Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 29th Jun 2008
John 10v28-29
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
In the context the Jews want a simple answer to their question: are you the Messiah.
As part of his answer he tells them this: all the sheep will be saved, they can never be lost or stolen out of his grip or the Fathers grip.
He is saying yes I am the Messiah and the proof is that I guarantee a failsafe salvation. All my sheep will come and be saved and they will never then be lost!
The Jews (Johns reference for the Pharisees etc) will not come because they are not his sheep!
The theme of course is the security of the saved! (perseverance of the saints).
What would this have meant in its original context?
For the Jews it would have sounded quite ridiculous that Jesus was claim such a thing. That he would save and that he would lose none.
The concept of never being lost was part of the covenant blessing but was conditional upon obedience. Oftentimes the Jews thought they could do what they liked and never be lost but then they were punished until they repented and returned to the LORD. Nonetheless Gods over all purpose was to never leave nor forsake his chosen people!
So the concept was not strange but that Jesus could claim it was for them unbelievable!
Yet for the sympathetic listener the words would have come as a wonder and a joy.
The principle that no one who believes can ever be lost is for us today equally a wonder and a joy!
1) The first question that we need to look at as we address this theme is: Who will never be lost?
And for the answer we need to look at what Jesus says in v27:
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
From a human point of view we can see that,
the sheep will never be lost, but who are they?
They are those who listen to and follow Jesus:
“Listen” - sheep listen to the voice of the Master.
That is we pay attention to what Jesus says.
“follow” - the listening is then put into practice by following.
This action of listening and following is discipleship in a nut shell!
All those who listen and follow will never be lost.
In other words all those who are disciples of Jesus will never be lost.
From the divine point of view, those who are never lost are the known ones!
This is what we need to keep in mine as we listen and follow.
Jesus knows us! That is the source of our salvation: the great fact that Jesus knows us.
In other words our salvation is not dependant upon us! But upon God.
It also points to the whole ‘relational shape’ of our salvation.
Jesus knows us, we are not just an name on a list. We are in a living relationship.
2) The next question is how is that none will ever be lost?
a) because no-one is strong enough.
No one and no thing is strong enough to take the disciple out of Gods grasp.
“snatch” - the word is seize, take by force.
The picture is of the sheep stealer who climbs into the pen the wrong way in order to steal!
V39, the Jews tried to seize Jesus but he simply escaped.
It was impossible for them to take him! They could only take him as He willed.
Jesus says it is impossible for that to happen to you!
There is no-one who can snatch the disciple out of his hand!
Jesus will never let that happen.
He allowed himself to be taken once, but he will never allow a disciple to be taken.
Also then there is nothing we could do that would take us out of Gods grip.
No sin, failure, betrayal, corruption, etc could ever take us out of Gods grip.
How is it that none will ever be lost?
b) because of where we are - in Christ in the Father!
Where are we? “my hand…my Fathers hand”
Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
We can never be lost because of our new location.
We are in the centre of the universe. Cherished, protected, watched over, loved.
A baby in a loving mothers arms could not be safer than we are in Christ.
Or a person in a “safe house”, or the president of the USA etc
The use of the hand image is particularly important because the hand of God represents the power of God.
Disciples are those who can never be lost because they are held by all the power of God Almighty!
Our new location is in the power of God.
Where are you as a disciple?
In Gods hand, in Gods power, at the centre of the universe!
So there is absolutely no way that you can be taken!
App:
There is nothing to be afraid of. All the forces of hell could not touch you.
Salvation can never be lost. It would be an affront to the power of God.
If a disciples could be lost then it would mean that God was not God.
Your salvation is that important to Him that he has rapped you up and hidden you away in Christ, in God. “In my hand…in my Fathers hand”
God is treating you like the most important piece of treasure that there has ever been discovered.
What would you do with such a treasure?
You would put it in the safest place imaginable!
That is where God has put you! Safe, secure, for now and forever.
Ever fairy tale ends with those great words “they lived happily ever after.”
