Sermon in ElkRiver 02.03.2014

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us join in thanksgiving and prayer.

Our dear Heavenly Father, we come before Your faith this morning with many reasons to thank You. Thank You for Your guidance through the night, and that we could be able to wake up in a warm house despite the cold, cold winter outside. Thank You for all of Your blessings in this life, and for maintaining our life, and giving us enough to eat, and enough to get by. Thank You for our friends, mothers and fathers, and family members, and thank You for the gift of life. We see how Your creation work yet continues, and we are happy with that.

Above all, thank You that this morning we can believe, and with confidence of faith, we can put our trust in You, and Your Son's merit work, so that no matter how our travel has been, we can receive new strength and nourishment of Your word, and of the gospel.

Father, be near those who are going through difficult times. We know that You are there, and You know every one of our situations in life. Bless us and keep us. Father, we ask that You will continue to protect Your created mankind and in the areas where there is danger of war. Father, we ask that You lead the nations and this world in a way that You will, and we wish to trust in Your will.

As we are gathered around Your holy word, we ask that You open it for us and give us hearing ears to hear. And we ask that You bless our services.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

We will soon get into the season of Lent that precedes Easter time. It is hard sometimes to imagine how fast time can go. We were just celebrating Christmas, and now we are approaching that Easter time.

The text assigned for today is from the Gospel according to John chapter 12, verses 25 through 33. And we will quiet and hear these words in Jesus' name. Amen.

This, He said, signifying what death He should die. Amen.

We had a happy family occasion in our family. My wife gave birth to a baby boy. And thank you for all of you who have remembered us and helped us and encouraged us along this way. We have now seven kids. And I've been able to see the birth of them all. And it is miraculous. It is, you know, for nine months or so that it is happening. And yet, when it happens, I suppose I'm speaking with the experience of a dad. But all of a sudden there is this baby, a new human being. It is a humbling experience. And it is an experience where I marvel at people who don't believe in God. How is it that this can yet happen, that there is a new baby born with all ten fingers and ten little toes? Very fragile. But yet there.

We can be thankful for God for these gifts that He has granted unto us. For all the families God has not given such gifts. And God, who is a rich giver and who is a rich Father, can bless families without children in many, many other ways. But that moment of birth is tough for both men and women. Because men see the lady and wife suffer. But obviously, as men, we can't really even imagine that pain and that distress that there is during labor. And that is how God established it to be after the fallen Eden. That with pain, you saw labor. And it truly is so.

During the time of baby being born and when mom is in much pain, I don't know that there is much else that mom can think of other than that pain and what is going on. But yet, once the baby is out and the baby is brought to mom and lays in mom's bosom, there is a great joy as if all that pain is forgotten. And those pains in some way or other probably come back later on. And there is a time when moms need our help. But there is that one fleeting moment when, and I could experience from my point of view, and I think my wife could experience too, and I think all of you who have had children have experienced that very precious moment when a baby is born and there is that great joy of a new baby born.

A couple chapters after our text that we read, Jesus uses that very example of giving a woman in pain during labor to give a picture to the disciples of how it would be for them during the time when Jesus would be captured and would be nailed on the cross and would die. There would be a distress for the disciples. And Jesus' words are, "A woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour has come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that the man is born into the world."

What a joy it was on Easter morning when things began to slowly become clear that the disciples, Jesus, had risen victorious. It was as if in Jesus' words, that joy that the mother has when all that pain is gone away and a joy of having this little child in her bosom. Jesus says, "And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

That joy of faith when the disciples could experience on that Easter morning, it was joy that lasts. It is the joy of faith that we, as children of God, have yet today for all that God has done for us.

In our text, Jesus says kind of surprising words, "He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

As I was reading yesterday, I was trying to find a text for this morning. I was pondering about that, and as I was thinking about it, I stopped at one family picking up some stuff, and they were just little boys. Their parents were somewhere else, and I got into that house, and there was beautiful music playing. It was classical. I thought it was one of Vivaldi's compositions, but the boys asserted it was Bach. It was beautiful. It was kind of a lively classical music, but it was very beautiful. And I left and closed the door of the house, and I was thinking how happy the living children are to live in that kind of an environment where this kind of music that is healthy and it helps and edifies rather than destroys and causes those temptations of sins.

If you go to a store, look for CDs. I don't know, probably less than 1% of those CDs are something that would fit for believers. So much of the music of this day is something that is contrary to those values of God's Word.

I went to another house, and there were a bunch of kids and young people playing hockey. And again, as I was thinking of this very Word of Jesus when He said that he that loveth his life shall lose it. And I was pondering about it. Because it was another example of how the children were very happy in a very wholesome activity outside playing and skating and shooting puck there.

