Sunday, March 28, 2021

When Death Brings Life



This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on Palm Sunday March 28, 2021.

If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death. (John 12:32‭-‬33 CEV)
A kernel of wheat is a small husk covering a small piece of grain. A scientist could tell you everything that is inside that tiny kernel of wheat. But when you and I look at the grain, you cannot see what's inside!
What do we do with a grain of wheat, or any seed? We put it in the ground, and it dies, it disintegrates. But that is not the end of it! Something else happens. We wait and a tiny blade appears, then the stalk, the head, and finally the full head of grain.
There was there was no saving power in Jesus' earthly ministry until He died.

To hear an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/LPeRYa9Khl8


Sermon Scripture


John 12:20‭-‬36 CEV Some Greeks had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.  Jesus said: The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory.  I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.  Now I am deeply troubled, and I don't know what to say. But I must not ask my Father to keep me from this time of suffering. In fact, I came into the world to suffer. So Father, bring glory to yourself. A voice from heaven then said, “I have already brought glory to myself, and I will do it again!” When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder. Others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus.  Then Jesus told the crowd, “That voice spoke to help you, not me. This world's people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out! If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death.   The crowd said to Jesus, “The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”  Jesus answered, “The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you won't be caught walking blindly in the dark. Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.” After Jesus had said these things, he left and went into hiding.


Text:


John 12:32‭-‬33 CEV If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death.



Introduction

 

We come today to the last week of Jesus’ earthly life.  Yes he did rise from the grave and walked the earth as a man but His body after His Resurrection was a glorified body.

 

The event we just read about in John 12:20-36. occurred the day after He rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on the borrowed donkey so the excitement about Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem was still running high.  In the scripture that Jean read is the description of that triumphant entry which we remember on Palm Sunday. 

 

The day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem was the first day of the 

Passover celebration which was the feast celebrating the release of the Hebrews from Egypt when the death angel killed the first born of the Egyptians and passed over the homes of the Hebrews that had put the blood of a lamb around their doors.    

The Sadducees had a tradition in which they believed the Messiah would show up four days before Passover. They kept the gates of the Temple open so that He could walk right into His rightful place. Because of this belief and tradition, nationalistic intensity was at its peak on this particular Sunday. The Romans would have all troops activated and on alert for this day. They feared the Jews would try another revolt under some religiously crazed radical as had happened in the past. Tensions were very high on that day.

That is the very day Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy of 

Zechariah 9:9 CEV Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout! Your king has won a victory, and he is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey; he comes on the colt of a donkey.

They crowds had greeted him on Sunday with palm branches, a practice that had first been used when the Jews celebrated the deliverance of the temple and the city of Jerusalem from the Syrians. This was before the Romans conquered Israel and much of the known world.  Through the years the palm branch had come to be used on coins and in the temple feasts as a reminder of that great victory. So when they waved the palm branches before Jesus, it was a symbolic way of encouraging Him to conquer the Romans. They wanted Him to be a military savior. They cried, “Hosanna!” which meant “Save us now!”or “Deliver us now!” 

 

But Jesus came riding not on a warrior’s stallion, but on a donkey, to symbolize his mission as a man of peace.

 

A strange request.

 

The next day there is a strange request coming not from Jesus’ own people, the Jews, but  from a group of Greeks.  

 

John 12:20‭-‬21 CEV Some Greeks had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.”

 

Now these were most likely Gentile proselytes, people who were not born Jews but who had converted to Judaism and who worshiped Jehovah.  They would have come as pilgrims to worship at the temple during the Passover. 

 

We are not certain what prompted the Greeks to seek out Jesus, but it is entirely possible that they had been there when Jesus cleared the temple the day before.

 

Matthew 21:10‭-‬13 CEV When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”  Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves. He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship.’ But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.”

 

These Greek men may have been standing in the court of the Gentiles,  the day before when, with fiery indignation, Jesus had cleared the court of money changers. Even though these Greeks were proselytes and had embraced the Jewish faith, they could not worship with the Jews.  So it is possible that they were amused, and amazed, at what Jesus did and they wanted to talk to Him and find out more about this man. 

