Prediction 3/29/2020

Welcome to our service this morning as we worship the Living God. I'm Pastor Don pedrick and we are going to enjoy some worship and fellowship in the word and thank you for joining us. May we begin with a word of Prayer? Grace's Father in heaven, we thank you for the blessing of your presence for your power and strength and we pray that you would be here this morning to lift up our hearts and worship as we honor you holy. God bless us in this. Oh Lord Our Savior Jesus in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Are reading this morning is going to be taken from Isaiah chapter 53 verses 10 through 12.

it was the Lord's will to cause him to suffer and through the Lord makes his life though. The Lord makes his life a guilt offering. He will see his offspring into long has days and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hands after the suffering of his soul. He will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his life unto death And was numbered with the transgressors for he bore the sin of many and made it intercession for the transgressors.

Prayer request for this week. We need to be praying for the leaders of our country in the decisions. They're making and so remember them for the ongoing mental and physical health in this season. They were struggling in and we need to be praying for the financial struggles of those who are hindered through this. Confinement that were involved in us remember we have members of our congregation Russ and Rosita were dealing with the final days of Rosita's father Dale need to pray for them through this struggle. We've been praying for Brett. He is in Colorado right now going through Rehabilitation from an accident that has hindered is extremely lower extremities and his father is going there Tuesday to bring him back home to Oregon and we need to pray for that the Guidance end for the connections with the airlines. And finally, we had a request from a friend in Greece Linda whose daughter is in Madrid Spain and she has been infected with the covid-19 virus and is going through recovery and away from home in Madrid and she asked us to pray for him. So let's go to prayer. Grace's Father in heaven, we thank you that we can gather and come before you the Mighty God who understands and knows all things. We pray that you would be here and would hear our requests As We Lay Them at your feet and trust you to be the real guide and director in the past of these things. They are circumstances, but it is how we I Look to You to guide those that makes the difference father we do pray that you would be with all these needs that we've mentioned. We think of the struggles that our world is going through at this present time and we pray for wisdom for the leadership of our country and the people around the world that they would respond wisely to the things that are going on. How we need your guidance and we pray for all those that are influenced by this both their physical and mental health is a major issue. We pray that you would be their father. We also think about the financial struggles that people are going to go through because of the duration of this confinement that we have been in Father. May you lift hearts and help people to look to you for the provision of their needs. We think of Ross and Rosetta as they are going through the struggles of saying goodbye to his father. We pray that you would be with them that you would bring Comfort to their hearts and their lives and we pray The Dales passing would be easy. Father we think of a brat and Jr. Is he goes to Colorado to retrieve his son and bring him home. We pray that you would guide in the passage of each of those moments and that they would be able to find the

plane rides that bring them home safely And father we think of Natasha and away from home and Madrid suffering from the covid-19. We pray that you would make provision for her life and her circumstances that her trust in you would be powerful in real and we pray for comfort for Linda. Father we do pray that your Mighty hand would continue with us as we move along in our worship service our worship of you are Mighty God in Jesus name we ask these things. Amen.

Well, let's begin our message with the word of Prayer. Are Grace's Father in heaven? We thank you that we can gather together in worship and praise of the Living God who loves us and has given us life. We thank you for your spirit who dwells here in our midst who is within each of us who calls upon you as our Lord and savior. We thank you for its guidance. And we pray that your spirit would be acting working in each of Our Lives to help us draw closer to you and father being me powerfully it is I open my mouth. I would be speaking your words and your words alone and may be blessed and enriched in this. Oh Lord Our God in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we're going to begin a new miniseries as we look forward to Easter. We're going to be looking at a series that looks at the Jesus Christ in several points leading up to the crucifixion and then the resurrection and today's message is prediction and we might think of that is a prophecy really that Jesus is prophesying about the future in this but I want us to look at the focus of this series as something that is speaking to each of our hearts and our lives because what does it mean to us if we don't take this in and make this a part of who we are and so let's think about that a little bit. What I want to look at today is the whole idea that God has given each of us live when we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and sometimes we look at that and we say, okay, what is that really mean to my life, you know and sometimes we'd like to take the minimalist view. Okay. I said the prayer or I believe so I'm safe now I can go about my life and do whatever I want. And all that is done. I've changed my direction. I was going to hell and now I'm going to have him because I said the prayer and if we take a look at that and realize that that truly was a incredible change probably will not probably it was the greatest change.

