03-26-17, matthew 21;1-11, more than a prophet
TRANSCRIPT
Matthew 211-11More Than A Prophet
March 26 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
httpberylloebfileswordpresscom201101one-fingerjpg
Whatrsquos the number one thing
httpstwcdailyfileswordpresscom201309glory-of-godjpg
The Glory of God
http1bpblogspotcom_6tzRiT-BrDsTIGM_Ih3dAIAAAAAAAAAX00AJWPvlAfqws640Gods+Gloryjpg
1 Corinthians 1031 ESV 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God
httptse2mmbingnetthid=OIPM824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0amppid=151
First Baptist Church Jackson MissionMultiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpberylloebfileswordpresscom201101one-fingerjpg
Whatrsquos the number one thing
httpstwcdailyfileswordpresscom201309glory-of-godjpg
The Glory of God
http1bpblogspotcom_6tzRiT-BrDsTIGM_Ih3dAIAAAAAAAAAX00AJWPvlAfqws640Gods+Gloryjpg
1 Corinthians 1031 ESV 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God
httptse2mmbingnetthid=OIPM824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0amppid=151
First Baptist Church Jackson MissionMultiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpstwcdailyfileswordpresscom201309glory-of-godjpg
The Glory of God
http1bpblogspotcom_6tzRiT-BrDsTIGM_Ih3dAIAAAAAAAAAX00AJWPvlAfqws640Gods+Gloryjpg
1 Corinthians 1031 ESV 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God
httptse2mmbingnetthid=OIPM824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0amppid=151
First Baptist Church Jackson MissionMultiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http1bpblogspotcom_6tzRiT-BrDsTIGM_Ih3dAIAAAAAAAAAX00AJWPvlAfqws640Gods+Gloryjpg
1 Corinthians 1031 ESV 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God
httptse2mmbingnetthid=OIPM824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0amppid=151
First Baptist Church Jackson MissionMultiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httptse2mmbingnetthid=OIPM824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0amppid=151
First Baptist Church Jackson MissionMultiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
March Memory Verse Romans 122 ESV2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Sunday March 26th 500 pm - 600 pm
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Community DinnersThursday March 30th
600 pm - 800 pm
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Friday March 31rd Saturday April 01st
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Forgiven A Celebration of the CrossSunday April 09th600 pm - 700 pm
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Matthew 211-11
More Than A Prophet
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpworshiphousemedias3amazonawscomimagesmainsmohpmmothetriumphalentryloopjpg
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Matthew 211-11 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples 2 saying to them ldquoGo into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her Untie them and bring them to Me
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
3 If anyone says anything to you you shall say lsquoThe Lord needs themrsquo and he will send them at oncerdquo 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying
5 ldquoSay to the daughter of ZionlsquoBehold your king is coming to you
humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burdenrsquordquo
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpmedialdscdnorgimagesvideosscripture-and-lesson-supportthe-life-of-jesus-christ-bible-videos2011-10-017-the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem-2400x1200jpg
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks and He sat on them
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpmediafreebibleimagesorgstoriesFB_Triumphant_Entryoverview_thumbnails009-triumphant-entryjpg1441363224
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
9 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting ldquoHosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highestrdquo
httpguycareyfileswordpresscom201303jesus_on_donkey_palmsundaycrowdjpg
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
10 And when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying ldquoWho is thisrdquo 11 And the crowds said ldquoThis is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galileerdquo
Matthew 211-11 ESV
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Now letrsquos go back to 1859 BC (over 3800 years ago) and look at Jacobs Blessing in Genesis 498-11
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Genesis 498-11 ESV8 ldquoJudah (praise) your brothers shall praise you
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your fathers sons shall bow down before you
9 Judah is a lions cub from the prey my son you have gone up
He stooped down he crouched as a lionand as a lioness who dares rouse him
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet
until tribute comes to him (until Shilohpeacecomes)
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples11 Binding His foal to the vine
and His donkeys colt to the choice vine he has washed His garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapesGenesis 498-11 ESV
bull Jacobs Blessing (1859 BC)
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV8 ldquoRemember this and stand firm
recall it to mind you transgressors9 remember the former things of old
for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like Me
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
10a declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done
11b I have spoken and I will bring it to pass I have purposed and I will do it
Isaiah 468-10a 11b ESV
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Now go to Zechariahrsquos final prophecies (Zechariah 9-14) ndash which were made about 1379 years later (around 480 BC or shortly after that)
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Zechariah received a series of visions in which God revealed His plan for the history and future of the world showing that He is ultimately in control and He will fulfill the promises that were made to their fathers and to Abraham
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Other visions Zechariah experienced reveal the coming judgment of God and His victory over sin in these visions everything is about the Messiah and His coming (both of them)
