The Path to Life

Good morning, church. My name is Ben. I've got the joy of being one of the student ministers here at St James, and the great joy of just, for a few minutes? I'm bringing us back to this. Easter was from Jesus, it's been two weeks since my wife, and I have been at church here to James, hope you're having a really hard time in the Gold Coast.

And it's really interesting when you come with no baby Gold Coast before. And it's interesting when you come into a new place, I just noticed what's the same and what's a little bit different?

It was fascinating as we went to the beach, and as we noticed, what was the norm it was to have tan skin? Turn muscles dyed hair looks and the ladies will have their nails done in Heritage. I'm not used to being the pace. Just person in the room. Go cash loan place, and to make that has to be Beauty clinics, and gyms in every suburb. I think she ain't coming either than outside or just noticing little glimpses. That show what people are leaving. What is the lot that they work in stores? And what's a positive taking to get that? And I wonder if we switch things around and someone from the Gold Coast came and stayed with Eisenman angle for a week. What little glimpses matvey get? About the life that we're living for.

the things that we spend our money on the things that we talked about, the things that we dream about, What will clean cismont be about the life that we're living for? and the pot that we're taking to get there,

One day in the Gold Coast, I had a conversation with a man named Herman. He's gone off in the Netherlands, in a Roman Catholic Family. I need immigrated to Australia.

And he hadn't been to church for 50 years but he said that was okay, because he's already on the path of life. When I asked him, what does he mean by that? He said, Basically, I keep the 10 commandments. As long as I'm a nice guy and don't cause a fuss. Then God will accept me one day and I'll be gone to heaven.

And the question. How many days is that the right past a lot?

Is that the path that you're wrong. Deposit on long? Is that the pot that we should be on?

Keep the Ten Commandments. Be a nice guy, don't cause much trouble. And one day God is going to accept you into heaven.

And if I could ask you a bit more personally, what is the path to life that you'll turn me on?

What is the life that you're hoping to achieve? And how you doing about to make sure that you going to get that?

Basista, we have the wonderful opportunity just to stop for an island. Just supposed to my regular running. And to listen to a few words from genius.

These words from John chapter 12 that we just heard red. I come just from a day before, Jesus is hung up on that cross. Anime short words Jesus says sound truths. About to pop a lot. Not just life here. And now life, we gone. That's what Jesus is talking about.

And the paradoxical pot is a Twist. It's not the part that you'd expect firstly, for Jesus. But then he also says, what is the part that you must take? If you got your Bibles. Have a look at verse 23. John 12:23.

Jesus answered them. The hour has come. For the son of man. To be glorified. All throughout the Book of John the waiting for this hour and now it's come to Jesus to be glorified. How he be glorified? Animated contacts. You think he's now reached International Fame. Not only is everyone in Jerusalem,

His peak of his Fame. Is that how he's going to be glorified?

Will not. The very next verse Jesus says, the path of Glory, the pots a lot actually comes through dying. Have a look at the very next bus.

Truly truly, I say to you. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it does, it does most fruits. Jesus, he compared himself. Two grade of weights. And he Compares us to a great harvest. I can come. He says, while the grain lives, it's in a happy time, is having a good time. But the earth, the earth remains barren.

But if This. Package is opened. If a seed is taken out and he's planted in the ground. Is metaphorically dies.

Well then they can be a great harvest. That's the image that says use. Jesus says that he is like his little grain of weight that he lives. He's okay. But none of us can of Life of God.

but if he comes out of his safety, if he enters in that world, actually, if he dies, and he's buried in the soil, buried in the Earth. Then you'll be a great harvest you and I can have life with God.

Answer the shocking thing. Jesus says, Is that the path of life? Actually comes through dying. As Jesus dies for you and for me.

Last week I mean I got time in the Gold Coast Wilderness to hang out the beach and noticed out and everything was actually helping a local church of that and we were running a holiday kids club. I want a little gal Farm school, who never been to church before, but should be invited as a long, she came up and asked a great question said, if you guys are so religious Why do you keep talking about death?