 

2.  Whatever the Greek's reason for seeking out Jesus, something about him drove them to find him and talk with him. 

So they approached one of His disciples. They sought out Philip.  Apparently Philip didn’t know how to respond, for some reason, so he went to Andrew and they both went to Jesus.

 

John 12:21‭-‬22 CEV Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.

 

 

3.   Jesus gives a strange response to their request to see him.

 

John 12:23 CEV Jesus said: The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory.

 

Philip and Andrew came to Jesus telling Him there are some Greek guys that want to talk to you and His response was “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.”   That’s a pretty strange response.

 

Let's think about that. Jesus must have been deeply moved by this request from the Greeks. He must have seen in their coming the beginning of an innumerable number of Gentiles who would believe in him. But, before they could believe in Jesus with a true understanding of His ministry, the crucifixion and resurrection had to take place. 

 

So Jesus didn’t agree to meet with them.  Because at this time he was still Christ, The Anointed One, “in the flesh” who had come first to his own people as King of the Jews. In this role, he was not fully ready to be received by the Gentiles. 

 

Of course there had been certain Gentiles, like the Syro-Phoenician woman and the Roman centurion and others, who had believed in  Him. 

 

Mark 7:25‭-‬29 CEV A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her heard where Jesus was. And at once she came and knelt down at his feet. The woman was Greek and had been born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said, “The children must first be fed! It isn't right to take away their food and feed it to dogs.”  The woman replied, “Lord, even puppies eat the crumbs that children drop from the table.”  Jesus answered, “That's true! You may go now. The demon has left your daughter.”

 

Matthew 8:5‭-‬10 CEV  When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can't even move.”  “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.  But the officer said, “Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!

 

These were just two Gentiles that we know of that believed in Jesus and I’m sure that there were many more but before he turned to the Gentiles as a people, the loneliness and rejection of his own people had to happen. 

 

John 1:11 says He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him.

 

He had to be first lifted up on the cross and accepted as a sacrifice for sin for all mankind and not just as “a son of David and for the Jews only.

 

B.  With that in mind here’s what He told Andrew and Philip

 

John 12:23 CEV ... The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory.

 

By this He meant the time was at hand when his mission would be expanded beyond the Jews.

 

In just a few days he would die on a cross and be resurrected on the third day, providing once and for all redemption from sin for anyone who believes in Him, Jew and Gentile. 

 

Galatians 3:28‭-‬29 CEV Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family, and you will be given what God has promised.

 

The Greeks wanted to “see” Jesus. They wanted to be introduced to Him, to understand Him, to discover his mission. But Jesus implied that they could not really “see” Him or understand his mission yet! 

 

Why was that? 

 

Jesus knew that at this point these Greeks would see him only as a miracle worker, an appealing teacher, and a potential military leader. They were unable to see him in his role as Savior of the world.

 

Jesus continued by illustrating what he meant by his statement “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” 

 

 


4. Here's the illustration: 

 

John 12:24 CEV I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat.

 

A kernel of wheat is a small husk covering a small piece of grain. A scientist could tell you everything that is inside that tiny kernel of wheat. But when you and I look at the grain, you cannot see what's inside! 

 

What do we do with a grain of wheat, or any seed? We put it in the ground, and it dies, it disintegrates. But that is not the end of it! Something else happens. We wait and a tiny blade appears, then the stalk, the head, and finally the full head of grain.

 

​A.  Jesus’ message was that no one could truly see him until he died. 

 

The power and intended result of his life would not be released until he experienced death. Jesus’ life was perfect and sinless, but no one is saved by Jesus’ life. He performed many miracles in his earthly ministry.  He even performed miracles on the day of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem;

 

Matthew 21:14‭-‬16 CEV Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David.  The men said to Jesus, “Don't you hear what those children are saying?” “Yes, I do!” Jesus answered. “Don't you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises’?”

 

But there was no saving power in his earthly ministry until He died.  

 

John 12:24 CEV I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat.

 

It’s not the life of Jesus that saves you. You’re saved through his death and Resurrection. 

 

The miracles that He performed were simply a demonstration and proof of his deity. It was his death that provided salvation.  No these Greeks could not see Jesus yet, but if they waited awhile, they could see him in a way that they could never have seen him before!

