The Best, Surest Thing Ever!

Sure Things in Life

So much is up in the air. So many things you think you can count on. We count on things that are not reliable. And, it hurts when they prove the old Ben Franklin adage:

The only sure things in life are death and taxes. One thing has been added since, and that’s change.

So, there are only 3 sure things in this life.

Unless we’re around for the rapture, we’re all going to die. Something is going to take us from this life. It’s not hypothetical nor theoretical. But when the doctor looks you in the eye and says you have an incurable disease, it gets real.

Taxes, well, the gov’t wants their money. Federal, state, county, and city. They all have programs and infrastructure projects that the citizens need to participate in paying for.

Whatever side of the aisle you’re on, conservatives believe the gov’t should take less and let the private sector do these things. But the private sector ownership can tend to be selfish and not do what needs to be done. Liberals believe it’s the gov’t’s responsibility otherwise it won’t get done, so raise taxes to pay for everything.

And I think we might all agree that gov’t doesn’t have a revenue problem. They have a spending problem. And should probably cut back in some areas to be able to give more to needy areas like our public schools.

The bottom line is, you’ll get taxed from the day you’re born till the day after you die. Your estate will write a check to Uncle Sam.

Change. Change is a sure thing. We change. Our bodies change. Our lives, situations, and the ppl around us change. They all call for adaptation.

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Oh, so you have a plan for your life. Does God know about that plan.

Too often, we pray only to ask God to bless our plan when we should be praying to ask God what His plan is. B/C, either God throws or allows curveballs all the time.

Right now was not my plan for my life. How about you?

What do we wish were sure things?

Someone ever give you that hot stock tip, that sure thing, can’t miss money maker?

My step dad did that for me once. A little known, obscure auto-parts manufacturer. He did his own investing and only this once he mentioned to me it would be a good idea to invest in this stock.

I did. Couldn’t wait to count my profits. Then, the crash of ‘87 hit. This little company went under w/ all my investment. Okay, lesson learned. Trust the experts and follow their lead.

Don’t you wish wealth was a sure thing? Those mega-lotto numbers that you feel so strongly about?

One of 2 things is most likely to happen. Either, you’ll go broke buying lottery tickets and never win. Or, If you do win, there’s a better than 80% chance you’ll be poorer w/in 5 years of winning the jackpot.

So, maybe the best idea is rather than buy that little piece of paper with those numbers on it, put that in a fund and let some expert invest it for you.

Or, you could stash your cash under your mattress. If you’re afraid the whole economy is going down the crapper, then maybe the best thing to do his hide your cash.

But then, what you could have bought for a lot less a few years ago now costs double or more today due to inflation.

So, maybe you ought to spend what you need to spend when you need to spend it.

I’ve told you we are in the middle of a bathroom remodel. We really like the contractor. If you need one we will happily recommend him. But, when he gave us the bid he apologized. He’s a good guy. But he knows how expensive things are right now.

When we got it, we cut a lot out of the bigger project we wanted to do. Still, just the bathroom, the supplies, the labor, the time are soooooo much more than they would have been 5 or 6 years ago.

Our deck project was ridiculous, too.

So, if we were counting on paying the same price today that it would have cost then, we would have been mistaken and disappointed.

Is there anything else we can count on as a sure thing beyond these 3 things? Yes.

There is 1 more thing. It is the best, surest thing ever. It is not just a sure thing in this life. It is a sure thing forever.

If you faith is genuine and in the right place, even though you don’t fully understand all the implications and ramifications, then you can be sure your reservation in heaven forever is secure.

We’re in John 10 this morning. This is the last public teaching and confrontation Jesus has until the spring Passover when He will be crux’d. The assassination attempts are ramping up. It’s not time, yet. So, He’s going to go on the down low for the next few months.

But, before He goes, He has this one more important lesson and opportunity for those who accept Him and those who continue to reject Him.

