

of the road that had been shot

overnight. That was where I grew up. Um,

and I you when I was thinking about

this, I was thinking all the million

things in my life that I could think

about, millions of things, including

stuff that's happened this week that's

made me feel insecure and fearful and

all of that. This is the one thing that

popped to my mind.

I remember imagining at this age or a

little bit younger that um my dad would

only be safe if I was with him.

Now when I think about it, I think

utterly bonkers. But he was a there was

no fuel cell and he was a pastor. He

would go walking out to the different

churches sometimes late at night. We

would hear the gunshots and I would

imagine that somewhere out there my dad

had been shot. That's what was going

through my head. Um, and so in my

insecurity and fear, I came to the

conclusion, don't ask me how I did it, I

don't know, but I came to the conclusion

that the only way that he would be safe

if was if I was joined to him at the

hip. Anywhere he went, I had to be near

him. Otherwise, he would die. Going to

school was an absolute nightmare for my

parents for a very long period of time.

They would dress me in the morning and

as quickly as they were putting the

clothes on, I was taking them off. There

was no way I was going to go to school

because if I went to school, what was

going to happen? My dad was going to

die. Um, I remember them shoving me into

a car. We had car poolool systems in

those days, shoving me into the car,

slamming the boot of the car, telling

the driver to go, go, go, go with me

locked in there going, "Ah, get me out."

Um, and amazingly, um, my dad didn't die

as a result of my trying to save him.

But I, the reason I bring this up, is it

was because I wanted I wanted you to

know and to see that how insecurity and

fear has the capacity to grow and and it

causes different things in us. Um,

and even though the reality isn't true,

insecurity and fear makes it true in our

lives. And then therefore it changes the

way we respond to things and changes the

way we react to things. And what I see

in these disciples is that in their

conversation with each other, their

insecurity in their fear as they talked

with each other, those things began to

find space in their lives. And suddenly

what they were talking about felt very,

very real. It didn't matter how many

times people said to me, "Your dad will

be fine. You don't need to be there.

Other people were with him. in my head

that was the reality and that was what

had grown in my life. So you can imagine

the disciples are going through all of

this and what they're coming to John for

is comforting and reassurance. They want

John to say everything is going to be

okay.

And he does something really incredible.

He doesn't dismiss them but he doesn't

agree with them either. He says, "A

person can receive only what is given

them from heaven." In other words, guys,

you didn't earn this.

You received this as a gift. It was

given freely to you. You don't have to

compete for it. You don't have to worry

that, you know, if it's given, it'll be

taken away. You don't have to worry that

you're going to lose it or that you'll

drop it or circumstances will take it

away or anything. If it's been given

from heaven, it's a gift given to you.

You've received it. Don't need to fight

for it. You don't need to compete for

it. And immediately you get this shift,

this perspective change. And then he

goes on to say this. You yourselves know

how plainly I told you I am not the

Messiah. He'd already reiterated that at

the beginning of John's gospel. He'd

made it clear he wasn't the Messiah. And

so he comes in again and says, "I'm

telling you plainly, I can't fix this

for you. I can't make you feel better."

Maybe they wanted him to go and have a

quiet word with Jesus to go and move on

a little bit. He says, "I can't do

anything because insecurity and fear is

an issue of the heart and it takes a

savior to deal with it."

My this might seem like a silly story,

but this insecurity and fear lasted for

me for a number of years and I had to in

the end have ministry and prayer about

it because of what it had done to my

life. And John was saying, he's saying,

"Disciples, listen to me. What you're

reflecting here is the insecurity in

fear in you. And there is only one

person that can deal with that. And

who's that?

Jesus, the Messiah." He says, "I'm not

the Messiah. What you're asking me to do

is above my pay grade. I don't have the

capacity to deal with that in you. I

don't have the capacity to deal with

your sense of worth or your sense of

identity. That is only something the

Messiah can do." As I was preparing

this, I just felt I wanted to say, and

maybe it's not for in this bit, maybe

it's for later, I don't know. But I just

wanted to say that um some of us need to

hear that the people in your life are

not your Messiah.

Maybe you have attached yourself like I

did with my dad, attached myself to

somebody or something,

wanting them to smooth your ruffled

feathers, wanting make to make you feel

validated or secure. And I just want to

say this morning that that person, that

situation is that that's not your

Messiah.

And all that will happen is in time they

will disappoint you. It will disappoint

you because it cannot deal with what is

going on inside you. Who can deal with

that? There's only one.

I just felt that. I know that in my own

life.

We're asking human beings to only do

what Jesus can do. And that's what John

was saying. He's saying, "Guys, I can't

do any of this. I can't I can't fix this

for you. I can't I can't do that this is

above my capacity. There's only Jesus

that can do that. And then he goes, the

other word that I thought um came to my

mind as I was thinking about that was

actually some of you maybe need to hear

that you're not the Messiah either.