 

 

B.  Jesus was saying that you can't find eternal life until first there is a death - His death on the cross. 

 

 

The grain of wheat, Jesus, would fall into the ground and die. And through that death, life would spring forth and a harvest would result.

 

​5.  So what was Jesus saying to us today? 

 

First, he was telling us that true life is released only after a death takes place. While the grain of wheat was preserved in safety and security, it was unfruitful. Jesus is saying that only by giving our lives away do we receive life.

 

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple or follower.  Jesus is telling us that greatness comes only by service and the reward is worth the price. 

 

Let's go to:

 

Luke 9:46‭-‬48 CEV Jesus' disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he had a child stand there beside him. Then he said to his disciples, “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me. Whichever one of you is the most humble is the greatest.”

 

The reward of humility and service is well worth the price you pay.

 

Conclusion

 

So this Palm Sunday remember that true life is not realized until you identify with God through Jesus Christ. Then you learn that life is found in giving yourself away so that Christ may be top priority. Hear him say to you, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

 

 

Invitation

 

Jesus’ life gives you a good example to follow. And his teachings offer guidance and wisdom. But you need more than that. You need a Savior.

 

Why? The Bible says you’ve blown it. You’ve made mistakes. You’re not perfect. You don’t measure up to your own standards, much less God’s. You—just like every other human who’s ever lived—have sinned.  

 

The Bible also says justice demands punishment. If you do the crime, you do the time. If you break God’s laws, you pay God’s penalty. According to the Bible, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT).

 

In other words, somebody has to pay for all the things you’ve done wrong in life. And this is where God said, “I’ll do it!” He stepped up to the plate. Jesus Christ—God in human form came to the earth and said, in effect, “I will pay for your sins.” 

 

His death and Resurrection opened the door for your salvation. When Jesus died on the cross, everything you’ve ever done wrong—and everything wrong you will ever do—was paid for. “Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness” (Ephesians 1:7 GW).

 

When Jesus stretched his arms out as wide as the cross, it as like saying, “I love you this much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I’ll die for you so that I won’t have to live without you.”  

 

Ephesians 3 says God’s love is so wide, long, high, and deep that humans can’t fully understand it. You needed a Savior, and Jesus loved you enough to be that for you. If you haven’t accepted his salvation yet, now is the time.

 

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! …To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!

The Lord  bless you and keep you; The Lord  make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’


Sermon Audio



 

 

 



Sunday, March 21, 2021

The Call To Come And The Call To Go




This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on March 21, 2021. This is the sixth sermon in a series "The Answer To Eternity's Most Important Questions"

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou biddest me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!


We can respond to these words by coming to Jesus just as we are and by encouraging others to come just as they are. But we cannot come to Jesus and remain exactly as we were when we came. He produces radical changes in those who come to him and experience his transforming presence.

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.  

To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/2Fi-wQoUpp8


Scripture Reading: 

Mark 3:13‭-‬19 CEV Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with him, and they went. Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles, so they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to preach and to force out demons. Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus named him Peter. There were also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts.” Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. The others were Simon, known as the Eager One,  and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.


Text: 


Mark 3:14‭-‬15 CEV Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles, so they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to preach and to force out demons.


Introduction


When we think of coming to Jesus the words of a popular hymn come to mind; 


Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou biddest me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!


We can respond to these words by coming to Jesus just as we are and by encouraging others to come just as they are. But we cannot come to Jesus and remain exactly as we were when we came. He produces radical changes in those who come to him and experience his transforming presence.


Jesus’ transforming power is demonstrated most dramatically in the changes that came about in the disciples, who later became apostles. In the days following Jesus’ ascension, they were brave and courageous proclaimers of a message that brought upon them the hostility of both political and religious leaders. 


Peter and John got in trouble for healing a bigger and when confronted he asked and then answered his own question.


Acts 4:19-20‭ CEV God wants us to obey you or to obey him? 


He an answered his own question in verse 20


Acts 4:20‭ CEV We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”


Those who charged them were amazed at their bravery.


Acts 4:13 CEV The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus.