In both of these, regarding music and sports, we know that there could be whole another way that would not be wholesome, that would not be something that edifies our life of faith. But yet, when they are enjoyed in a right way, they bring much happiness and joy and healthy activity that we can enjoy.

And when we think, as parents, when we think of our children, isn't that what we would like? That our children could grow up happy in this world. I hope that we, as parents, would not somehow instill into our children that life cannot be happy because you are believing. Because it is exactly the opposite. When you are believing, dear boys and girls, you have a very bright and good future ahead of you. It is life of happiness.

The greatest happiness man can have in this world is when his life is in God's hand and there is fellowship with God and His kingdom here on earth. And from that background comes happiness. Above all, that we can moment after moment hear if you have fallen into sin that proclamation that frees us up from our sin so that our conscience isn't bothering. And in that way, life can continue on very happily.

So we see that even as believers, we desire and we want that our own life could be happy and then the life of our dear ones, our children, our sisters, and our friends could be happy.

When we are turning into the season of Lent and season of fasting, it is the time for us to pass and consider our life. Many people would fast in a way that they would make themselves suffer. Outwardly appear to be very much in grief and suffering. That's what people of God, people of Israel also did. And they tried to outwardly come across very pious and during many, they had many different times of fasting and some of them were appointed by God. He asked them to fast and when God appoints you to do something, it's a good thing to do so.

But in their self-righteous desire to show, maybe to prove to God and to show others how good believers, they went overboard. And God became tired of that. Isaiah writes how God exhorted him and this is a good, maybe a good instruction for us children of God today in our time of Lent.

God tells Isaiah from chapter 58, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of me the ordinances of justice. They take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure and exact all your labors. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to hurt on high."

The fasting had turned from an inward desire to stay and be in prayer toward Heavenly Father in quietness into some outward deeds. As he says that they did not make their voice to be heard on high.

"Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bullrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will thou call this a fast and acceptable day to the Lord?"

And God continues, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? And when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

That was the fast that God desired, and that is what His word speaks, that we are to love Him above everything else, and then our neighbors as ourselves.

God's children, I don't know if any of you fast during the time season of Lent, I guess that's something of free will that people can do or do not. I don't think I've ever done it, so it's not a requirement for us and for our faith.

Fasting as the people of Israel understood was denying from food for a certain amount of time and overall walk very humbly, we could say.

For a child of God, however, there is this desire of walking in the light, which Jesus speaks a few chapters afterwards, He speaks of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is to come that teaches us.

For a child of God, there is yet a walk in the light, which is to hear the word of God and to keep it in our heart. And as the Bible exhorts, we would not be forgetful hearers only, but doers, the word doers.

When Jesus in our text is talking about, "He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal," we can understand from that He is not thinking that we should really hate our life as if really hate our life.

God who is a giver of good gifts has granted those gifts and it is well and acceptable to God that we can be happy with our lives and that position in life whatever it may be that He has given unto us.

Paul writes that godliness with contentment is great gain. It is good and very much in line with the teaching of scriptures that we would be content with our life and our position in life.

When Jesus here is speaking of hating his life, He is speaking of the same matter that He spoke as recorded by Luke in chapter 14.

Then just after He had given that example or a story, a parable to those people of a king or a man having a feast and inviting these people and first inviting the Jewish people and later on during different calls to come into that festivity, He told to go to all the world even to the byways and by the fences.

And I can remember the Lord said unto the servant, "Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled."

This was called for all people, not only the Jews. Yet in many, many of those who could hear His word grew up in that Jewish culture. Their mom and dad were Jews, their brothers and sisters were Jews, and some of them believed in Jesus that He truly was a Messiah, but some of them didn't.

So think of that conflict that they would have when they come to a decision: are they going to follow continue the path that their mother and father in unbelief yet even yet living pious life but if they did not believe in Jesus they would be in unbelief or would they follow the Son of God?

Jesus told that 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.

When we are talking about loving God and that love that faith can create even that love that we have for our dear ones and near ones compared to that can be as hate. It doesn't mean that we have to hate our even if our family members are in unbelief. Rather the Bible and elsewhere Jesus is for sure His example and His word we are to love and lovingly call and never stop loving.

But here Jesus is making a point that as our dear brother Brian often says that God wants our whole heart not just a little part of it. So it is that even the family connection should not prevent us from following Lord Jesus Christ.

I know you young people that have are going through time of life and maybe life of faith feels even more and more personal and you have relationships and know people who believe and some who don't believe. It is good to continue to love everyone yet it is good to remember that there is kingdom of God and those who believe are in that kingdom and those who do not they are not yet in that kingdom.

Jesus continues on as Luke writes that whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus is calling people that it's not always going to be an easy path. Yes, there are many, many happy moments and good moments and don't look for a believer is good already for this life but especially for the life to come but it is filled with also affliction and trials and temptations.