Was that an amen? I heard. Okay. All

right. Yeah.

need to hear that you're not the

Messiah. Um, we hear the term Messiah

complex, don't we? And sometimes we can

think it is imagining that we are

amazing. Um, but I think it's more

subtle than that. I think it's a bit

like it's up to me to fix this. A bit

like I had with my dad. It's up to me to

hold this thing together. If I don't

step in, it won't be okay. Um, it looks

like responsibility and it looks like

care, but underneath it's often

insecurity trying to take control. Um,

and I recognized this in myself when I

was seven. Genuinely believed that it

was only safe if if I was there with my

dad. And um, it sounds ridiculous, but I

utterly believed it. It was a mess

messiah complex. Um, and in my mind, I

wasn't being difficult. I just felt that

someone had to have control. And in the

absence of any other suitable person,

the responsibility fell on me.

which when I think about it, my poor mom

and my older siblings um in the absence

of any other suitable person.

So, some of you need to hear that that

person that you are going to that

relationship that that you're going to

to get that insec the significance or

insecurity stroked away. It's not going

to work. It's only Jesus that can do

that. And maybe we need to also look at

ourselves and think to ourselves

actually in situations and circumstances

am I the one that wants to be the

Messiah. Jesus is able to do it on his

own. And we don't think we're

overstepping. We think we're helping. Um

but sometimes what looks like care is

insecurity trying to take control. And

we just have to ask the Holy Spirit to

to prod us what is it that motivates us?

Um because before we realized we're not

just involved, we're central. Um and I

just really felt I wanted to to bring

that out this morning. We have to check

the motivations of our heart. Which part

of our heart, which part of our body is

the most deceitful thing above all

things, the heart, it'll tell you. It's

got responsibility and care. But if it

is meeting a need in me, if it is

meeting a need in terms of I it is

dealing with my insecurity and fear, I

have to go back to Jesus uh and not to

that. So John doesn't fix the situation.

He changes their perspective and he

gives them a completely different lens.

And he says this, the bride belongs to

the bridegroom. Who does the bride

belong to?

In other words, this was never about you

in the first place. There is only one

person at the center of the story and

his name is Jesus. He is the only one

who carries things and it isn't you. He

says the step the friend stands and

listens close but not central certainly

involved but not carrying present but

not responsible for the outcome. And

that's the shift when we recognize that

actually we are the friend at the

wedding and not the bridegroom. Who is

responsible for everything going well

today?

Well, I was thinking about the wedding

afterwards, but thank you. But yes,

you're right. Jesus. Thank you, Dylan.

Yeah. Who's responsible for it? The

bridegroom. The bridegroom is

responsible. We get to be part of it.

get to enjoy. We get to enjoy the the

the

ride. We get to enjoy the event. We get

to enjoy um being part of it but not

being responsible for it. And he goes on

to say this. John says, "He must become

greater and I must become less." To me,

this is the crux of the thing. The way I

deal with my insecurity and fear, the

things that debilitate me, the things

that make me shrimp back, the things

that make me controlling, the things

that make me all those things that I

don't want to be, the the feeling inside

me that I don't want to have is that to

allow the Holy Spirit to become bigger

in me.

He must become greater. That doesn't

mean to say this doesn't mean that Jesus

is little and somehow I need to worship

him so that he grows bigger. He is big

bigger biggest huge huge hu hues large

larger largest are those right words

he's all those things he's bigger

but it talks about the space in my life

I don't want insecurity and fear to

dominate what I do and who I am and how

I live and the only way to do that is

allowed to Jesus to become bigger. I

have to own up um and say that sometimes

my insecurities and fears arrive in the

middle of the night. Anybody else know

that feeling?

Yeah. Arrive in the middle. I can be per

sleeping perfectly well and suddenly

insecure and fear. Boof. And then guess

what I do?

I wake Nick up

and I say things like, "Should I be

worried about that?" And he'll say

things like, "No, and not now." And

certainly not with me.

Maybe we could talk about this this

morning. And sometimes if it's a

particularly difficult night, I can wake

him up several times. I know you said

don't be worried about this, but should

I be worried about that? No. No, you

don't need to be worried about anything,

Erica. You just need to go to sleep and

you need to let me go to sleep and all

of that. Um, I don't even know what I

was trying to say here. But the

challenge as I've been preparing this is

actually Erica, I can't I can't use Nick

as my messiah. He's going to remind me

when I wake him up in the middle of the

night.

