[The following is a full manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 5th of August, 2018. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
We’re all familiar with the last trip Jesus made into Jerusalem, in the last days of His ministry on earth. We call it His Triumphal Entry, when the people lined the streets and waved palm branches, all the while shouting “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus had come to celebrate the Feast of Passover. But what we may not recall is that Jesus shared another solemn truth with us at that time, as the festival proceeded.
Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 12 of the Gospel account of the Apostle John, verses 20 through 26, from the New English Translation of our Holy Bible…
Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 12 of the Gospel account of the Apostle John, verses 20 through 26, from the New English Translation of our Holy Bible…
20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me, and where I am, My servant will be too. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
--John 12:20-26 (NET)
Let us pray… Father God, Your wondrous plan for life requires death. Just as a seed must cease to exist as a seed in order to reproduce itself and continue the cycle of life, so must we die to this life in order to gain eternal life with You and Jesus. Help us, please Father, to serve You, to carry out Your will, to continue Your plan. Speak to us now, Father, with the message we need to hear this morning. Help us to understand the truth of Jesus and of what He said. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Let me share with you a few secrets to success, as provided by some unknown author: See yourself as the center of the universe. Focus attention on yourself. Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use “I” and “me” as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered someone. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others.
I called those “secrets to success”, but only if we want to succeed in making ourselves miserable! I would venture to say that most of us aren’t looking for ways to be more miserable in life, but aren’t we sometimes guilty of some of the points in that list? Life is tough enough without our adding to our own misery.
I only bring this up because I feel it emphasizes part of what Jesus is trying to tell us in our scripture reading this morning. In verse 25 He says that the person who loves their life destroys it! That list pretty much describes a person that loves their own life too much, doesn’t it? They need to be the center of attention, receiving praise for what they’ve done, being shown gratitude for any favor granted, never forgetting some service performed, and never letting anyone else forget either.
This kind of behavior will make us miserable because it is an unobtainable and non-sustainable ideal, a dream. This will destroy our life. Instead, Jesus tells us to serve Him, to follow Him. In doing so, the Father will honor us and eternal life will be ours.
The solemn truths Jesus shared with us are all pretty simple, and for the most part fairly obvious. That is certainly true with the truth we look at this morning, as any farmer or grower can attest.
In verse 24 Jesus tells us that for a seed to be able to bring forth new life, new fruit, it must first cease being a seed. As a seed, it must die. Think about a kernel of corn – that’s a fairly large seed, easy to see. If we plant that kernel and a corn stalk grows from it, can we then pull up that stalk and find the kernel at the base of the roots? No! That kernel died, it no longer exists as a kernel.
And so it must be for us. The Apostle Paul affirms what Jesus says and adds to it a little, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 35 through 38…
When we plant that kernel of corn, other kernels don’t spring up. No, a stalk comes forth, bearing many ears of corn, each ear filled with kernels.
A lady by the name of Constance Barnett told of an old college Professor of Biology who used to hold a small brown seed in his hand and address his class. “I know just exactly the composition of this seed.”, the professor would say. “It has in it nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon. I know the exact proportions. I can make a seed that will look exactly like it. But if I plant my seed it will come to naught; its elements will be simply absorbed in the soil. If I plant the seed God made, it will become a plant, because it contains the mysterious principle which we call the 'life principle'.”
Ms. Barnett went on to say that, “The Bible looks like other books. We cannot understand altogether its marvelous power. Planted in good ground it shows that it has the life principle in itself: it brings forth spiritual fruit.”
Now there are two aspects to this simple yet solemn truth Jesus shared: one is literal, and the other more metaphorical. Before we can enjoy a new life in heaven with God, we must first die to – physically cease to exist in – this life. But we must also spiritually die to this life lest we destroy our chances for that new life. The one who loves their life in this world destroys it. Again we can turn to Paul’s writings for more insight into this aspect of Jesus’ solemn truth. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians, in chapter 4 verses 17 through 24…
We must not be among those “stupid, godless people” that Paul describes as living in darkness, being stubborn and ignorant. We have been taught about Jesus – we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior! Our foolish desires and self-centered ways will make us miserable and destroy us. So we must make our old habits die, our old way of life die.
We must die to this world and let God’s Holy Spirit work within us and change our entire way of thinking, of acting, of viewing others, of loving others. And then a miraculous thing can happen, as Paul tells us in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17…
When we do as Jesus and Paul tells us, Christ then is in us and we in Him. We become a new creation, even here on this earth. Our new life begins, and our everlasting life is guarded and assured.
