The Circle of Life - Eternity Fourth Sunday of Easter

If someone came to you today and offered you a gift, no questions asked would you take it? How about a free cruise to the Bahamas? It’s been my experience that when things like this are offered I need to press “9” on my telephone for more information, which typically leads to a conversation about purchasing a time share property, or perhaps having my carpets cleaned!

What if I told you there is available a wondrous gift available to you: life without pain, life without disease, life without sorrow, life without monetary issues. It doesn’t involve signing up for vacation packages! It does involve a new beginning if you haven’t received this gift yet. It does involve commitment. It does involve taking a leap of faith. It does invole expanding your circlc of life beyond what is possible in our earthly lives.

Today, we continue our series entitled the Circle of Life. Today we look at eternity. Today we look into the importance of worship.

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.”

The Festival of Dedication mentioned at the beginning of our reading today is an important time on the Jewish calendar. It is an eight day calendar commemorating The festival celebrated the rededication of the temple in December 164 bc after the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes, had defiled it (1 Maccabees 1:59; Dan 11:31). Lamps are lit for eight days to memorialize the miracle of the temple lamps burning for eight days with only a single day’s supply of oil.

Jesus is asked a direct question, “are you the Messiah”. Jesus bluntly replies that he has already answered that question. Yet the questioners don’t really hear the response. They don’t really believe the response. They have shut themselves off from the truth.

The truth my friends is written to us plainly. If we follow the Shepperd, if we follow Jesus, He will give us eternal life. We will not perish, but have eternal joy in Heaven with all those who also believe. His protective hands will wrap themselves around us so that nothing will ever prevent us from completing our Circle of Life and enjoying our eternal destiny.

We do need to repent our sins. We do need to declare the Truth, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour. And when that truth is acknowedged by ourselves, we will become transformed. We will truly become Children of God. We will never be perfect…we will never be free from sinful behaviours here on Earth. But we will know the way, we will know what is expected of us. We will always have an advocate in our corner to help us along the way.

Acts 13:34-39 “God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “ ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So it is also stated elsewhere: “ ‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.”

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? If the answer is yes, praise God! If the answer is no, then please, please reach out to someone who has. Contact me! Contact our local pastor. Contact a friend. Your eternal destiny is in your hands.

One of the most wonderful things we can do in our time together on Earth, is to come together in a time or worship. It is a time to come together as children of God to remind us of the eternal gifts he has bestowed upon us. It is truly an important part in our Circle of Life, integrated with prayer, time in the Word, and time in living our lives. Worship inspires us. Songs of joy allow us to celebrate being Children of God. Hymns of praise allow us to express our gladness with all that god has given us.

Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him …”

Finally let us take a moment in prayer:

Psalm 100 “A psalm. For giving grateful praise. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”