Untitled Sermon (9)

Introduction:

Have your asked yourself do I know God? Does God know me? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Perhaps you have only seen Christianity through the lens of a culture rather than through scripture; I want us to explore a passage of what it means to seek Jesus and to follow him.

This message today is for the church, and while those who are not born again shall surely hear the gospel this is the calling of the Christian who is saved by Christ and Christ alone, not by works. The question to ask is once saved, where does the Christian life go? How shall the Christian life be lived? Jesus answers this with the words follow me; we will look at these words of Jesus.

Passage:

Our passage today takes place within the week leading up the hour of glory for the son of man. An interesting people approach Philip who then asks Andrew, who then rightly asks Jesus.

The Greeks, ask Philip to see Jesus. This mostly likely is happening in the gentile courts of the Temple. The Greeks are a traveling people who enjoy the adventure of life and seek knowledge. Most likely they would have heard or even been in the temple when Jesus flipped over the tables and drove out the money exchangers.

Now they are asking for permission to see Jesus or have his attention. We do not know if they did meet Jesus but what follows is the conversation of Jesus to an audience consisting of both Jew and Greek.

Notice how the gospel does not just apply to the Jews but rather the Greeks are invited, for Jesus tells us there are many sheep who are not of the house of Israel. Neither Jew nor Greek under the New Covenant.

Jesus goes on to explain how the hour of the son of man has come to be glorified and rightly stated we could build a sermon on this but rather let our focus today be on John 12:25 - 26 where Jesus tells those in the audience to follow me.

Opening of Main sermon: John 12:26

Jesus commands his hearers and apostles to follow him; but to follow Christ it must understood as to what this looks like in action and conviction. American Christianity states I will follow Jesus so long as I’m comfortable.

To challenge this thought of perhaps even you; when asked to commit to a bible study of the gathering of the saints; the excuse is I am too busy, I have to feed my children, etc.. but to study the word of God in the assembly of the saints is too much work or commitment. I rather sleep, I can’t get up that early, excuses of a Luke-warm Christian life.

Is sleep and eating part of life; yes, it is. However, if those things take place beyond that of Christian duty and life, it is to say Jesus I will follow you so long as I’m comfortable. If loosing one hour of sleep to gather with the saints, or eating a quick meal is too much uncomfort; the question must be asked am I am really following Christ or just pretending?

Is my Christian life one in which I am born again, or to which I play on Sunday and on Facebook? God will judge you as he knows your heart, but he is quick to the tell the church of the Laodiceans, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)

Jesus does not save souls to be a soul that sits around believing they are saved and there is not evidence of their salvation. Rather if you are saved there will be fruit in the Christian life. You are not saved by works, but rather out of your salvation you are saved to good works for the glory of God. (Sanctification) (Ephesians 2:10)

The Christian: Whom Jesus will say well done my Good and Faithful Servant: (Matthew 25:21)

1. The Christian and proper Orthodoxy

The Christian is one who knows the very word of God, the message of the gospel, the purity of biblical doctrines. The Christian knows God and God knows the Christian. If you look throughout the scriptures, there are many examples of men and women who God knew, and they knew God.

Today we understand the covenant of grace to that which God gave is that which keeps us, and the very law of God is no longer a stone but written on the hearts of men and their minds. (Hebrews 8:10) Therefore the Christian who is saved knows God and God knows the Christian.

The Christian that knows God understands the word of God is to be known, as Jesus is the Logos. American Christianity has a crisis; they don’t know the word of God. For example ask a Christian today where in Genesis is Jesus revealed and they have no idea.

The reason they have no idea is because despite their Pastor’s pleading for their soul to be present at bible study, present in worship, present with the body, they refuse to be committed to church membership and sitting under the authority of God’s word.

That same Pastor can walk into this Christian home, and not find evidence of a bible being opened, see a family that does not do family worship together; only to understand this Christian family is more consumed in themselves than the things of God; They are the Luke-Warm Christian.

The true follower of Christ is first born again, has biblical orthodoxy (doctrine), knows God and God knows them.

As a Pastor and Bible teacher I can tell you I know the saved from the unsaved; and there are some of you sitting in the pew today who I am pleading with to repent and believe in Jesus.

2. To leave everything behind: The call to Mission

The Christian will also be one that leaves everything behind and answers the call to mission. During the ministry of Jesus he said the following, “If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26)

Jesus is as blunt as they come, leave everything behind and follow me. Jesus is not saying hate Mommy and Daddy, but what is saying is Mom and Dad is not God, and your devotion is not to them it is to Christ.

Some of you are more focused on your household than you are of committing your household to the service of God. The Christian understands the following and delights in it; The Christian is a dulous (slave) of Christ. (Colossians 1:17, Romans 1:1)

The Christian does not ask Lord let me do this first and I’ll serve you; the Christian says Lord I’m at your call and I’ll go. Does not ask about his career, does not ask about his money, does not ask about his biological family issues, he goes freely as a bondservant of Christ.

Let me be clear he is not calling everyone to leave Galloway NJ, but is calling you to His service and perhaps your service allows you to stay in close proximity with your biological family, but don’t let that hinder you from serving Jesus and committing to His call.

God is not calling everyone to be a foreign missionary or Pastor of a church. He is calling you to serve in the local church and to make disciples to where he has called you.

I can look in this room and say with a Pastoral heart, some of you have not accepted the call of service and have not yet left everything behind to follow Jesus. Let that change today.

3. Picking up the Cross

Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus calls for the Christian to pick up the cross. Following Jesus requires salvation, an attitude of a slave for Christ, and the sacrifice of picking up a cross. Jesus does not call the Christian to pick up your comfort and follow me to a land of comfort.

Jesus makes it clear to follow him requires a cross; you will die to self and live for the glory of God in the call of making disciples and worshiping God every day you live.

It means if God calls you to lose an hour of sleep so that you can simply pray before the Son of God goes to the cross; you do it. (The disciples failed their Lord) In the same way we fail the Lord when he says the same assemble as the saints, and the Christian neglects it. (Hebrews 10:25)

It means that if God calls you to move to India without a penny in your name, you do it.

Illustration

This coming Wednesday you are going to meet in person a missionary named Jackson and his wife They are missionaries to Tajikistan currently serving on staff at Emmanuel Church. They are missionaries in one of the most dangerous places to be a missionary and yet obeying Christ. They may die by a cross.

Some of you sitting here complain about getting up on time for Sunday School.

Jesus calls for the picking up of the cross; a life of full surrender to him to the point of death if called upon. Jesus is not asking; he is commanding you pick up the cross.

The difference from the Lukewarm Christian to the born-again Christian is the one who weeps over scripture, gets up earlier in the morning to spend time with God, the one who says Lord give a me a cross and take my comfort, a pure devotion to Christ and Christ alone.

Is this how you view your Christian life or are you thinking about what time the preacher is going to be done.

Gospel and Conclusion

The son of man is the grain of wheat who fell to earth and died, to give life to the sinner, to have salvation. A living and active relationship with God that will cost you everything. The gospel is a call to salvation and one to which Jesus says all those called into salvation are called to follow me.

Some of you sitting here today do not want this call of salvation, the Christian life is not a game, and its not a get of hell card. It is a radical change of life in pure devotion to the King of Kings, who gives you life for death.