Who are you going to Jesus? Who are you

going to Erica? The way to deal with it

is to ask the Holy Spirit to be big in

my life. He must become big. That's the

antidote to insecurity and fear is to

allow the Holy Spirit to grow in my

life. And I also

want to say as well that we need

critical friends around us who will say,

"Erica, that sounds like insecurity or

fear to me. What are you going to do

about it?" Because I could I could there

there you I could go. Oh, I'm sorry.

Are you all right there? I didn't

actually ask your consent.

That's fine.

I'm going to be worrying about that now

tonight.

Don't worry at all. I give you

permission.

Thank you. That's too late now. I've

done it.

Um I forgot where I was going with.

Yeah, we need critical friends amongst

us that will say, "Actually, that sounds

like fear to me.

I don't want to validate your fear. I

don't want it to grow in your life. Why

don't we why don't we take it to Jesus?

Why don't we allow him to become big?

Because if he is filling the space in

us, then there's no room for the

insecurity and the fear and the

self-doubt and the feeling like we're

we're so fragile and we're so vulnerable

we're going to fall over. We need to we

don't need to validate that. We need to

challenge one another and say, "What

about Jesus in that? What about Jesus in

this situation?

I don't know where I am, but I'm sure

it's somewhere.

How do I know whether insecurity is what

is speaking? Bible says very clearly in

John 3, we've just read the scripture

that there's earthly language and

there's heavenly language. By what we

speak, we can tell what's going on. If

it is about me, if it's about not being

fair, if it's about insecurity, if it

points at me, then it's insecurity and

fear speaking. But if it's saying things

like, which I'm somewhere on my notes

here,

if it's saying things like Jesus is

enough, Jesus can sort this out. I can

give this to Jesus. He is trustworthy.

All those things are the language of

heaven. We can tell out of the abundance

of the heart the mouth speaks. What you

say will tell you whether or not you are

living in a place where you're trying to

deal with it yourself or whether you're

actually allowing Jesus to fill up that

space in you.

Jesus is greater.

He is enough.

That is a bit of a mantra. He's enough

for me in the middle of the night when I

wake up in that moment and suddenly I

get that overwhelming whooshy feeling.

Any of you ever had that?

He is enough for me.

He is enough for me when I am wobbling

or

uncertain. He's enough. And I don't want

to live with

the thoughts and the feelings that go

with insecurity and fear. I want to be

like John and say, "Actually, I'm not

worried about Jesus at all. I'm not

worried that he's baptizing over there.

I'm not worried that all the disciples

go over to him. I'm not worried about

any of that. In fact, I'm actually

joyful about his success. I want there

to be joy in my heart. And I realize

that unless I allow Jesus to fill that

space in me, that won't be my language.

I can trust him. I've been given enough.

You're not my Messiah, Nick. You're not

my Messiah.

Your circumstance is not your Messiah.

You are not the Messiah either. It is

humbling to find a situation and go,

"Actually, I don't know what to do about

this." But Jesus does. I realize I'm

running out of time very quickly. Let's

stand together. Wonder if the musicians

could come back.

Just really want us to stand and be

honest.

Um,

maybe you could strum something.

Thank you.

Maybe as we've been looking at the

disciples of John, maybe you've

recognized something of yourself in

them.

Maybe you can see where insecurity has

crept into your heart.

Maybe it's led you to retreat or to

control um or to compare or exaggerate

or feel uncertain.

Or maybe

as the disciples did and they said that

man and they called him that man instead

of Jesus actually distanced yourself

from Jesus and from other people.

Or maybe like me, you recognize that

you've looked to someone else or

something else to give you peace, to

make you feel secure,

and you know the disappointment that

comes when they can't be enough.

Or maybe you recognize the times you've

tried to find your value in being needed

or being the one to hold things

together, carrying things that were

never really yours to carry.

Just wonder if we could just take a

moment to be honest before God.

Jesus, we bring these things to you now.

You see us fully.

You see the places where we feel afraid

and we feel insecure. The places where

we try to hold things together.

The places where we step in because

we're afraid of what might happen if we

don't. and the places when you've tried

to where we've tried to find our

significance in other people or in what

we do

instead of you.

We bring those things that we've been

gripping tightly, things that we've been

trying to control.

Forgive us for our misguided thinking

that other people, situations, and

places are the source of our peace.

And father, if our insecurity

is distancing us from you, forgive us.

We draw close to you this morning.

We know you, Lord Jesus, are the only

one who is meant to be the source of our

joy.

Help us to see you clearly at the

center, the bridegroom, the one who

holds all things.

Please come and take up that space in

us, the space we filled with fear, with

striving, with the need to be needed.

And would you fill it with your

presence, with your peace, with your

sufficiency?

And where insecurity has taken root,

would you bring freedom through your

everinccreasing presence in our lives?

Lord God, be greater in us,

grow in us. I pray

that you would be increase that we would

decrease

in Jesus name. Amen.