In Jesus' time it was also life where they could feel persecution, a very, very deep persecution and talking about their life was in danger if they continue to believe in God and not confess any other God or seizure to be a God.

Jesus says that for His disciples His followers should make considerations for their life and isn't that what we as believers we make considerations on what things might be healthy and beneficial for our life of faith and what things might not.

Sometimes it's difficult to point that well this is sin and that is not sin. Child of God wants to have a mind of consideration. That's what we hear the voice and from the congregation on very many things of what might be beneficial and good for life of faith and what might not.

Just hear what kind of consideration Jesus here gives us an example: who does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

For which of you intending to build a tower, that's a big plan to build a tower, sit it not down first and count at the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it.

These are those considerations but happily after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.

Or what king going to make war against another king sit not down first and consulted whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand or else while the other is yet a great way off he sent an ambassador and desireth conditions of peace.

So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaken not all that he had he cannot be my disciple.

In all life's choices the priority is faith. That's what Jesus is teaching here. That's why He uses such a big contrast of hating and loving because He wants to make it clear for us our feelings many times would teach us otherwise but the conscience that is bound to the word of God leads us in these questions and we want to consider.

Jesus continues because salt is good but if salt have lost his savor where shall it be seasoned? It's neither fit for the land nor yet for the dunghill but men cast it out.

He that has ears to hear let him hear.

Jesus is speaking here of following Him and of course we understand that He's following Him in doctrine also for those people because this is just a few days before the Easter time the first Easter for those people it truly was a call to remain steadfast in His footsteps because there would be a time very soon after this where Jesus followers were persecuted and they were jailed and they were tortured there were times where many of them were killed.

Jesus left them His message to follow Him and just think of those people in those situations when their life is in danger if they do not deny their faith in Christ if they do not bow to idols foreign gods they are in danger of losing their life.

What was more important for them? Jesus is preparing them just as He is preparing and exhorting us to follow Him in His doctrine. He prepared His own to always keep faith yet as the most important thing in their life.

"He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

He is speaking of two lives. We can focus on our temporal life, make our choices in this life in such a way that this life that passes by is the most joyous and has the most pleasures or we can focus on that life eternal that already begins here in the kingdom of grace and continues in the kingdom of glory in heaven.

Jesus wants that we can lift our eyes and look further.

"If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me him will my Father honor."

And Jesus here is troubled himself because He could He knew what was coming. This was just a few days before Easter. He had been to Bethany and He had made pleasures to live again. People were marveling at Him and He for the high priest wanted Him to be captured. He had to escape to the wilderness with His disciples and He did for a while and then He came back to Jerusalem for the time of Passover.

And now He is speaking this word in one of the, I think He was then in Bethany when He is speaking these words and there were some Greeks non-Jews who had come there and they had wanted to meet Jesus but He knows what is coming and He says now I is my soul troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour.

He knew and He was in despair but yet His desire was the Father let Your will happen. He asked Father to glorify Father's name.

Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered others said an angel speak to Him.

Jesus is there and speaking these words and asks Father glorify Thy name and soon something happens they hear a voice from heaven others said it must have been a thunder and others said it must have been an angel that spoke to Him.

God spoke and Jesus said that this voice came not because of me but for your sake for all those people who could hear and see that Jesus truly had to be the Son of God.

"Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me."

This He said signifying what death He should die.

Where is it and what is it dear brothers and sisters when we want to be comforted and receive reassurance again that I would once be able to be there where Jesus is He says if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me and this He was saying signifying what death He should die.

That reassurance for us even this morning brothers and sisters is in His death on the cross through that He paid for all of our sins and with His victorious resurrection on Easter morning He paved the way to heaven's home and we can bring our sins put them away and of that married work that Jesus did for us we can truly believe even now you cannot lift your heart and believe that all of your sins are forgiven in Jesus name and God you can be of good cheer Jesus cares for His own He said that that's why He gave His life so that we could believe so that we who do not who want to keep that life with Him a priority can have it here as the life of a believer in the fellowship of God's children living in God's kingdom and then life eternal once it is our time to live this world.

Apostle Paul looked forward to that and he was as if reaching for that and when he remembered his past life he said that it had been a good travel he did not have a he could see he did not wish he would have lived in any other way than as a believer and he said that there is a reward for him not only for him but all those who love his appearance coming of Jesus Christ.

We can with hope continue traveling in this time there will once be time for every one of us when we do need to live this life that's why it was important that we were ready to lose it because we want to cling to that life that lasts forever and with that we can happily look forward to the coming days and for the coming days as it has been for the past days God will grant His power last you.

I want to believe together with you. As you can come to the table of the Lord, you can come to be encouraged. You can come to be encouraged in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we do it, we do it in remembrance of Him. For all that He has done for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.