An apostle must first be a disciple, but not all disciples become apostles. A disciple is a listener, a learner, a follower. You first become a disciple and then an apostle. The word translated apostle means “one sent forth.” An apostle is a representative of another and who goes on a mission. Apostles have some parallels with our modern ambassadors. 


In Ephesians  Paul spoke of apostles as being the gifts of the Spirit to the church. 


Ephesians 4:11‭-‬13 CEV Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.


We cannot limit this term apostle to the original ones who were with and personally encountered Jesus. Anyone who goes forth on a mission, being led by the Holy Spirit, is in reality an apostle with a message.  While we don’t all have this spiritual gift of apostleship we are all called to be ambassadors.  


2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬20 NLT This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”



What is so interesting in the account of the calling of the Twelve, which Jean read from Luke and we read in our text, is that Jesus appointed them “to first be with him, and then to be sent out to preach.” Experiencing the new birth is only a starting point. If we want to become the servants, the helpers, the apostles of Jesus Christ, we must first “be with him.”


Some disciples did become apostles. The disciples who sincerely worshiped Jesus Christ and stayed with him went forth to be his witnesses. These men, originally so helpless and so insignificant, became the helpers of Christ, of God, and of the church. These men who became known as apostles were originally there to just receive. They had there own reasons and vested interests in following Christ. But by being with him, they were changed from receivers into givers. They started out like reservoirs.  A reservoir is a place where water is stored in one location, but these men end up like streams or wells where water flows freely. They went from being spectators to participants and eventually partners of the Lord Jesus.


Jesus Christ first calls us to be with Him, before he sends us out to be His blessing to others.

 

I. Jesus calls all to come.


A. He invites us to come be with him so that we might experience the cleansing of forgiveness. 


1 Peter 3:18 CEV Christ died once for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God, when his body was put to death and his spirit was made alive.


Through his death on the cross, Jesus dealt with our sin problem. He offers to us forgiveness that is free, full, and forever. 


Hebrews 10:12‭-‬14 CEV But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God's right side,  and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.


Ephesians 2:8‭-‬10 CEV You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.


Every person needs to be clean before God and Jesus made and continues to make that possible 


B. Jesus invites us to be with him to enter into a family relationship with God (John 1:11–12). 


John 1:11‭-‬12 CEV He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him.  Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God.


No one likes to be an outsider.  No one enjoys being alienated and experiencing loneliness. Jesus Christ came in order that all people might enter into God’s family. He wants everyone to experience the sense of belonging that comes to those who are members of God’s family.


Galatians 4:4‭-‬7 CEV But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children. Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. You are no longer slaves. You are God's children, and you will be given what he has promised.


These are just a couple of the scriptures that tell us that because of Jesus and our faith in Him we are God’s children, in His family.  There are more scriptures that say similar things and you might want to look them up and read them.

 

C. Jesus invites us to come and be with him for the fullness of life (John 10:10). 

Jesus intends for us to experience something more than just birth into God’s family, which is wonderful by itself but He also wants us to experience wholeness, and  completeness.


John 10:10 CEV A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.

The NKJV versions says;

John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

That "abundant" life means something more meaningful than material wealth and prosperity. It begins with salvation from an eternity of suffering the penalty of sin. An abundant life is, first and foremost, eternal life. The abundant life means gaining a heavenly perspective, leading to a growing trust and knowledge of God. It means blossoming into a life full of the fruit of the spirit. While false teachers and false religions offer shallow, temporary relief, only Jesus brings truly everlasting life and spiritual abundance.

Jesus said;

Matthew 7:16‭-‬20 CEV You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree producing bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.

Good fruit’ includes both social justice and personal morality.

What is fruit from an abundant life?  It's the fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.


Jesus is the way to this abundant life.


John 14:6 CEV  “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father.




 II. Jesus calls people to companionship with Himself


After inviting people to become believers and disciples, Jesus selected and called them into a companionship in which they might become apostles. Before the original disciples could become apostles, it was necessary that they “be with him.”


A. Only by being with Jesus could the disciples get acquainted with God. 

Jesus came to introduce God to people and people to God. He came to manifest the character and purpose of God. 


John 14:9 CEV Jesus replied: Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father?


He wanted his disciples to be with him so they could truly become acquainted with God.


Colossians 1:15 CEV Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation.