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Zechariah prophesied about the nations that would oppress Israel about there being a time of destruction and later that they would come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwjesusismyredpillcomSavior20Riding20foal20of20an20ass20-20Zechariah209209-10jpg
The prophet Zechariah spoke more about the Messiah than any of the prophets except for Isaiah
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Zechariah 99 ESV 9 Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion
Shout aloud O daughter of Jerusalem Behold your king is coming to you
righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey
on a colt the foal of a donkey
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The King Rejected This promised King came and the religious rulers conspired to kill Him
He was a threat to their corrupt system then and Jesus is also a threat to every corrupt system now
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
When any man or any system or any government tries to get rid of Jesus Christ you can be certain they are corrupt
Their corruption is threatened by Jesus
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Zechariah 144 5c ESV4 On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley so that one half of the Mount shall move northward and the other half southward
5c Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones (That would be us) with Him
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http3bpblogspotcom-WHxwe703SFEUOm1UCVJJkIAAAAAAAADE0Q-BNZu2Iu1gs1600MOUNT+OF+OLIVES+FAULTjpg
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http2bpblogspotcom-3bbzrgIZaMEUGQMUlmbpGIAAAAAAAABv8lab29iY4XKws1600Mount+of+Olives+1JPG
Mount of Olives
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http4bpblogspotcom_VGlRy6txdQkTOHZRLA4pCIAAAAAAAAAFQ0iiJ9ms1D5kS660jesus_return2jpg
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpts2mmbingnetthid=H4939299503409857amppid=17
Ray Stedman 1917-1992
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Matthew 211 ESV
The Triumphal Entry1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpbibleatlasorgareabethphagejpg
Bethphage (BETHfahgee)House of Unripe Figs
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwjesuswalkcomjohnmapstriumphal-entry-route-300jpg
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpimgphotobucketcomalbumsv102JaunitaBible20picstriumphal_entry_jekeljpg
When Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies that He would come as King He was not riding on a war horse but on a donkey a symbol of peace
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http2bpblogspotcom-ffh12DZW3FEUy9VBrxls3IAAAAAAAAAwUDUwJV8e4Mkos16002014-03-23_1505205B15Dpng
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwlostseedcomextrasfree-graphicsimagesjesus-picturescrown-of-thornsjpg
His only scepter was a broken reed His only crown a crown of thorns His only throne a bloody cross
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Immediately after the ldquoTriumphal Entryrdquo John goes on to link it with another event which probably occurred a day or two later in this strategic week -- the visit of certain Greeks to the Passover Feast found in John 12
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpfoundationsforfreedomnetReferencesNTGospelsJohn_resJohnJohn12Investment_Lifejpg
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
John 1220-26 ESV
Some Greeks Seek Jesus20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks 21 So these came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and asked him ldquoSir we wish to see Jesusrdquo 22 Philip went and told Andrew Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
23 And Jesus answered them ldquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified 24 Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit 25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor himrdquo
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpsivimeocdncomvideo505519107_640jpg
The disciples must have been amazed at this reaction of our Lord
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
These Greeks probably had come into contact with the teaching of the Old Testament drawn by its purity its monotheism its clear message of the nature and the greatness of God
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwchosenpeoplecommainimagesstorieshome_modulesPassover-Meaning-1jpg
Though they had not become Jews they did go up to the Passover Feast to celebrate along with the Jews
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwmessianic-torah-truth-seekerorgAbt-pagan-nation-around-IsraelA-N-D-TEMPLE-4jpg
You remember that the outer court of the Temple was called the court of the Gentiles
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Many Gentiles would go up at times like this to celebrate although they could not go beyond those courts on pain of their life
These Greeks picked out the two disciples who had Greek names Philip and Andrew
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Philip we are told was from Bethsaida on the northern side of the lake of Galilee the area where the Gentiles had most fully settled
These were sincere people not curious tourists who said to Philip Sir we wish to see Jesus
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Preachers often see this phrase written inside pulpits offered as a message that hopefully reflects the desires of the congregation
Ray Stedman says he has seen these words in many pulpits and has been humbled and challenged by them
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpsdwellinginthewordfileswordpresscom201203sir_we_would_see_jesus1jpg
John 1221
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Here however these words awaken an unusual response from Jesus
He has not been pleased by the triumphal entry but when He hears that a group of Gentiles want to see Him His response is remarkable
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Immediately He declares The hour has comefor the Son of man to be glorified
Several times in the gospel of John we have heard Jesus say My hour has not yet come
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
When His mother came to Him at the wedding at Cana and asked Him to help with a problem He said to her Woman My hour has not yet come (John 24 RSV)
He did not mean He would not help her because He did
