EASTER SERIES 2013
MODELING AND TEACHING DISCIPLESHIP
JOHN 12:20-27
John 12:19-27 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told 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. 27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
INTRODUCTION: EUGENE PETERSON HAS SAID, “DISCIPLESHIP IS ANYTHING THAT CAUSES WHAT IS BELIEVED IN THE HEART TO HAVE DEMONSTRABLE CONSEQUENCES IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO EVEN THE CASUAL READER OF THIS PASSAGE THAT JESUS IS ACTING UPON THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ON HIS HEART. HE HAS REACHED THE TIME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH REGARD TO HIS CRUCIFIXION AND SUBSEQUENT GLORIFICATION.
JESUS ALSO USES THE ARRIVAL OF THESE GREEKS TO INSTRUCT HIS DISCIPLES (AND US) CONCERNING THE ISSUES OF DISCIPLESHIP AND HIS APPOINTMENT OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE.
I. JESUS MODELS AND TEACHES DISCIPLESHIP
a. DISCIPLESHIP IS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THOSE WHO WILL RECEIVE IT.
i. THE JEWS – WHO JESUS WAS SENT TO – WERE REJECTING HIM!
ii. THE GENTILES – WHO HE WAS NOT SENT TWO – WERE SEEKING HIM
iii. JESUS KNEW THAT THE CROSS WOULD DRAW ALL MEN TO HIM
iv. THE GREEKS WANTED TO SEE JESUS FOR A MOMENT; THE ACTIONS OF CHRIST WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SEE JESUS FOR ETERNITY!
Isaiah 53:10-12 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
v. JESUS TALKS ABOUT BEING GLORIFIED.
1. WE THINK THIS REFERS TO HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS.
2. IT WOULD ALSO REFER TO THE FACT THAT JESUS IS GLORIFIED WHEN PEOPLE SEEK HIM.
b. DISCIPLESHIP MULTIPLIES THROUGH SACRIFICE
i. “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.”
ii. JESUS IS COMMUNICATING A SPIRITUAL TRUTH TO US!
1. WE DO NOT NEED TO SEARCH FOR THIS TRUTH
2. WE DO NOT NEED TO DISCOVER THIS TRUTH
3. WE DO NOT NEED TO DISCUSS THIS TRUTH
4. WE NEED TO DO THIS TRUTH
a. NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN WE AVOID TRUTH
b. NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN WE IGNORE TRUTH
c. NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN WE CIRCUMVENT TRUTH
d. THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE EMBRACE TRUTH!
a. DISCIPLESHIP IS ABOUT REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH.
i. ONE BECOMES MANY
ii. THE MANY GROW!
iii. IT TAKES SOMEONE TO BE THE ONE – IN REALITY IT IS EVERYBODY’S JOB!
b. THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF DISCIPLESHIP – LIVING AND DYING/LOVING AND HATING
i. THIS THING CALLED LOVE
1. JESUS ASSUMES OUR LOVE FOR HIM
2. TOO OFTEN WE ASSUME OUR LOVE FOR JESUS WITHOUT REALLY CONSIDERING WHAT THAT LOVE ENTAILS.
ii. THE LORD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND THE COST OF FOLLOWING HIM
1. COST #1 – OUR LOVES
a. DISCIPLESHIP INVOLVES THE POSITIVE DIRECTION OF OUR LIVE FOR HIM!
i. LOVING JESUS MEANS LISTENING TO JESUS
ii. LOVING JESUS MEANS SERVING JESUS
b. WHEN WE CHOOSE TO LOVE ANYTHING ELSE THAN GOD AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WE ARE CREATING AN IDOL!
IDOLS ARE ROOTED IN OUR HEARTS
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
IDOLS ARE OF OUR OWN CHOOSING
James 1:14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
IDOLS INVOLVE OUR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION – WE YIELD TO THEM!
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
IDOLS WILL KEEP US FROM FOLLOWING GOD
c. WHAT WE LOVE MORE THEN GOD (OUR IDOLS) ARE ROOTED IN OUR “LIFE”.
i. THE WORD “LIFE” IS THE GREEK WORD PSUCHE AND MEANS “MIND” OR IN THIS CASE “EGO”
ii. WHEN JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT LOVING LIFE HE IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT LOVING OURSELVES; STROKING OUR EGOS
a. BY LOSING OUR LIVES, JESUS IS SAYING THAT AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST TO STOKE OUR EGOS IS TO DESTROY OUR LIVES.
b. WHEN YOU AND I CAME TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR, WE GOT “REWIRED”
i. WE WERE REGENERATED ACCORDING TO TITUS 3:5
ii. THE WORD MEANS RECREATION
iii. PAUL SAYS THE SAME THING WHEN HE TELLS US THAT WE ARE A NEW CREATURE, NO LONGER THE OLD CREATURE WE WERE BEFORE CHRIST!
1. COST #2 – OUR LIVES
a. IF I WANT MY LIFE I HAVE TO LOSE IT
b. IF I WANT MY LIFE I HAVE TO HATE IT
i. HATE IS RELATIVE – JACOB AND ESAU AS AN EXAMPLE
c. THE ISSUE IS COMPARISON
i. MY LOVE FOR CHRIST SHOULD MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I HATE EVERYTHING ELSE IN COMPARISON
d. IT IS RADICAL CHANGE!
i. SELF-CENTEREDNESS TO CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS!
ii. IT IS A CHANGE OF FOCUS TO DOING EVERYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, NOT THE PROMOTION OF MY EGO.
2. COST #3 – OUR DIRECTION
a. SERVING CHRIST MEANS FOLLOWING CHRIST
b. I NO LONGER MARK MY OWN PATH, BUT FOLLOW HIS PATH
c. WE ALL HAVE A PATH WE WANT TO FOLLOW, WITH THE HOPE OF SOME REWARD AT THE END.
d. JESUS SAYS THAT FOLLOWING HIM RESULTS IN A REWARD FROM GOD
a. JESUS DEALT WITH SUBMISSION
i. HIS EMOTIONS ARE INVOLVED IN HIS SUBMISSION – “TROUBLED” – STIRRED UP
ii. BUT THEN ASK YOURSELVES THE QUESTION – WHO IS STIRRING UP MY DESIRE TO SERVE GOD?
1. IT IS EITHER YOU
2. OR THE DEVIL
3. WHICH DO YOU THINK HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND – YOUR SINFUL NATURE, OR THE ENEMY OF GOD!? NEITHER!
iii. WHAT MOVED JESUS TO FOLLOW THE DESIRE OF GOD THE FATHER WAS THE OUTCOME
1. MANY SEEDS
2. MANY SOULS
3. MANY IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
4. JESUS UNDERSTOOD HIS PURPOSE!
NOW WE TAKE A MOMENT CONCERNING OUR DISCIPLESHIP; OUR FOLLOWSHIP OF CHRIST.
ARE YOU A DISCIPLE – DO YOU LOVE THE LORD? GUT CHECK TIME – ASK YOURSELF WHERE YOUR CENTER IS – YOUR EGO, OR THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST?
WHO ARE YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR?
WHOSE PATH ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
DO YOU REALLY SEE THE RESULT OF YOUR SUBMISSION TO CHRIST?
WHEN JESUS SAID THE HIS HOUR HAD COME, HE WAS SAYING:
I AM CALLED TO BE OBEDIENT
I AM CALLED TO ACCEPT THE WILL OF THE FATHER OVER MY OWN
I AM READY FOR WHAT GOD ASKS OF ME
THIS EASTER, YOU ARE BEING ASKED THE SAME. ARE YOU READY TO FOLLOW?