That could happen to our lot because it changes from the direction of hell. To the direction of eternal glory in heaven with and savior that should mean something more than just. Well I did the deed and so it's done and I can go on with my life and you know what? That's what we're going to read about today because Jesus Christ talks about that in his message to some of the great Jewish Greeks that came to see him before he went to the Cross. We're going to be in John chapter 12 if you want to go there. And let's take a look at what Jesus had to say not only about himself, but about those who will come and believe in him will read the verses 26 through 23 through 26 right off. Says Jesus replied the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies. It remains only a Single Seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. And whoever serves me must follow me and where I am. My servant also will be my father will honor the one who serves me. There are really four different things that Jesus talks about In this passage, and they all relate to you and to me. And it relates to our Salvation and what it ought to mean to our lives that enormous change that we go through in. The first thing is the idea of Glory. Jesus said that he wanted had Glory back now. Think about this for all that time before the Jesus came to the Earth. He had Glory with the father his relationship with the father was complete and pure and wonderful, but then he came to Earth and he gave up that Glory he took on the form of a man and walk this Earth for 33 34 years and he didn't have that connective Glory that he had in heaven and he was longing for that and that's what he was Desiring. The struggle was that he had to go through the cross to get there. Now if you read that entire section, it gets down to the end there and it says my father will honor the one who serves me. What's honor? Honor is the same Glory that Jesus was seeking That Glory of being with the father. That's the honor we receive when we truly come to Jesus Christ and ask him to forgive our sins. If he Lord Of Our Lives when we truly do that when we have that change of heart. And we follow his lead.

then we have that glory to look forward to the same Glory the Jesus hungered for And you're in for in his life, you know, he was talking about this a little bit later on if we jumped forward to chapter 17. We see Jesus with the father speaking with him and he says that now father glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the beginning of the world in other words Jesus long for That Glory.

But he had to go ahead through that cross experience.

All right, there's three things that he tells us about those who will see that and honor that the first one is the whole idea of the seed. Remember you talked about the seed that the seed had to die before it produced. You know, it had to be buried in the ground before it produce. And when we come to the Living God we come as people who are dead or since we have no hope that hope was taken away for when Adam and Eve were in the garden and they send and they then that sinful nature came down there throughout all mankind throughout the entire universe. condemn those who have that seed are condemned an h and every one of us have it. We're all condemned, but that seed had to die. In Romans, it talks about that seed dying that each of us who come to Jesus Christ and recognize that his death meant something that his blood covers our sins. And then his resurrection raises us up when we believe in him. We die to RCN come dead to that sin and a lie. In Jesus Christ, and then we essentially are raised up and we become. People that are able to make a difference in our world because we have the seed within us each and every one of us have the spirit of the Living God in us that can make any difference as he ministers through us to a world that is lost and in need of that Redemptive seed business in Romans 14 verses 8-9. He says if I live if we live we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord so whether we live or die we belong to the Lord for this very reason Christ died and returned to live so Lord of both the dead and the living In other words just as Jesus Christ died on that cross was buried and rose again, so we must die to sin. In other words very that's in in and receive the gift of Jesus Christ that truly raises his up. And it brings a great. Hope to our lives in Jesus Christ talked about that hope that hope is that Glory that we talked about it at the beginning that Glory did Jesus long for his the same Glory that we hope for That Glory where there is no more pain no more suffering only joy and excitement in the presence of the Living God Paul when he was in prison in Rome and he was writing to the Philippians and he was trying to express where he was in all this, you know, he was he was confined in a jail cell. And he was uncertain as to whether he would be condemned and die or that he would be freed. And so he says these words vs. Olympians chapter 1 verses 22 and 3. He says if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me yet. What shall I choose? I do not know I am torn between I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far in other words. He was looking forward to that Glory. He said I really want that he goes on to say in the same passage that he believes that he's going to stick around a little bit longer. Why Because he will continue his service for the Living God. You see his life was changed and he wants to make a difference in our world. And if our lives are changed if coming to know Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior if having our sins forgiven if the Holy Spirit truly lives in us there going to be an enormous change in the desires of our lives. It is not just I oh I said the prayer and so I'm good. No, it goes much further than that. And this is what Jesus Christ is telling people. It goes further than just saying I said the prayer because it involves a desire to honor and serve him through this life. We have been change we've been made new and so he calls to service and if we jump forward in that the book of Philippians 2 chapter 3 Paul expresses this, you know, Paul when he came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. He had been a Pharisee of the Pharisees of The Tribe of Benjamin. He had learned all the laws and he had kept all the laws and he had done all those things for himself. And then he came to Christ and you realize that was a waste of time everything. He had meant nothing apart from Jesus Christ. And he says these words Philippians 3:8. What is more I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I've lost I've lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ. You see if we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that ought to be the pursuit of Our Lives the desire of Our Lives ought to be to give them over to him and allow him to do the work in our lot. And that's what Jesus is talking about when he talks about people serving him. They give up those past things in our lives all those things that you think make a difference whether it's your job or your family. Or your the joy of those fun things that you've chosen to do.