1. It takes time to get acquainted with someone.


2. We must listen to someone to get acquainted with them.


3. We must carefully watch someone to get deeply acquainted with him.


These disciples desperately needed to get acquainted with the God Jesus Christ was revealing. To experience this acquaintance they had to be with Jesus.  A question we need to ask ourselves is; To what degree are we watching and listening to God in order that we might come better acquainted with him?


B. Only by being with Jesus can we learn how to live by faith.


1. We have to learn to trust God.



Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 CEV With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment.  Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.


2. Many of us want to trust in ourselves or in circumstances. We want to walk by sight and common sense.



Hebrews 11:1 CEV Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.


And we all know 


2 Corinthians 5:7 CEV But we live by faith, not by what we see.


3. Many of us want to plot our own course and then let God okay it. We want to jump off the cliff and depend on God to rescue us.



James 4:13‭-‬15 CEV You should know better than to say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!” What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. You should say, “If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things.”



4. Jesus teaches us that God is good and wise, that God is at work for good in all things and that he is always reliable, and that God does not always work according to a human timetable. 



Isaiah 55:8‭-‬9 CEV The Lord says: “My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.  Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.


Jesus helps us know that God will always show us what is right.


C. Only by being with Jesus can we learn the way of love. 


Jesus wanted to teach his disciples to love God supremely and to love others with the same measure they loved themselves.


Jesus was asked once what was the greatest commandment and His response at Matthew 22:37‭-‬40 CEV was "... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.


Most of us live self-centered, selfish lives. Jesus taught and demonstrated the way of love. He always had a persistent, unbreakable spirit of goodwill toward others and an unflinching desire for constructive action on their behalf. The security and development of others was always uppermost in his mind. By his example, as well as by his teachings, Jesus showed his disciples what it meant to live by the principle of love. They could learn this only when they were with him.


John 13:33‭-‬35 CEV My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won't find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.


D. Only by being with Jesus could his disciples learn the importance of absolute obedience. 

Jesus was obedient to his Father and sought at all times to carry out God’s will in his life—even to the point of dying on a cross.  Here are some examples;

John 4:34 CEVJesus said: My food is to do what God wants! He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me to do.

John 5:19 CEV Jesus told the people: I tell you for certain the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do.


John 12:49‭-‬50 CEV I don't speak on my own. I say only what the Father who sent me has told me to say. I know that his commands will bring eternal life. This is why I tell you exactly what the Father has told me.


John 14:30‭-‬31 CEV I cannot speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. But he has no power over me. I obey my Father, so everyone in the world might know that I love him. It is time for us to go now.


Jesus sought to instill within his disciples the desire to so love God that they would always be obedient to his commands, for he knew that the evangelization of the world would be dependent on their obedience. 


John 14:15‭-‬17 CEV Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.

 

Conclusion


It was after considerable teaching and growth that “the disciples were for the first time called Christians”.


Acts 11:25‭-‬26 CEV Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord's followers were first called Christians.


In Antioch they became Christians as they let Jesus change them into his own image.


God needs you; others need what God can do through you. Determine that you will be with him so that he can make an apostle out of a disciple, using your life as the raw material.


Thank you for revealing yourself to us.  Thank you for saving us.  Thank you for inviting us to be with you.  Thank you for using us as your ambassadors reconciling others to you.  Continue to empower and to use us.  


Invitation 


Have you spent time with Jesus in order that he might place his mark upon your mind and heart so that others can see his presence in your life? Have you come to know Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of your sins? Have you come to know God as Father and his family as brothers and sisters? 


You can do that today. 


Here's what you need to do;

  1.  Admit that you have sin in your life that you are a sinner 

  2. Confess and take responsibility for your sin

  3. Repent of your sins.  Repentance is real sorrow for sin and an act of turning around and going in the opposite direction. 

  4. Trust that Jesus' sacrifice was for your forgiveness. Trust that he took the punishment for you.

  5. Receive God’s forgiveness 


All of this is wrapped up in 


Romans 10:9‭-‬10‭, ‬13 CEV So you will be saved, if you honestly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.  All who call out to the Lord will be saved.


Benediction 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. The Lord  bless you and keep you; The Lord  make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.

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