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SERMON DATE AND TITLE: 20110403: "We Would See Jesus"This page streams the audio-only sermon, when available, in downloadable SWF flash format. It begins playing upon opening this pageWant a download or CD copy? Read this. The sermon outline is below, when available. |
WE WOULD SEE JESUS SERMON STARTER Twenty-Six years ago Lois and I went w/Lisa to Geneva, Ohio for a piano contest. Other musicians were there for solo and ensemble presentations. I was assigned to a school room w/several other musicians who were warming up for their solos. ALSO assigned to the same room were several PERCUSSIONISTS! In case you don't know what a percussionist is think of drums, as in VERY, VERY LOUD! There were three of them in the room. When one would nervously finish rehearsing his/her solo, then another would begin. After one hour of this bedlam, my nerves were not just tangled, THEY WERE SHREDDED, RIPPED INTO LITTLE PIECES!!!! THAT'S A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF HOW WE FEEL AT THE END OF WINTER AND BEGINNING OF SPRING EACH YEAR. WINTER HAS EXHAUSTED US! WE'RE TIRED OF SLIPPERY ROADS! SWEATY PALMS ON COLD STEERING WHEELS! DRIVING ON ICY ROADS! WE'RE WORN-OUT FROM CABIN-FEVER. WEARY FROM SHOVELING SNOW. TIRED OF BUYING SALT, SCATTERING IT ON THE DRIVEWAY. STIR-CRAZY, BUT NO PLACE OUTDOORS TO STIR!! We are jittery, irritable, jumpy, slightly depressed. . . Maybe that's a little bit of how the Greeks must have felt as they approached Jesus' disciple, Philip. "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Jews from Greece had come for Passover and heard about Jesus. They wanted to see Him and talk to Him. The Orthodox Jews of Jerusalem were contemptuous of anyone considered "impure" racially and ethnically. They have a derisive term, "Goyen." The word is uttered with a slight curl of the upper lip. The King James Bible's word for non-Jews was "Gentiles." See yourself as one of the Greek Jews approaching Jesus. . . Eg. In 1938 a minister from Covington, Kentucky visited the Holy Land. He was so inspired from his visit, he began to dream of recreating a piece of the Holy Land for those who could not afford to travel there. Land was purchased. Flowers and trees were brought in from 24 countries. A carpenter shop was built w/tools imported from Nazareth. A replica of the Empty Tomb was built. Overlooking the entire project was a gigantic statue of Christ which could be been for miles. It opened in 1959, and was billed as a religious Disneyland. The minister called his project, "The Garden of Hope!" ALMOST IMMEDIATELY the Garden of Hope ran into difficulties! Plants and trees died! Finally the Park went bankrupt! For 21 years this pastor had planned and dreamed. . . BUT HIS DREAM FAILED. The chapel is padlocked! The lonely statue of Christ is in disrepair. . .
Fourth Sunday in Lent - April 3, 2011 Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland
WE WOULD SEE JESUS JOHN 12:20-33
Four Things We Need to See Jesus I. WE NEED DESIRE TO SEE JESUS – John 12:20,21 “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." A. The Greek Jewish Proselytes were curious about Jesus 1. Could have been his acclaimed healing powers - Luke 6:17,18 “And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.” 2. Could have been Jesus' raising Lazarus in John 11 B. Key to WHY they wanted to “see Jesus” is the word used 1. Ordinary word for sight is “Blepo” 2. The word here is “Eidon,” which means “to know” “to be acquainted with” 3. Didn’t just want to look upon Jesus 4. Wanted to know him personally 5. Wanted to know him like the disciples, intimately 6. They wanted to experience the Presence of Jesus C. That’s the desire we need to see Jesus D. Some of us are like the “Garden of Hope” (See Illustration) 1. Once had zeal, desire and hope 2. Time, age and suffering have taken their toll 3. Some have become “Spiritually Bankrupt” 4. Weeds grow in your Garden of Hope E. Need Desire to See Jesus
II. WE NEED INTERCESSORS TO SEE JESUS – John 12:22 “Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.” A. An Intercessor is one who stands between two parties 1. Intercessors Plea and Bargain for another 2. Philip and Andrew become Intercessors for the Greeks 3. It is good to pray for one another B. An Intercessor is helpful when you are overwhelmed or sick 1. An Intercessor is helpful when Salvation is needed 2. Daniel Hitchcock’s brother needs intercession a. Suffering from three major health Issues b. Together Dan and I prayed for his soul C. Intercessors are needed who will talk to men about Jesus 1. Remember, Intercession is BOTH ways 2. We speak to both parties and facilitate communication
WE WOULD SEE JESUS, cont.