They don't make any difference in your eternal life. The only thing that makes a difference. Is that relationship with the Living God for Jesus Christ, and then what you do for him when you live on this Earth?

We're going to take a look at God's will just read through verses 27 through 33. Jesus says this now my heart is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour know it was for this. Very reason. I came to this Our Father glorify your name, then the boys came from Heaven. I have glorified it and will glorify it again. The crowd that was there and heard it said it had funded other set an angel it spoken to him. Jesus said this voice was for your benefit not mine now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out but I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all men to myself. He said that the show the kind of death he was going going to die.

God Jesus Christ came to this earth not do his will but the will of the father. And if you have come to know Jesus Christ as your lord and savior that ought to be your will. And when you have circumstances in your life that you struggle with. Remember that's where God has called you in this life. We're all going through those struggles with this covid-19 virus Our Lives certainly have been changed in some way because of this. Is this a sudden thing that happened about I forgot that he didn't know about no, he knew about it all along. It's how we respond in this lesson how we respond to serving him that makes all the difference.

UC Jesus was looking forward to something that he didn't really want to go through. He was looking forward to the his death on the cross understanding and knowing, you know, it was written about way back in scripture. David wrote about his death on the cross back in Psalm 22. Where he described the horridness of that deaf? Jesus knew it was coming. And he didn't really want to have to go through it. But he knew that it was God's will why because God loves you and he loves me enough to ask his son to go through that for him. Looking at Luke 22:42. Jesus says these words father if you're willing take this cup from me yet. Not my will but yours be done. And the big question is if we take a look at that from our perspective and how we our lives. We need to think about okay. I'm in this situation. Why who's in control? Am I in control trying to direct the passage of my life or is God in control? And if we understand that God is in control of Our Lives we need to respond to that can control by saying. Yes Lord. May I serve you here now where you place me and that's what Jesus did not my will but your will because our desire is not to seek our Glory. But our desire ought to be to seek the glory of the one who has saved and redeemed Our Lives. It makes a huge difference a huge difference in our lives Paul stasis in Romans. 6:18. It says you've been set free from sin. And it become slaves to righteousness. You see if we have been set free from that sin that was leading us to Eternal punishment in hell and then receive the grace in the mercy that God could give for Jesus Christ changing our lives making us new creatures and pointing Us in the total opposite direction.

Then we ought to desire to live life as he wants it to live in the righteousness and the Holiness that he desires to give us, you know, and when we do that, we truly can have victory in this life. You see is Paul was talking about when we read that chapter 3 verse verse 3/8 of a flip Ians. He was saying I want to know Christ.

