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.