Jesus Guarantees it

John 10:22–30 NIV

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

You see the temporal note, it was winter. December on our calendar. To set the timeline and context, at the Passover coming in April Jesus will be crux’d. So, we’re about 4 months away.

The Festival of Dedication was a relatively new festival at that time. Today, we call it Hanukkah. It commemorates the reconstruction and re-consecration of the temple after Antiochus Epiphanes destroyed the altar in the temple, rebuilt his own, then sac’d desecrated it by making an inappropriate sac on it. He did that in 168 BC.

In 165 BC, Judas Maccabeus led a guerilla revolution and took back the temple. Tore down the bad altar and rebuilt an altar for God. They found one undefiled container of lamp oil in the temple. It should have been enough to burn a lamp for 1 day. It miraculously lasted 8 days. Thus, the 8 candles of the menorah that are lit during Hanukkah.

It’s also called the festival of lights as the candles are lit.

But, even this festival, as new as it was, pointed to the coming of Messiah who would overthrow and defeat Israel’s oppressors. Of course, they were looking for a general who would ride in on a war horse and who would go to war w/ Rome and destroy them.

In a few months, Jesus will ride into town on a donkey, a service animal, a beast of burden. He will defeat Israel’s greatest enemy, and ours, sin and death when He dies on the cross.

At his 2nd coming he will ride in on a war horse and destroy His enemies. Sadly, they don’t realize that many Jews will get caught up in that b/c Jesus’ enemy is unbelief. If you don’t have faith in Him it’s not going to end well for you.

It was an 8-day festival even then. Jesus came to Jerusalem and temple to celebrate.

He was confronted by a hostile group of Jewish leaders. They closed in around Him. The determined to pin Him down and not let Him escape, either verbally or literally.

They pressed Him to declare himself on their terms. They tried to control the narrative. And, as most of us have already learned, trying to control God, wanting God on our own terms just doesn’t work.

Literally, “Stop annoying us.” How long will you keep us in suspense? Tell us plainly if you are the Messiah!” If you are…

They are not asking to be able to believe in Him and worship Him. But the are asking for enough evidence to accuse Him and execute Him.

Jesus had never come out publicly and declared that He is the Messiah. He had done so in private convos, like the woman at the well, Nic at night, and the disciples.

But what He had done publicly in his messages and his miracles had been enough to communicate clearly Who He is but only to those who are interested in learning it.

He could have come out right then and said so. But they wouldn’t have believed it. They were implying their rejection of Him was justified due to His seemingly wishy-washy explanations of Himself.

Jesus’ response was He’d told them and shown them enough. He would freely admit He was not Who or what they expected. He was not Moses. He was not Judas Maccabeus. But they had enough from Him to draw accurate conclusions about Him.

Interesting, Jesus said they did not believe b/c they were not His sheep. But, they were not His sheep b/c they did not believe. Seems like a circular argument.

Splitting this theological hair, Jesus implied that God must do something w/in us first before we can respond in faith to Him. Yes, we choose Him. But God choose us, too.

Had He taken this time to explain plainly about His Messiahship and His need to suffer and die they would have called Him a fool. Messiah won’t suffer and die. He can’t. He is a conquerer.

But what they failed to understand was His suffering and death accomplished what He came to conquer. He didn’t stay dead. He beat death so we can, too.

The fault for their lack of faith was theirs. They refused to surrender their lives to Him. They bel’d they could hang on to what they wanted and get from God what they wanted. But the key to getting what we want is to surrender all that we think we want.

When we don’t get what we want it’s b/c we got what we wanted. By surrendering everything to Jesus, He gives us what we need, which is what we really want down deep. Maybe we just don’t realize it until we do.

Those who believe in Jesus are His sheep. We hear His voice. Heed His advice. Listen when He speaks. We follow where He leads. Maybe not perfectly all the time. But as a general rule, our efforts go into going and doing where He leads.

He knows us. He doesn’t just know about us. Sure, He knows all the facts about us. But He knows us personally, intimately. This is not a casual rel. There is depth. Significance to our rel w/ Him.

