Gary has written some beautiful words:

John 3:22-36 is all about fragmentation that results in the kingdom of God when Jesus is made to compete with human vessels in this world.  No one will admit that they are competing with Jesus.  No one will say that they are impeding the kingdom’s growth.  Words like envy, jealousy, and rivalry are never admitted.  But just as the Baptist’s followers were interested in making him into an institution, so too the Christian church can become a human institution built on the foundation of human enterprise and personality.

At the core of the Baptist’s argument against his followers’ views is an understanding of Jesus that sets him apart from every other human being.  Jesus Christ is superior to any other person on earth.  He has “come from above,” he has been sent by God, and God has given him the Spirit without limit.  The Baptist cannot rival these credentials.  Therefore every form of human wisdom, every form of religious expression, must be seen as secondary to the revelation that we possess in Jesus Christ.  Indeed, every charismatic teacher and every gifted teacher must decrease so that Jesus alone is seen as preeminent.

Is this the fundamental cry of your heart faith?