Sunday next before Lent – Sermon 13

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

Who would we choose to have a one to one with? our families? our friends? – a relative who lives away? Perhaps we would like to talk with someone famous? our favourite footballer or pop star?

It’s good to talk – so the phone companies tell us – we have our mobile phones – our satellite links – cable connections – the internet –

People from the other side of the globe can talk to us

In today’s world – communication is important to us – Its important to God as well – He wants us to understand Him and interact with Him

Our readings show us three ways in which God speaks to us – He calls us – He answers our prayers – He guides us through the example of His Son –

We are going to look at the readings and see if we can understand what He is saying to us – and how he wants us to respond

First Point

First we have the call of Moses

He was minding his sheep as usual – it was probably an ordinary day – until he saw this strange glowing bush that seemed to be on fire but wasn’t – His curiosity was aroused – he went to have a closer look

God called out his name and told him not to come any closer – to take off his sandals – because he was on holy ground – Moses had not realised that he was in God’s presence –

It was not until God says " I am the God of your Father Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" – that Moses reacts and – in fear – hides his face – because he thought if he saw God he would die

At this point in his life Moses didn’t really know God

But God knew him and had picked out to lead His people from slavery in Egypt – God knew there would be a time – later – when Moses will know and love Him – and approach Him to intercede for others

Are we like Moses and don’t recognise God’s presence in the things around us – God knows each one of us by name – He wants us to be noticed like the burning bush – to be His voice in our village – radiate His Gospel to others – through our day to day activities and conversations with our friends and workmates, and the people around us

Perhaps like Moses we don’t really know Him well enough yet – We need to grow in faith and trust – we should talk to Him in prayer and read about Him in our Bibles so that we can grow closer to Him –

The difference between Moses and the Prophets after him – was in the directness in which God was able to speak to Moses – he became His trusted servant – Moses was the first to receive – write down and teach the revelation of God – and even though he had such an uncertain start God was able to achieve so much through him

Point 2

 

In our NT lesson we are told of God answering Jesus’ prayer – at a time of anguish and torment

This is one of the three recorded incidents in the Gospels – of God openly speaking to Jesus during His earthly ministry – the first was at His Baptism when He set out to do the work that God had given Him to do – the second was on the mount of Transfiguration – which was our Gospel reading this morning – when Jesus decided to take the way which led to Jerusalem and the cross –

And the third here in the midst of a mixed crowd of disciples and unbelieving Jews and Greeks -when His human flesh and blood had to be strengthened by God’s intervention for the ordeal of the cross

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

Jesus prays to the Father out loud to acknowledge – that He is willing to take the sins of the world on His shoulders –

In verse 27 " Now my soul is in turmoil and what m 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

God responds and shows the love that He has for His son – He signifies His approval of the act of love and obedience that Jesus was about to undertake – He demonstrates this visibly to the crowd – as Jesus says – for their sake not for His

Jesus was putting Himself through the same sort of mental torture that we might put ourselves through if faced with what we consider to be an impossible situation – whatever agonies and sufferings we might experience – Jesus has experienced them also – and He shows us that the way to overcome them is through Faith and trust in the Father

What God did for Jesus He does for us – when He sends us out He doesn’t do it without direction and guidance – or leaves us to do it with our own strength – God is not a silent God – when the strain of life is too much or the effort of following God’s way seems to be beyond us – if we pray to Him and listen we will hear Him speak — He will be right there with us – so that we can go on with His voice in our hearts and His strength in our bodies

PRAYER – means – Power Released At Your Every Request –

God’s power is available to us when we need it – if we ask for it

Point 3

 

and as we see from the reading –

Not only was Jesus being strengthen He was strengthening others even in the face of such torment and ridicule – and so for our third point we will look at God speaking through Jesus – guiding us through the example of His Son

In verses 31 and 32 we have a great prophesy delivered to us through Jesus

Jesus said " Now is the hour of judgment for this world; now shall the prince of this world be driven out…..And when I am lifted up from the earth I shall draw everyone to myself"

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

In verse 24 of this chapter Jesus compares His death to that of a seed –

“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’ death will draw people from every nation to believe in Him and to receive Him as their saviour – by being crucified for us Jesus would set up a Kingdom in the world and gather His people to Him – they would be drawn to Him just as iron filings are drawn to a magnet.

If we die to self and turn to Christ – like the seed in order to live – we must break open our protective shell and offer our true selves to God – and like a plant emerging from the ground – focus ourselves on the light ahead of us –

as Jesus says in verses 35 and 36 .." the light is among you still, but not for long……..go on your way while you have the light….that the darkness may not overtake you"………. "trust to the light while you have it, so that you may become children of the light

We have the promise and the offer that if we walk with – Jesus – the light of the world – He will guide us and help us – Sometimes we are afraid to look forward to take chances for God — we have doubts about our own capabilities and gifts – The cross demonstrates to us what can be achieved if our objectives are not our own glorification but the glorification of God

But there is an implicit threat – the decision to trust our lives and all things to Jesus must be made in time

At the moment Jesus said this He was appealing to the Jews to accept Him and believe in Him before the cross came and He was taken away from them.

We too must trust to the light – in time – the longer we leave it the more we become fixed in our ways – the harder it is for us to change and break open our outer shell and open ourselves to Him. Jesus’ promise is always available to us – and in that sense it can never be too late – but Jesus calls us to respond today not tomorrow

Conclusion

Soon we will be in the season of Lent – a time of preparation for the coming passion and resurrection of Christ. What better preparation can there be than to learn more about Him – and the way He interacts with us – perhaps by joining one of the Lent groups.

We have the promise that Jesus will draw us to himself if we trust in Him and respond to God when He speaks to us – through the cross we have the hope of salvation – that we too will be lifted up and become one with Christ

Prayer to Finish

 

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

AMEN