As a result, we have the best, surest thing ever.

If our faith is genuine, real. Even if we don’t fully understand all the implications and ramifications when we come to faith, then our reservation is set.

Yes, we still sin, stumble, and fall. But that does not mean we don’t have enough of the right kind of faith. It just means we need to continue to grow into the faith we have.

In a marriage we can stumble. It does not necessarily mean the end of the marriage.

Just like standing at the altar promising to act like we love this one person and no one else for the rest of our lives. For better or for worse, richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health.

Then, in time, worse comes along. We get poorer. And then there are the sicknesses. We had no idea at the time what it would entail. But the commitment made and faith expressed were genuine. It means as life’s inevitable changes come along we adapt, stay faithful and committed to the rel.

If someone does not stay committed and faithful, then it’s a pretty clear indication they did not mean what we thought they meant when they agreed at the altar to act like they did.

Likewise, many people make professions of faith in moments of stress that they really didn’t mean. They want God on their terms. They want their “Get out of Hell free card.” Or, they want their health, wealth, and prosperity. But Jesus offers much more and demands much more of a faith commitment than that.

Their faith or lack there of, crumbles under the pressures of life.

But if it was sincere. If it was genuine. Even if wrapped in ignorance of the future, then is it still there. It can be buried under lifestyle issues and poor choices. But it’s still there.

Eternal life is a gift from God. It is not earned. We can do nothing to be able to say to God that we deserve t/b saved. It is only due to our faith.

We cannot lose what we did not choose on our own. God played a role in the choice we made.

There is an emphasis in the Greek. A strong affirmation. Never perish. Live forever.

It does not depend on the ability of the sheep but on the ability and authority of the Shepherd to preserve, protect, and provide for the sheep.

No one can snatch you out of His hand. The picture of a wolf predator snatching a sheep out of the flock and grasp of the shepherd, dragging it off and devouring it. Can’t happen.

There is nothing we can do to be saved. There is nothing we can do to cause us to lose our salvation. It is based on our faith alone.

If we did something to lose it. The we’d have to undo it to get it back. And there is nothing we can do to get it.

We are doubly safe. Also in His Father’s hand. No one is stronger than God. No one can pry his fingers apart to get you.

Maybe the Marvel heroes could eventually pry Thanos’ fingers apart to snatch the infinity stones out of his hand and save the universe. But that’s fiction.

Truth is, no one can snatch us out of God’s hand and He really will save the world. God’s plan and the work of X on the cross cannot be aborted.

X says He and the Father are one. Not one person. 2 separate persons. But the same God, completely united in action. And what they do, they do unison.

Jesus and His Father are united in our salvation, protection, preservation, and provision.

It’s as sure of a thing as anything else we have.

Jesus Proved It

John 10:31–39 NIV

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

The mob understood the implications of His claim. They did not believe Him, as He said they couldn’t. So they tried to kill Him.

He asked what He did to deserve death in their minds. Their reply was they were not stoning Him b/c of what He did. They were stoning Him for what He said.

If what He said was true, they would not have a capital case against Him. It is true. But they didn’t believe it. That’s on them.

They bel’d Jesus to be a ‘mere man.’

Irony: Even they called the miracles Jesus performed, ‘good’ or even ‘great’ works. A mere man could do the things He did. Even they acknowledged at different times in the past only God could do what Jesus had been doing. These were mighty acts of God

Isaiah predicted what would happen when the Messiah showed up. The blind would see. The lame would walk. The mute would talk.

We all know words are cheap. Anyone can say anything.

We hear politicians make promises about what they will do once elected into office. Please don’t fall for the promise. Watch their actions. Don’t be 100% suckered into their words. Watch what they do, their works.

Jesus claimed some significant things about Himself. Many others throughout history have said similar things about themselves. What set Jesus apart was what He did after He made those claims.

He proved them to be true. He claimed to be able to give life after we die. Then, He called Lazarus out of his tomb. His words meant little. His actions raised the significance of His words a great deal.

