16th February 2026

16th February 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (John 3:22–36 focus v22-26)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Ministry isn’t plain sailing; life in any congregation has highs and lows. If a minister stays in one place long enough, they will experience a whole spectrum of emotions, highs and lows. At times, it will feel that they are walking on water, and other times they want the ground to open up and swallow them. Noel Agnew was a man who had seen many things, and he did what he did; he was faithful. He imparted his wisdom to any who wanted to hear; he took time with me, and he warned me not to look at the church down the road as my model, but instead to look to God’s word, encouraging me to stick to ordinary means of grace, ordinary things that God ordinarily builds his church: the word read, preached, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. These are what God uses, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to build his church. Sadly, often I’ve heard how what is most important is the youth worker or the music ministry, but if these things worked, then every church would have a team of youth workers, they would pour money into music ministry, and they would grow and grow, but often the youth and music we do is a poor attempt to copy the culture, and when people find something better, they are gone. And here the disciples of John are freaking out because the new thing is taking away people from the thing that they are doing. 


We pick up just after the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus in Jerusalem. Jesus, along with his disciples, are in the Judean countryside baptising; it’s not Jesus but rather his disciples who baptise though (see Jn 4:1-2). We are also told that John was baptising, and both are in close proximity, which shouldn’t really have caused an issue except that there is a Jew who does a job on some of John’s disciples, arguing with them over ceremonial washing. We’re not told who this Jew is, but it’s likely one of the religious leaders or at least someone the religious leaders had appointed to keep an eye on John and his disciples. It seems that this Jew was using the proximity of John and Jesus and the differences in their practice to cause division. Which sadly had the desired effect. 


Look to the response of John’s disciples towards him, in v26; 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 baptising, and everyone is going to him.” John’s disciples were annoyed because of the new guy, Jesus. To them, it seems that well, everyone was going to him, even though they were constantly coming to John to be baptised. To the disciples of John, Jesus is taking some of the glory, taking some of the limelight that should be John’s away from him. They shouldn’t be going to Jesus; they should, in their minds, be coming to John. Don’t miss though, that Jesus is the one whom John had testified about to them, and some of his disciples had already gone to Jesus (Jn 1:29-42). 


The response of those disciples who had remained comes out of fear that things are going to change, that John was going to lose his impact; their response stinks of envy and rivalry. It is a very human response. It is seen in all of us: envy, rivalry, even covetousness. We might like to protest, but sadly we are no different. Even in the church, these things are seen: envy and rivalry, like when the place down the road is growing and being blessed by the Lord, we’re not thankful that the Lord is working there; instead, we are filled with envy and rivalry, wanting to know why not here; it must be the fault of the minister. Paul faced such envy, such rivalry from others. His response, though, should be a lesson to us; in Philippians 1:18, he says: But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice (Phl 1:18). Rejoice when you hear of Christ preached; we should be delighted when we hear of God at work in neighbouring congregations and also grieved when we hear of strife and struggles in other congregations. At all times, we should look to God and his word, being faithful in response to what our saviour has done for us as individuals and as a people.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q99 What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called, The Lord’s Prayer.