And the power of his resurrection his suffering. I want to know him. Why because that's what makes a difference in this world. My job is not going to make a difference in this world. It's how I live my job. It will make a difference in this world. You know my family my relationship there is not going to make a difference. But how I respond to my family is going to make the difference in this world. If I do so in righteousness and Holiness is God has called me to it will make a difference in our world. And so that is true of everything I am and do if I am living for God I have victory in this life you see God is going to we're all going to stand before the Living God and he will take a look at our Lots. And all those little things that Paul it done in at the beginning becoming this Pharisee and following all the rules and they're doing all those things that he needed to do. They make no difference and he was recognizing this that doesn't make any difference. What makes a difference is what I've done for Christ. And if I do that for Christ, I have power and strength and victory in this life. And when I stand before the Living God, he'll look at me and say Don pedrick well done good and faithful servant. And that's the desire that we have that victory. He talks about that John 14. He's in the upper room with the disciples and he's trying to tell them about life and how we need to live it and whether we live life for Satan or we live line for ourselves. You know and Satan sometimes thinks he has this in this world, you know, he's he does things that turn us away from the Living God and he thinks he's found victory in some of those things but it's our focus in the way. We use those things it make a difference. John 14 30 and 31. He says I will not speak with you much longer for the prince of this world is coming he has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the father and that I do exactly what the father is commanded me. Remember when he was suffering on the cross? You know Satan was cheering. He was saying I have the victory. I have one. I have killed Jesus Christ. So then he can't make a difference in this world.

But that was just exactly the opposite. Because that made all the difference in the world. You see when we Face the difficulties in Trials of life. Sometimes we think wow. I just didn't want to have to go through that because it was a waste of time and yet if God has called us to go through those circumstances. They are not a waste of time. There are places where we can find Victory as we looked at him and we serve the Living God then we have victory.

And that is why he said, you know Satan thinks he has a victory. But because I'm doing God's will that victory is mine. And he was looking forward to that crucifixion because he knew and Satan didn't know that that crucifixion was what would change our position in life. You see before Jesus came it was crucified. There was no hope for you and I because our sins condemned us and we had to Die For Those sins. But because Jesus Christ shed his blood that covers our sins.

We then have a chance for Life by accepting the work that he has done for us. He talks about that in Matthew 20 verses 18 and 19. He says we're going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be betrayed by the chief priests in the teachers of the law will be doing the work of Satan in other words. They will they will condemn him to death and we'll turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And he will think he has the victory. but then he says on the third day raised to life. You see the victory victory couldn't hold him the Christ Rose from the grave and he has victory over that's in it was in the world and you and I have that same opportunity when we trust the Jesus Christ has done all this work. And we give our lives over to confessing our sin and accepting the Redemption that he desires to give us. Let's finish off. This section will read verses 34 to 36. Said the crowd spoke up we've heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can you say the son of man must be lifted up? Who is this? Son of man? Then Jesus told them you are going of the light just a little while longer walk while you have the light before the darkness overtakes you the man who walks in the dark does not know where he's going put your trust in the light while you have it so that you may become sons of light when it finished baking Jesus left and hit himself from them. You know, there's always confusion when it comes to the work of Christ because it just seems at odds to our world and really to be honest with you at ought to be at odds to our world there ought to be a struggle there because what he has done is so different from the world and what he asked from you and me is is different from the what the world thinks as being mighty and wonderful and Powerful. But that's went why God brings about confusion to our lives, you know in these people, but okay, the Messiah is coming and he's going to bring victory over Rome and he's going to establish his kingdom and we're all going to be joyful and happy in his kingdom. Well, the thing is that if he had done that if he had turned. Turn Roma Way and Broad Victory against them and had established his kingdom then it would have been no hope we'd all been condemned. Why because we would all have still had to die for the sin that is in our lives. And so the people were confused because they wanted a victory here on this Earth. Papa John's victory for us is not Victory here on this Earth. It's an eternal Victory as we walk and his light and do his will. He was talking with Nicodemus early on and John chapter 3 and Nicodemus was a Pharisee he came to him at night. He wanted to talk to him about what he thought because he looked at the Miracles and he looked at all the things that Jesus was saying and doing and he said this is really different and I need to know this person is so it goes any talks to him and Jesus talks a little bit about what will happen. In fact, he looks forward to his death and he says in verses 14 and 15 of John 3. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. So must the son of man be lifted up. That everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