III. WE NEED TO DIE TO SELF TO SEE JESUS – John 12:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” A. It’s close to Springtime and plantings time 1. Each cornstalk will produce at least Two Ears of Corn 2. Each ear will have 200 kernels on it 3. One Kernel of Corn produces 400 kernels 4. Next years plant all 400 kernels 5. That will result in 160,000 kernels 6. Year after that if I plant them all I’ll yield 64,000,000 kernels 7. Three planting seasons back I started with one kernel B. Dying to Self is mandatory if we follow Jesus – Luke 9:23 “Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” 1. Following Jesus isn’t a walk in the park 2. The Death of Self is a daily spiritual exercise - 1 Cor. 15:31 “I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 3. Need to Die to Self to See Jesus
IV. WE NEED A NEW HEART TO SEE JESUS – John 12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." A. God Promises to give us a New Heart – Ezekiel 11:19 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,” 1. The problem with the Heart of Flesh is Vulnerability 2. Easy to be Bruised, Injured or Hurt B. Stony Heart is the Calloused Heart 1. Hardened Heart 2. Self-Protective Heart C. The Heart of Flesh is a Transformed Heart 1. Gone is the sense of emptiness 2. Gone is the boredom 3. We gain Vitality of Life, Energy and Drive D. Surgeon Illustration – Jesus is the Master Heart Surgeon 1. He takes Hardened, embittered, Hate-Encrusted Hearts 2. Jesus gives us a soft, warm, useable heart of flesh 3. The Heart of Flesh is warm toward God and mankind 4. This is the heart that can See Jesus CLOSING ILLUSTRATIONS: Sew It Back Surgeons are occasionally invited to dinner parties. Sometimes they are asked by their hosts to “carve the meat,” since their specialty is the skillful use of a knife. On other occasions surgeons are asked stupid questions by hosts as they carve the meat, “How am I doin’, Doc?” “How do you like that technique?” “I’d make a pretty good surgeon, don’t ya think?” When the host was nearly finished and the slices of meat lay on the serving platter, the surgeon spoke up, “Anybody can take them apart, Harry. Now let’s see if you can put them back together again!”
Eg. The Lost is Found I taught at the Youngstown Rescue Mission for a few years in the mid-eighties. One afternoon as I was finishing a study on John’s Gospel a young man asked me if God could love him. I told him a true story about a man at my church who had become an alcoholic. He didn’t believe that God could love him. His father was an alcoholic and he had never known a father’s love. I asked him to pray with me and ask for God to reveal Himself as love. “Jesus, do you love me?” And then I asked him to expect God to reply and answer him. The next day, the young man was working on some farm machinery on his job. The previous year he had plowed the small, 40-acre field before him and lost his wallet. It was somewhere in the field, probably buried as much as 8 to 10 inches below the surface. He remembered my suggestion that he ask God if he loved him. So as he hooked up the machinery behind his tractor and prepared to plow under the stalks from the summer's grain crop, he asked the Lord, "Jesus, do you LOVE ME?" He finished praying and looked up and saw only 12 feet in front of him the missing wallet. I asked him as he related this incident to me later, "Well, did He answer your prayer? Does He love you?" "Preacher, I think He loves me more than I can say!" He found out that Jesus did indeed love him. He was that lost wallet and His love FOUND HIM!
NEW EYES That same afternoon at the Rescue Mission after I finished speaking, the mission chaplain at that time was pastor Diggs. He asked a young man to give his testimony. Years of alcohol abuse injured his eyes. He came to the Youngstown Rescue Mission and gave his heart to Jesus. BUT HE COULDN'T READ. Only a Large Print Bible would work for him. He needed powerful lenses to correct the vision in one eye. The man was only ONE WEEK OLD in the Lord when something dramatic happened to his eyes. HE COULD SEE CLEARLY WITHOUT GLASSES. What do you think happened? HE SAW JESUS! HE EXPERIENCED JESUS' MARVELOUS LOVE! HE FELT JESUS' LOVING COMPASSIONATE TOUCH. . . "SIR, WE WOULD SEE JESUS!" LET'S PRAY
WE WOULD SEE JESUS, Text: John 12:20-33 (NKJV)
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