Look to Jesus

Intro

Congrats to our grads

Main point: You can either look to serve king Jesus, or to Jesus to serve your kingdom. Your cravings reveal your true heart.

People can be unconverted and have a Christianized shell

Verses 19-20, 22-23

If they had recited these words as some sort of creed on the day of baptism the pastor’s heart would have glowed with joy at their orthodox faith

Verse 21

Jesus did redeem Israel, but they wanted redemption on their own terms

The unconverted want God to serve their kingdom

Check your own heart, do you want Jesus because you hear he is going to make your marriage better. Is he going to help you lose weight, is he going to get you healthy again. Are his money principles going to make you stable. Does loving Jesus make you popular at home, trusted in the workplace.

If these are your highest cravings you don't crave the kingdom of Jesus, you crave Jesus to establish your kingdom.

The converted want to serve God’s Kingdom

Would you watch your marriage dissolved for the sake of staying true to Jesus. Would you be willing to give up your good paying career, you know the one that is going to pay off your student loans. Would you give up looking good. Physically? In the eyes of your peers. Would you fall into poverty for Jesus. Would you gladly suffer sickness.

Lewis the Great Divorce “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it.

CS Lewis the Great Divorce “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it.

Main point: You can either look to serve king Jesus, or to Jesus to serve your kingdom. Your cravings reveal your true heart.

Main point: The cravings you nurture is the surest way to know if you crave belonging to King Jesus or if you crave to be the king that Jesus serves.

People who look to Jesus will take their eyes off their old priorities.

Verse 28 and 29 - The road ways of the ancient world where not safe after dark, often placed of assault and banditry

Verse 28 and 29 - The road ways of the ancient world where not safe after dark, often placed of assault and banditry

Verse 33 - After meeting Jesus The proclamation of the good news stood above their own personal safety.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot.

There was once a missionary named Jim Elliot. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

What will your career service? Jesus or your kingdom

What will your Education service? Jesus or your kingdom

What will your family, your marriage, your middle class lifestyle service?

Main point: You can either look to serve king Jesus, or to Jesus to serve your kingdom. Your cravings reveal your true heart.

There is knowing Jesus and there is knowing about Jesus

Many of you have attended here a long time and I bet you know a thing or two about Jesus. And for those of you who have taught these youngsters remember that whether they know Jesus or just about Jesus is not the teachers fault. Your faithfulness is credited to you in the kingdom of heaven. The teacher not the problem...how do I know look at the text

Vs 27...their Sunday school teacher is Jesus

Vs 16 they are kept from seeing Jesus b/c the sovereign God of the universe kept Jesus hidden

Vs 30-31 and when they finally see Jesus it was b/c their eyes were opened.

Yet the two characters in this story do see Jesus. Their eyes are supernaturally opened. But God does so using a tool, a means, the means was Jesus breaking bread before them. If Jesus is going to cause your eyes to see he him he will use tools, he will use means.

Yet the two characters in this story do see Jesus. Their eyes are supernaturally opened. But God does so using a tool, a means, the means was Jesus breaking bread before them. If Jesus is going to cause your eyes to see he him he will use tools, he will use means.

The Spurgeon Story

Dear friends, graduates fellow church members look to Jesus. Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Behold the fount of living water, behold the bread of life, behold the Son of God. Behold the true and better Adam. Behold King of Kings, behold the visible image of the invisible God. Behold the one who holds all things together by his verbal decree. Behold the author and perfecter of our faith. Behold the one who lives even though he dies. Behold the one who knows...yes he know the things you are hiding that no one else knows. Behold the one who shed his blood to set you free of it.

Main point: You can either look to serve king Jesus, or to Jesus to serve your kingdom. Your cravings reveal your true heart.Grave Warning

A warning

Grave Warning

Revelation 1:7 ESV

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Every eye will see him

And the nations will wail: meaning...you will one day know whose kingdom you served. It will be clear.

If you are realizing today that who you have never even tried to see Jesus but now he is clear, and you know that if you were to face him today you would wail with regret, it is not too late. Today is the day of salvation. The one who sweats blood, the one who wears the crown of thorns, the one who is hanging on the cross offers you this olive branch of peace. You can be his...the day can be today.

If you are realizing you have looked at him and only known about him, today you can look to Jesus and know him, be known by him.

And if you are asking “how do I know the difference remember, those who nurture their cravings for Jesus over their cravings for this world are those who know him and are known by him.

Main point: You can either look to serve king Jesus, or to Jesus to serve your kingdom. Your cravings reveal your true heart.

Graduates look to Jesus, Behold he is coming soon, and every eye will see him, and the nations will wail.