He Must Increase, I Must Decrease — John the Baptist on Humility, Calling, and Ministry Transition (John 3:22–36)

What do you do when your ministry feels like it’s shrinking… and someone else’s is growing?

In this message from Calvary Kona, we open to the final section of The Gospel of John chapter 3 (John 3:22–36)where the story shifts away from Nicodemus—and back to John the Baptist at a critical moment of overlap: two ministries running at the same time.

Jesus and His disciples are baptizing in the Judean countryside. John the Baptist is still baptizing at Aenon near Salim. And that “transition season” creates tension. John’s disciples panic:

“Rabbi… he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

In other words: We’re losing momentum. Our movement is shrinking. What are we going to do?

John’s response is one of the clearest pictures of humility, identity, and God-centered leadership in the Bible:

“A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

This episode is especially timely as Calvary Kona enters 2026—our first full year as a planted church—because John shows us how to think when God is building something new, shifting seasons, and moving people in ways we can’t control.

In this teaching, we cover:

• Why ministry transition seasons are spiritually vulnerable (ego, insecurity, possessiveness)

• John’s “higher perspective”: every blessing and every assignment is given from heaven

• Three practical warnings for the heart: don’t chase what God isn’t giving, don’t resent what God gives others, don’t cling to what God is removing

• John’s healthy identity: “I am not the Christ… I was sent before Him”

• The powerful wedding picture: Jesus as the Bridegroom, God’s people as the Bride, and John as the friend of the bridegroom

• Why true joy comes when Jesus gets the attention—and we step aside

• The closing gospel clarity: whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:36)

If you’re in a season where you feel replaced, overlooked, or afraid of change—or if you’re serving in a growing church and wondering how to stay humble—John 3:22–36 is God’s wisdom for your heart.

Scripture: John 3:22–36
Key Verse: John 3:30 — “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Also referenced: Luke 16:16, Hebrews 1:1–2, 1 Corinthians 12:18