Die to this world, and let your new life spring forth. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Your Son Jesus honored You by obeying You and carrying out Your will during His life as a Man. Please help us honor You, Father, by serving and following Jesus. Forgive us when we can’t seem to let go of all our worldly desires. Help us resist the temptations of the world, and of Satan, so that we might better serve You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You told us a simple truth – that we must not let this life interfere with our eternal life. Help us to understand how our failure to let go of the world will only make us more miserable and could destroy our future life. Help us to serve You, to follow You, to obey Your commands. And help us to share Your truth with a world that needs to hear and understand.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, our only hope. Amen.
Let me share with you a few secrets to success, as provided by some unknown author: See yourself as the center of the universe. Focus attention on yourself. Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use “I” and “me” as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered someone. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others.
I called those “secrets to success”, but only if we want to succeed in making ourselves miserable! I would venture to say that most of us aren’t looking for ways to be more miserable in life, but aren’t we sometimes guilty of some of the points in that list? Life is tough enough without our adding to our own misery.
I only bring this up because I feel it emphasizes part of what Jesus is trying to tell us in our scripture reading this morning. In verse 25 He says that the person who loves their life destroys it! That list pretty much describes a person that loves their own life too much, doesn’t it? They need to be the center of attention, receiving praise for what they’ve done, being shown gratitude for any favor granted, never forgetting some service performed, and never letting anyone else forget either.
This kind of behavior will make us miserable because it is an unobtainable and non-sustainable ideal, a dream. This will destroy our life. Instead, Jesus tells us to serve Him, to follow Him. In doing so, the Father will honor us and eternal life will be ours.
The solemn truths Jesus shared with us are all pretty simple, and for the most part fairly obvious. That is certainly true with the truth we look at this morning, as any farmer or grower can attest.
In verse 24 Jesus tells us that for a seed to be able to bring forth new life, new fruit, it must first cease being a seed. As a seed, it must die. Think about a kernel of corn – that’s a fairly large seed, easy to see. If we plant that kernel and a corn stalk grows from it, can we then pull up that stalk and find the kernel at the base of the roots? No! That kernel died, it no longer exists as a kernel.
And so it must be for us. The Apostle Paul affirms what Jesus says and adds to it a little, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 35 through 38…
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
--1 Corinthians 15:35-38 (NKJV)
A lady by the name of Constance Barnett told of an old college Professor of Biology who used to hold a small brown seed in his hand and address his class. “I know just exactly the composition of this seed.”, the professor would say. “It has in it nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon. I know the exact proportions. I can make a seed that will look exactly like it. But if I plant my seed it will come to naught; its elements will be simply absorbed in the soil. If I plant the seed God made, it will become a plant, because it contains the mysterious principle which we call the 'life principle'.”
Ms. Barnett went on to say that, “The Bible looks like other books. We cannot understand altogether its marvelous power. Planted in good ground it shows that it has the life principle in itself: it brings forth spiritual fruit.”
Now there are two aspects to this simple yet solemn truth Jesus shared: one is literal, and the other more metaphorical. Before we can enjoy a new life in heaven with God, we must first die to – physically cease to exist in – this life. But we must also spiritually die to this life lest we destroy our chances for that new life. The one who loves their life in this world destroys it. Again we can turn to Paul’s writings for more insight into this aspect of Jesus’ solemn truth. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians, in chapter 4 verses 17 through 24…
17 As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.
20-21 But that isn’t what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about Him and learned about Him. 22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please Him and be truly holy.
--Ephesians 4:17-24 (CEV)
We must die to this world and let God’s Holy Spirit work within us and change our entire way of thinking, of acting, of viewing others, of loving others. And then a miraculous thing can happen, as Paul tells us in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17…
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.--2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Die to this world, and let your new life spring forth. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Your Son Jesus honored You by obeying You and carrying out Your will during His life as a Man. Please help us honor You, Father, by serving and following Jesus. Forgive us when we can’t seem to let go of all our worldly desires. Help us resist the temptations of the world, and of Satan, so that we might better serve You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You told us a simple truth – that we must not let this life interfere with our eternal life. Help us to understand how our failure to let go of the world will only make us more miserable and could destroy our future life. Help us to serve You, to follow You, to obey Your commands. And help us to share Your truth with a world that needs to hear and understand.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, our only hope. Amen.
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