In her mind religion and death. You know real people understand a lot of complicated and messy and desperate. Why but religious people that kind of ignored all those things.

And we might have another question to that question. Why was it necessary for Jesus to die? in order for us to have life, with God,

What does death have to do with it all? Pull up. I was answer. Is that our disregard for God actually means that when that surely on the path to death,

Disregard for gone on. I'm a pretty. I'm a pretty nice person, you know, some of us actually

I think the most of us that's on how we just for God, God. it's just as we get on the treadmill of life, And don't give any thought to a creator.

In the Bible says that that means that every single one of us, myself included, and you will naturally on the path of death.

And that is why Jesus couldn't just stay off in heaven. That is why God needs great love since you sign into this world to die, that he would take the path of death that we do.

So that we could have the path of Life relationship with God. A Jesus have sex.

And so it was enough Just for Jesus to be a good teacher, if that's if you ask, the average Joe in Australia.

You know every story you told you know he's a real person but I just put him in the box of maybe he's just to not teach you.

Would you like me and you can listen to some Jordan Peterson or the last few years? He's really big about Jesus being his

Well, maybe people might say cheese is Ethan is watching Guru. He said things that no ordinary person can say

And those things may be true about that old too small. actually in order for you to have life and God that was enough for cheese, be a good teacher, any longer and archetypal Miss actually have to come physically into this world and

That's what Jesus saying. A pot lock comes in, Jesus dying for you. And isn't that wonderful news? That, whatever your backgrounds. What are those things in the posterior, Shane Goebel things that you're proud of whatever, you ethnicity, whatever your age. How much money you have in your bank balance, Jesus died for you so that you could have life of God. It's only in Jesus dying.

and that man who I talk to in the Gold Coast Herman, He was a nice guy, I'm sure it'll counts. He's a good flick.

The sad reality is that as we kept walking and became very obvious, that he wasn't on the path of life.

because, as I asked him, where does Jesus death? Fish and she'll path to heaven. He said, well I don't really need that, I'm just a good guy. I keep the 10 commandments.

Answer the tragic reality is that Herman is not on the path of life because he is not trusting in God solution that he may have life. That unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies that can be no Harvest. I missed you just came into this world and died. There's no way we can go to heaven.

And today they said we could call today. Black Friday, sad Friday, bad Friday. Because the Easter story is about the one true innocent person who deserves to have life actually dying. And yet today is Good Friday, because there's a great harvest because he died.

What is the second twist to what Jesus says? In verse 25 and 26, he says that Good Friday isn't just about one death. Good Friday. Text me that two deaths. A surprising twist. Actually not just about Jesus dying for you, that about you dying for Cheese's, have a look at verse 25 and verse 26. Jesus says whoever loves his life. Loses it.

And whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am. They will my servant be also. If anyone survives me, the father will honor him. The surprising twist. You want cheese says is that Easter is in just about? He's deaf actually the path of life is also about your deaf. That's first and foremost, Jesus dies for you. Funny response. You died for Jesus.

One option is to leave for this world. Think of the things that we died you about. Our kids have gotten a holiday. Job, you can leave for this life that Jesus says, in the end, whoever loves his life. Will lose it.

In the end, all the things that we find most precious in His Life. But thousands of dollars we spend on this life. Most things went lost. Even the sturdiest concrete slab that you put down in your ear and your place one day, that's going to be dug out. But the alternative It's not love the things of this world most, but the love and disturbing to follow Jesus instead. And A promise is that if that is the case,

And we will have eternal life, that will be at a cake, a lot. Keep the things that we find most precious.

Beautiful thought. I love those final few words that describe those who serve Jesus. Jesus says, if anyone serves me My father will honor him. How beautiful where did I? Anyone says Jesus my father will honor him. I don't know why you left childhood was like, what your dad was like. But the normal white things work, is a user on his ad. But he raised his voice and tells you to go and clean up your room. You going to do it?

