Daring to Die
Series: Daring Discipleship
John 12:23-26
August 20, 2006
Morning Service
Introduction
There is a great search going on the spiritual realms. This is a search that Jesus is making. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. Jesus is searching for people. Not just any people but a special kind of person. Jesus is searching those who will follow Him. Not just people who will give Him lip service on Sunday and then forget Him on Monday. No, Jesus is searching for something more, something special, and something uncommon in our world today.
German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer described discipleship in these words: When Christ calls someone; He bids them to come and die.
Jesus is looking for people who will follow Him with a reckless abandon. He wants people who will throw caution to the wind and embark on the journey called discipleship. Jesus is searching for a few daring hearts who will fully devote themselves to Him. Jesus is searching for people who will give their lives for Him. Jesus is looking for people just like you and me. The only question that remains is this: will you join the journey? Will you take up the call Jesus issues: Come, follow me? Will you dare to be a disciple?
Have you ever given serious thought to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? Yes, we talk about it in Sunday School, in Bible study and even in sermons. But do we honestly stop and consider what it is that Jesus wants from those who will follow Him? A student is one who learns what their teacher knows; a disciple becomes what their master is. Jesus wants you to become like Him.
Jesus is searching today for men and women who will follow Him. Are you daring enough to take up the call? Are you daring enough to take the adventure called discipleship?
If you have your Bibles with you this morning, open them to John 12:23-26. I want to look at the first daring step you need to take to truly be a disciple of Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:23-26
I. Death brings fruitfulness
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
The church for far too long has created a weak form of discipleship. When Jesus calls you to come follow me, it is a call to come and die. Jesus wants you to die to your sinful desires. He wants you to die to your selfish wants. He wants you to die to your will. He wants you to die to your way of life. Yes, I know this sounds more than a bit radical but that is the way of Jesus. Jesus is nothing less than radical.
Jesus came to this world to die. There could be no eternity for any of us until Jesus died. Jesus died to buy you back from the power of sin and death. The least that you can do is follow. Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. In fact, Jesus said just the opposite. Discipleship is not just a partial commitment. Jesus wants all of your life, every single bit. He wants it ALL! Every part of your life has to die.
The pet sin that you live with - It has to die
The pride that you have - It has to die
The worry and the concern that you have - It has to die
The selfish desire that you live with - It has to die
The material want that you have - it has to die
ANYTHING in your life that is not under the Lordship of Jesus - It has to die
The only way that you can truly experience life, is to die. It is only through dying that we truly live. Jesus is calling you to a radical, daring life of following Him. Jesus is calling out to come and die. Jesus is calling come follow me. Jesus is calling you to come and die. Jesus is calling you to give your life to Him. Jesus is calling for you to live for something higher than your own selfishness.
The same is true of the church. Jesus is calling the church to follow Him. The church has become focused on making people happy. Don’t say anything that might offend someone. Never do anything that might upset somebody. Stop saying things that people might not like. I have heard all of these things. Churches must make a choice. They will either please people or they will please Christ.
We candy coat sin. We ignore problems that need to be confronted. We brush over just plain bad behavior in an effort to make people happy. We don’t want to rock the boat. Heaven forbid someone get upset. Enough is enough. Jesus is calling come and die.
II. Death brings life
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Jesus is not making some kind of call for martyrdom. He is not calling us to lay down our lives in a sacrifice that brings death. What Jesus is calling us to do is much more radical than that. Our lives are meant to be living sacrifices. Jesus wants us to give Him everything in our lives.
What exactly does Jesus want from you?
• Your life – all that you are and all that you will become
• Your family – every single member, He wants them all
• Your possessions – all that you think you own, He wants it all
• Your vocation – all of your effort, He wants that too
Let me be precisely clear so that there is no misunderstanding this. Discipleship is an all or nothing deal. Either you are following Jesus completely or you aren’t following Him at all. Jesus wants to be the Lord of your life, not parts or sections. He wants it all.
We live so that we can die. Jesus is not talking about just physical life. The promises of Jesus can seem like a paradox. A paradox is simply something that doesn’t make sense to our human mind. Let me give you a few just to jog your memory.
To be whole you must be broken
To live you must give up your life
To receive you must give
To be first you must be last
To be the greatest you must serve
To be exalted you must humble yourself
To be strong you must be weak
To be fruitful you must die
Some of these almost sting when we hear them. They sting because we don’t like them. They hurt because they strike too close to home. The wincing is a wake up call.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
Don’t fall in love with the world around you. The truth is that all things are going to pass away and cease to exist. All things means exactly that all things. So don’t get too attached. It’s all going to fade away and disappear. It is also true that you are part of all things and that means you will pass from this life too. Your days on this earth are numbered. They will come to an end. The only thing that you take with you eternity are the things you did for Christ. Some of you sitting here won’t be taking much when you go.
III. Death brings service
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me
Who are we following?
We follow the one who defeated death. We follow a man who died and rose again. We follow a man who proved that He was God in flesh. We follow one who promises to come again. We follow the one who gives us hope in the midst of the disparity of life. We follow one who calls us to come and die. We follow Jesus who is the Christ.
The sad truth is that many don’t follow because they are too busy wanting to lead. We don’t follow because we don’t want to give up our control. We don’t follow because we’re just too stubborn to follow anyone, even Jesus.
Who are we serving?
Some people serve themselves and do what is best for them. They live to look out for #1. What a pathetic way to live. Some people serve their families. They bend over backwards to do everything for their families. Some people serve others and accomplish various community works. Some people serve the church and do lots of things for the church. There is a massive difference between doing church work and doing ministry.
Then there are the few who actually serve Jesus. They come and work not to be recognized or honored by someone. They serve because it honors Jesus. They serve not to show you but to show Him.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Conclusion
Today, the still small voice is calling. Like a whisper on the wind. Can you hear it? Falling like the rhythm of gentle rain. The voice of Jesus is calling. Are you listening? The words echo through the tides of time: “come and follow me.”
Whatever is holding you back in your walk with Christ, it has to die. The only way those things will die is if you let them. The altar is already open, if God is speaking to you stop waiting and start moving. Don’t wait for the time to be right because there might never be another time.