And that had to have been a little bit confusing. Because he is Nicodemus was one who thought it was coming that the Messiah would come and establish his kingdom here. Jesus Christ established his kingdom by drawing people to himself from his sacrifice on the cross. A confusing matter but if you understand that you can understand why he wants to make a difference in our lives. He is the light of the world. We walk in darkness, but he desires to shine his light on each and every one of us. In Ephesians chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 Paul writes these words for you are once Darkness, but now you are lying in the Lord live as children of the light for the fruit of Life consists of all goodness, righteousness and Truth in other words. If I'm going to live as a child of the light I have to do the things that God calls me to do. If I accept him and say, okay I said the prayer now I get to go and live my life my way then I am not seeing the truth. Of where he is? I must recognize that his truth. Is that when I am changed I'm truly changed. And he's made a difference in my life and I've become light and if I go back to living the same old way, I'm Going Back to Darkness and hanging out with the darkness rather than the line that God is all this to.

That's why he calls us to live life in goodness and righteousness and Holiness. Those are things that are important for each and every one of us. That is truth shine through each of us.

There's two things in the world. There's a darkness and there's a light in the darkness comes from the evil one and his desires and we can't come to Jesus Christ and say, okay. I know Jesus Christ now. I'm now I get to go and live my life as I want and you know if darkness is a part of that that's fine. You know, I have I have that that credit card in me. That is my salvation. My recognizing the Jesus Christ died for me. but is that your heart is that truly your heart where you want to be? Because if your heart is that go back and live like the world. Did God really come into you and make a difference? Because if I have God truly living in my heart. In order to change me I ought to be new and alive and Desiring to walk in him. John talks about this in his book 1st John he writes several things will read the first one verse six of chapter one if we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness we lie and do not live by the truth.

in all those activities of my life in each of those scenarios I placed into is my desire to see God lift it up in that scenario. If not, then there's Darkness there and I'm holding on to that dark part of my life there ought to be a change. I think of one of the one of the struggles of our church over the past 50 or 60 years that we've lived is that we've begun to accept more and more of the darkness and turned away from the life that God desires.

We need to look to the light and make a difference in our world. If we live in the dark as we're no different the world can't see the truth of who he is. We need to get back to that life. And that's what he says. Is he continues on and verse 7 it says but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son purifies us. from all sin

You see the great desire that Jesus wanted to pass on to Believers in this entire passage was that we need to be different than the world and if we're not different than the world. Are we truly Believers in Jesus Christ? Can you believe in Jesus Christ and live like the world and I don't think you can. and I think that's the problem with the church today is we think we can and we've chosen to walk in that light. Here's the here's a little. Idea, if I bought tickets to go to Disneyland. And I wanted to go there and enjoy everything that was there. It's kind of like receiving Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior wanting to enjoy everything that he can pass on to me and I go to Disneyland and I get through the gate. And I get to the first bench along that walkway that leads to all the rides and all those fun little things that you see when you first walk through there and I sit on that bench. And for 12 hours, I sit on that bench and don't move.

And then I at the end of that time I walk on it Disneyland. And that's the life. It's like the life I live when I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and then sit on the sidelines and watch Life go by I don't enjoy any of the things that he desires to build into my life and make a difference in the lives of the people of this world.

So the big question for each and every one of us is is my desire to serve the Living God or is my desire to serve this world. And live the way it's called me to live.

That's the question today. And I think it's something that we truly need to think about as we what is the desire of my heart. And the desire of my heart will really tell me whether I truly desire God in my life. Let's pray. Grace's Father in heaven, we thank you for the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he tries to help us understand our need to not only receive you but the desire to walk with you this life that you are our guide and King and that you are the light that leads us onward towards truth and righteousness. May you bless us in this. Oh father in Jesus name we ask this. Amen.