4th Sunday in Lent – Sermon 39

13th February 2011 Off By Derek Buckthorpe

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

Introduction

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Life is full of them – we all have choices to make – where we live – who we share our lives with – what we eat – how we spend our time – what clothes we wear – which political party we vote for –

Whether we follow the way of Jesus or not –

Some are harder than others

 


First Point       Jeremiah

In our OT reading – God has made a choice
The covenant He made with His people through Moses at Mount Sinai was not working

“though I was patient with them, says the Lord, they broke it”

In the early days of Jeremiah – the book of the lost covenant had been re-affirmed as the blueprint for the future – but all this collapsed when King Josiah died – and things went from bad to worst –

Now it was time for a different approach – one that would fulfill all that God intended

“I shall be their God, and they shall be my people”

the new covenant would be heart-deep and everlasting

“I shall set my Laws within them, writing it on their hearts……… all will know me …….for I shall forgive their wrongdoings …..and their sin I shall call to mind no more”

Here we see the declaration of God’s three gifts of grace

A love of His will –
A one to one relationship with His people – And a full forgiveness of the past

All these He will establish through His Son –

who as the author of Hebrews tells us

“will become the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him”

As we learn later – each of these divine gifts is to be bought through His costly self-sacrifice – forgiveness will be through Jesus’ own blood and it will not only be the law – but its author who will dwell in the believer.

Jesus is the true High Priest – the King of Righteousness – who is one with the Father – chosen by Him to act on our behalf – who has also experienced the frailty and pain of the human condition

He would not only provide the way – but also the door 

Point 2

 

And in the Gospel reading we see Jesus announcing the fulfilment of that covenant

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be Glorified”

He had just been welcomed into Jerusalem by the crowds – as a king – everybody was optimistic – here some said – was a man who might make a difference – some had seen Him perform great miracles – even raise people from the dead – surely He would be powerful enough to defeat the Romans

But with the arrival of some Greeks – Jesus tells them that in a matter of hours He would be dead

– it must have gone down like a lead balloon.

“But the Scriptures say the Messiah remains for ever – what do you mean the Son of man must be lifted up?”

Jesus tells them that His death is not the end – but the beginning – His Kingdom doesn’t start with a coronation – but a crucifixion

“In very truth I tell you, that unless a grain of wheat falls onto the ground and dies, it remains that and nothing more, but if it dies, it bears a rich harvest"

Jesus was proclaiming one of the most important truths in the Christian Faith – that His death on a cross will lead to a great victory for God -and evil and man’s sin will be overcome through love – that in order for us to live and receive everlasting life – Jesus must die –

And the principle of life out of death is not only true for Jesus – but also for everyone else who is willing to follow Him –“for where I am, there my servant will be”

John gives us a picture of Jesus in torment – as He makes His final decision of obedience unto death –

In verse 27 “now my soul is in turmoil and what am I to say? Father save me from this hour? – No, it was for this – that I came to this hour…. Father Glorify your name! And God answers … “I have Glorified it and I will Glorify it again”

Jesus was putting Himself through the same mental torture that we might put ourselves through if we are faced with what we consider to be an impossible situation – whatever agonies and sufferings we might experience – Jesus has experienced them too –

Sometimes we are afraid to go forward – to take chances for God – we have doubts about our own capabilities and gifts – but Jesus shows us that the way to overcome our fears is by faith and trust in the Father – The cross demonstrates to us what can be achieved if our purpose is to glorify God

God signifies His approval of Jesus’ life – and the act of love and obedience that He was about to undertake – from His ordeal will come further glory to His name – God demonstrates this to the crowd – as Jesus says – for their sake not for His –

This was the third recorded occasion that God openly spoke to His Son – first at His baptism – then at His transfiguration – and now as He is about to fulfill the whole purpose of His life – and go forward to the cross –

Jesus’ death will be the source of a new Spiritual life and growth in the world – a new beginning for mankind – It will draw people from all over the world to Him – like Iron filings to a magnet – and produce a rich harvest for God’s Kingdom –

 

Point 3  

 

So what about us?
As Keith mentioned last week – there is no compulsion in life to be a Christian –

So why choose to follow Jesus –

Jesus is God’s new covenant – and the only way to salvation and the promise of eternal life –

He is God’s answer to all our problems

Through Jesus we find answers to some of our basic questions about life –and death – why we are here – what we are here for – how we should live – and where are we going –
He answers our questions personally – He is here in our hearts – and we can talk to Him anytime – in prayer – through the Holy Spirit –

He offers us freedom from the habits that are destroying us and those around us – we are no longer forced to follow the crowd – through Jesus our past is forgiven – and we can break free – start afresh – with a clean sheet –

without Him we feel insecure – searching for something that we know is missing – with Him we live in certainty and with purpose and with the love of God – knowing that He is there to guide us and bring us to the Father –

Through faith in Jesus Christ we can’t fail – all our greatest fears and doubts are overcome – even death

So what are we waiting for?

Well to choose Jesus’ way we must follow Him

And this is a hard choice – because it means we have to change our outlook on life – and on death

We have to –admit that we have distanced ourselves from God and that our relationship needs Jesus’ help –we have to submit to His will –
Be a willing servant and do only those things which glorifies God – live the life God has planned for us

Jesus is telling us that to turn to Him – we too have to die to self – in order to live – like the seed – like Jesus Himself – we too must break – we must offer our selves to God – and as we grow in faith – focus ourselves on the light ahead of us –

But time is short – Just as He turned to the Jews one last time – appealing to them to accept Him before the cross comes –so He appeals to us "trust to the light while you have it, so that you may become children of the light”

We have the promise that if we follow Jesus – the light of the world – He will guide and help us. –

Without Jesus we are lost in the darkness – but with Jesus we have a clear view of the truth – without Him we are dead – with Jesus we have eternal life 

 

Conclusion

 

Most of us go through life deliberately avoiding hard decisions – but Jesus tells us that we have to choose – whether to turn to Him or not

Jesus is the way that God has chosen to reach us and bring us to Him –
The way of sacrificial love
His life story is like that grain of wheat that breaks and dies in order to bring in a rich harvest for God–

He could have chosen a different way – and followed the crowd – instead He chose to die for you and me –

Jesus calls us to choose that same way of the cross – in order to be part of that harvest for God –

Are you prepared to break for God?
We either follow the crowd – and live for the promises of this world – or follow Jesus take up the cross God has given us – and live for the promises of the next – What do you choose?

 
Prayer to Finish

 In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

AMEN