And there's something wrong about that. Something good.

But he it says, if anyone says Jesus, the father will honor you the god of the universe of those who live for Jesus. answer for some of us to a Christian, some of you have rightly stuffing and you'll lost serving Jesus.

Ridicule from a spouse. So, from a family member,

Will not be on a shed cheese with your grandkids.

Financial troubles. Relational troubles.

And one day, when Jesus returns, not only will you honor the father but the father will honor you. Isn't that a beautiful thought? Answer today. Can be viewed as bad Friday. That is you die to this world? You give up leaving for the things that we find most precious in the Here. And Now

But it's Good Friday. Because we're leaving for something more. Something that will last life is gone for 10 ft. Firstly, the path of Life comes and she's dying for you. And secondly, the pot a lot comes in. You dying for Jesus. Or put another way. The path of light comes through two deaths. Jesus dying for this road. And then you no longer leaving for this world but leaving for the one who died for you. And second, Oscar this morning. What is the path to life that you're currently on? What are you working towards and how you going to get there?

Chase's presents far more than a nice house. Now, tan skin tone muscles.

but it comes at Great cost, doesn't

the path of life actually comes through dying.

The Ten Commandments are good. What's that? We can learn from them. But if you follow them, and there is no death of Jesus, that is not the path to life.

Actually Jesus told us to die. Firstly to put our trust in him dying for us but it's died to leave a lot for him. Apothic is costly. Absolutely worthwhile.

Appear on the screen is a d family, friends. David and his wife, Jenny. and when I had the privilege of popping into that place in Armadale on the drive home from the the Gold Coast two days ago,

And David has lived a very, very hard life.

His being dead Downs for many decades.

And it helps that his children had their own intense Health struggles. Things are not curable in this life.

the shocking thing that Emily and I experienced when we just spent about an hour, which Ivan and Jenny is that incredibly they weren't beside You think of all the people in lots of me, besides, I deserve to be pissed?

Another day. Actually we're incredibly helpful. Cuz the life that they're leaving for is not to have a well-functioning body hearing now. The lost that they're looking for his life is God. And that will last for eternity.

Set the path might be Rocky. But the destination is worth it. That's the impression that we got from Dave and Jenny.

Answer to many of us. We feed a 3 week-long to cling on to our experiences Here. And Now, Search for David, he is longing for that day when he can be with Jesus and all the promises in the Bible, that there will be no more teas, that the Lambeau leap for joy that A promise is the most precious to him.

Good things in this life they come and go. But life is God. Lost for eternity.

Poplyfe firstly, comes in Jesus dying for you and in response you dying for Jesus that we don't leave for a cruel. God. A God who has a fancy red cape? And demands us to be his footstools. For a God, who first died for us. That's the God who is worth giving up your lot full. I said, can I ask you this morning just to finish. What is the path of life that you'll turn me on?

Jesus off his life and it's only with God and he lays it out here in John 12 with the pot that is that the paucity of run.

As we remember, Jesus, death today. Wouldn't it be a great day if some of you on that path to make it the day that you die? And I don't believe for this world, but to live for Jesus.

Would it be wonderful if it's anniversary? That we celebrate every year the nation could be the anniversary of you. Give me a lot to please the first time. If you realize that that's you I'd be delighted to talk to you over hot cross bun affluence. That's us. I'm going to thank God and finish and prep the spray.

Our Father, thank you for the opportunity. Just stopped from. I'm in this morning. And remember Jesus. Thank you that he didn't stay up in heaven, preserving his own life. Thank you that he came down into this world that he died that he was buried. For us. Surprised that anyone here this morning that isn't currently on the path of life with you. Would make that right is Easter. And we do long for the day when Jesus comes back, when all that is wrong with this world, our broken bodies will be made right, and we will enjoy that life with you for eternity. Amen.