That is the end of the story for every disciple of Jesus.
A happy ever after for every disciple:
Because we are known, because we have listened and followed, because we are wrapped up in Christ in God!
sunday evening 29th June 2008
John 11 the Death and Resurrection of Lazarus
The interesting thing here is that Jesus allowed the man to die: Gods Permissive will.
He was not just any old man, but someone who Jesus really loved - v3, v5.
He was just sick. Jesus could easily have healed him, like so many others.
Instead he allows him to go through the trauma of death! v6
Then he allows those who loved him to go through the trauma of grief.
V39 - they had suffered through days of mourning!
Why?
This is the great question to all the mysteries of life.
Why does God allow such things to happen?
The passage gives us a few pointers as to why.
1) it is allowed to happen but it was never meant to be - it is a mystery.
V33, “deeply moved” : angered / indignant -
“in spirit” - this touched his very core!
v35, “Jesus wept”
Jesus is caught up in the distress and grief of others and he weeps!
also LK19v41Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.
V38, again “deeply moved”.
What provokes such reaction? Death! Why? It was never part of Gods plan.
He is therefore, repulsed by it! It is unholy. Abomination.
App:
In the face of great suffering, in the face of the WHY questions of life, we can try to answer they WHY by being deeply moved ourselves.
We don’t need to try to be logical about tragedy and lose.
But we can weep.
Yet too, we can acknowledge that this was never meant to happen.
And at that level it is a mystery!
That Jesus wept, was moved, was angry, is a mystery - especially since he knew it was going to happen and what the final outcome would be!
Christians don’t ever have to put on a happy face in grief!
Romans 12:15 mourn with those who mourn.
2) the second answer is so that people would believe
V15 “so you may believe”
- Jesus allowed this death to happen so that the disciples faith would increase.
V40 “if you believed you would see the glory of God”
V42 “that they may believe”
V45 “thus many believed”
V48 - the Jewish command were worried that “everyone would believe”
- Others round about needed to believe, not just the 12.
This death happened so through the resurrection many would come to faith.
What a sacrifice was needed for people to come to faith!
To go through the agony of death itself and the agony of grief!
Yet, it was not a cost too high to pay.
App:
What are we willing to do to enable faith in others.
Even in the darkest moment there can be the greatest of reasons for hope.
In fact we are called to use hard times as opportunities for faith.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Yes we still ask WHY, it is still as mystery, we still to grieve, but!
There is a gracious God behind it all, there is the opportunity to increase faith!
To worship God more fully. To draw nearer to the experience of God himself, who lost a Son, who suffered grief.
No experience need be wasted in Gods purposes, when used to develop faith.
But there is a danger here to. A terrible warning.
Some are hardened through life’s bitter experiences.
Many curse God, instead of seeking his help.
3) the final answer is that it happened for Gods glory. (John 9v3 also)
Ultimately God’s glory is all that counts.
Therefore no matter what we go through, if God is glorified, that is all that matters.
John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.”
What is Gods glory?
God’s glory is the visible revelation of himself.
Jesus is saying that this death is going to happen so that God will be seen!
So that Jesus - God’s Son - may be clearly revealed through it!
God’s glory is not revealed in the death itself but in the over all event, and especially the resurrection!
Yet, it took the death to have the resurrection!
The price had to be paid before the glory could come.
App:
Is God’s glory worth the price we may have to pay?
There is no easy way to glorifying God.
Everything that stands in the way of Gods glory has to be sacrificed.
Sometimes that involves the lose of our most treasured items on earth!
Yet it is worth it. God’s glory is worth it. It must be worth it.
God’s glory in fact has to be the great motivator of our discipleship or we will never get very far along the road.
Were there is no real desire for the glory of God then there will be no real pressure to follow.
No pressure to sacrifice : but ultimately then no joy or happiness.
No resurrection.
Then we need to ask, is the price of not seeking Gods glory worth it?
To miss our on the happiness / joy / peace / resurrection!
Surely God’s glory is worth it!