And yet, they said, He wasn’t being stoned for what He did, but for what He said. But what He did proved what He said was true. And no amount of obvious evidence would change their minds.

Of course, Jesus didn’t just claim t/b God, nor made Himself to be God, He is God.

To understand His argument at this point we must understand arguments were made in the c.1 middle east.

He said, “Your law”. It is God’s law. But it is the entire OT that they say they believe and hold to.

In Ps. 82, David wrote that human judges, appointed to God’s work and make godly judgments, were called gods. They were not divine in nature. The were simply God’s reps who administered God’s justice.

Therefore, they were called gods.

So what Jesus called Himself God. Since the inerrant bible called their judges gods, then the Jews could not accuse Jesus of blasphemy for calling Himself God. Even though he used the term in a different way.

As God’s Son, He was sent by God and on a mission from God, to do God’s work.

Jesus is not using this argument to prove He is God or the Son of God. He is using it to prove they have no case against Him.

They had not fully thought thru their argument against Him. In the heat of their opposition, their emotions prevented them from considering all angles of what they claimed.

They were partially right. His is making Himself out t/b equal to God.

They were partially wrong. He is not a competing god. He is the One true God.

They were profoundly mistaken. They did not comprehend the teaching of their own OT to recognize how Christ is the fulfillment and promised Messiah.

So, He calls Himself the Son of God. This should not be enough to fire them up to execute Him.

But, His miracles cause them problems. It would have been easy for them to dismiss Him as a lunatic w/ a Messiah complex. But those pesky miracles threw a wrench in their plans to quietly usher Him away.

But since it wasn’t time, yet, he walked away w/out being struck once by a rock.

They will get Him. In just 4 months time they will think they won by putting an end to His life.

But really, they played right into his hand. He had to die so that the next time He comes on the war horse He really will overthrow the oppressive opposition.

We can take that to the bank. Don’t go broke buying lottery tickets. Don’t expect to keep this body and live forever. And, expect your gov’t to continue to take your money to pay for all the things they think they need to be doing to get reelected.

But the surest thing, the best thing, is to believe in Jesus. Receive Him and His gift of His life for yours. Then, your reservation is set. Never to be lost, ever, even once.

Applications

Pride

Don’t let your pride get in the way and block your ability to believe everything you need to believe about Jesus.

Even once were saved, our pride can get in the way and try to take over control.

Put Jesus on the throne of your life. Give Him all authority. Follow His lead. Don’t let your pride prevent you from receiving everything He offers.

Worry

Don’t worry about doing something bad enough, wrong enough that will keep you out of heaven.

Nobody is perfect. God does not expect perfection. He is gracious. Our behavior matters. But it determines how close we are to Christ. And it effects the amount of the resources He makes available to us.

We have all the patience, self-control, wisdom, courage, etc. we need. But we may not be accessing it b/c of our behavior that is keeping a distance between us and God.

Don’t worry about losing it. Work to stay close to Jesus to enjoy all He offers.

Faith

Make sure your faith is in the right one. It does not take much. We don’t need to muster up more faith. W/ what little we have, place in the right One to save you.

You may have had no idea what the implications and ramifications were when you you made your confession of faith. But, hang on to your faith. Let it grow. As it grows, you will too.

Surrender everything to Jesus. He’ll give back to you some of what you give up. But we must be willing to trust Jesus w/ all of it.

To get what we really want, we must give up what we think we want. That req’s great faith in the right One to do it.

Is there anything else we can count on as a sure thing beyond death, taxes and changes ? Yes.

There is 1 more thing. It is the best, surest thing ever. It is not just a sure thing in this life. It is a sure thing forever.

You bet your life on Jesus and you’ll never be disappointed that you did. Jesus is the Victor and He will lead you to victory over every struggle you ever have.

Take this to the bank. It’s a surest of sure things.

If you faith is genuine and in the right place, even though you don’t fully understand all the implications and ramifications, then you can be sure your reservation in heaven forever is secure.