MORE OF JESUS, LESS OF ME

Keith O’Connor

Woodland Church

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

(John 3:30, NLT) “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less”

Jesus must increase in every area of my life

(John 3:22, NLT) “Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people”

(John 3:23, NLT) “At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism”

(John 3:27-29, NLT) “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 bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.”

1.  Jesus must increase in our priorities

(Matthew 6:33, NLT) “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”

(Matthew 6:21, NLT)“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be”

(Colossians 3:23-25, NLT) “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ”

2.  Jesus must increase in our character

(Ephesians 5:1-2, NLT) “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God”

A.  Love

(John 13:34-35, NLT) “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”

B.  Humility

(Philippians 2:3, NLT) “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves”

C.  Forgiveness

(Ephesians 4:32, NLT) “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you”

D.  Obedience

(Hebrews 5:8-9, NLT) “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.”

3.  Jesus must increase in our relationships

(1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, NLT) “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.”

(Matthew 5:16, ESV) “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”

He must become greater, and I must become less

(Romans 10:9-10, NLT) “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved”

(John 14:6, NLT) “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”

(2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”