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The Voice of the Bridegroom

The Voice of the Bridegroom
Words of Faith 9-26-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 3
[22] After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. [23] Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. [24] (This was before John was put in prison.) [25] An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. [26] They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
[27] To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. [28] You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' [29] The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. [30] He must become greater; I must become less.

The ministries of John and Jesus overlapped for a time. Before John was put in prison he continued to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and the call to repentance. John did not stop preaching and baptizing just because Jesus had come to the area but His disciples were aware of the “competition”.
Two very human things occurred. First, there was conflict. An argument developed regarding the various baptisms and ceremonial washings. Second, there was discomfort with change. The disciples of John realized that things were changing. The crowds coming to John were smaller. Many people were now going to see and hear Jesus.
Transition in ministry may be the hardest thing to manage and deal with. The reality is that things change. The work of God moves forward. Our flesh often reacts with conflict or jealousy. The truth is that if we become focused on a particular time in ministry we will get stuck. We will miss what God is doing! We can rejoice in the past but we must not dwell there. John knew this.
"A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” The work of God is the work of God. He is sovereign. We have no ownership in it. We have no claim upon it. John had been very clear with his disciples to say that he was not the Christ but rather the one sent ahead. He used the image of the bride, bridegroom and the attendant or “best man”.
The bride is the ministry of the Lord in this case, the church actually. The bride belongs to the Bridegroom. Even though the best man may assist and be very excited at the prospect of the wedding, the best man must always remember that the bride is not his! What is more, the best man is full of joy when he hears the Bridegroom’s voice.
When we hear the voice of the Bridegroom expressed in another ministry or in the moving work of God, we need to rejoice that the Lord is at work. The move of God may be shifting or multiplying to various places, yet we rejoice to know that His voice is heard and that the day of the wedding is approaching.
We are the bride of Christ yet our job is also that of “best man” or attendant. We announce the coming of the Bridegroom. Our honored duty is to lift Him up. As John put it, He must become greater; I must become less.
Are you lifting up the Bridegroom? Are you becoming less as the Lord becomes more? Are you rejoicing in the voice of the Bridegroom even when it is heard on the other side of the valley?

Lord, I pray that You may become greater in my community and that I may become less. Let my joy be full as I hear Your voice in my community and world. Thank you for the honor of being Your bride and also your attendant. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.