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
He meant that what He would do would not accomplish what she desired because His time had not yet come
On several other occasions He made the same point
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But the moment He hears of these Gentiles wanting to see Him He responds in these words The hour has come
Jesus goes on to utter words that Stedman has described as the formula of focused attention Truly truly I say to you
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
When you see these words pay close attentionto what follows
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone
What does He mean by that
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
He is talking about Himself here and He is also eventually talking about His followers
He is the grain of wheat in this story
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Unless He is willing to die unless He goes to the cross which He sees looming in the immediate foreground now His whole purpose in coming to Earth will have been wasted He will remain alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But if it dies it bears much fruit
He sees these Greeks as the first fruits the symbol of the great harvest of Earth for which He came
Perhaps He thought something like this These Greeks have asked to see Me What does it mean to see Me
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpmycyberwallcozasitesdefaultfilescontentnatural20scienceFeautures20of20plansRAW20MATERIALS20seed20grainjpg
Picture a grain of wheat in your mind can you see that grain so tiny
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Outwardly you can see what it is but can you really see it its full potential
No
In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold dark earth
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpfrlouiscomwp-contentuploads201208germination-of-a-seedjpg
If you watch it eventually a green sprout will appear then the blade then the plant then the stem and finally a head
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpstse2mmbingnetthid=OIPEtLkehD0Pw6mxqyaMc8VzAEsEOampw=244amph=215ampc=7ampqlt=90ampo=4ampdpr=15amppid=17
At last it turns golden the harvest has come but have you seen everything in that grain of wheat
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
No not yet you must plant those grains again and again
At last when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat rippling in the breeze golden in the sunshine you can say you have seen a grain of wheat
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpguidesgamepressurecomfarmingsimulator2013gfxword943847077jpg
Shimmering Field of Wheat
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
You have seen all the possibilities of it all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye and that is what Jesus meant
The world would not see the full outcome of His work and His life until He went to the cross
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him than we know of any other religious leader like Buddha Mohammed or Confucius
It was His death that saved us not His coming
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
We may not have even heard of Him at all so meager were the results of His teaching that only a relative handful stood with Him to the end
Because of the cross He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
In dying He was able to share His life with millions of people
How do we explain men like Luther Knox Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers
How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration Charles Colson who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
How do we explain Solzenityn and millions who daily evidence an altered life a changedoutlook
Everything has come about because of the cross of Christ and God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpsrejoiceinthegodfileswordpresscom201412john-12-263jpg
Jesus applies this to us in the next two verses in John 12
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
John 1225-26 ESV25 Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life 26 If anyone serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there will My servant be also If anyone serves Me the Father will honor him
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Here is the great Christian paradox the unmistakable mark of an authentic gospel It begins with dying with a cross
If the gospel that you hear preached on the radio the television or wherever does not begin with a cross does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die it is not the true gospel
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
This is the identifying mark
How these words of Jesus cut across the philosophy of life today
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Television programs magazines and popular songs present the philosophy Your life is your own Live it the way you please Watch out for No 1 Do your own thing Live so that you can join with Frank Sinatra singing I Did It My Way
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But Jesus declares that if you follow that philosophy you will lose everything
Life will slip through your fingers no matter what you do
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
You can gain all the material abundance you could ever wish for the plaudits of the crowd recognition by the whole world but if you live that way you will end up with nothing your life will be a total waste of time
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
That doesnt mean you have to hate yourself
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It means you must recognize that living for yourself will never supply what you really want out of life
Only as you surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that be brought about
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
FromSuccess
toSignificance
toSurrender
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httphalftimeinstituteorgwp-contentthemeshalftime2014imagestaglinejpg
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpsimages-nassl-images-amazoncomimagesI51NqfLXO1oL_SX331_BO1204203200_jpg
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Halftime Institute1431 Greenway DriveSuite 230Irving TX 75038Phone 855-2ND-HALF
(855-263-4253)wwwhalftimeinstituteorg
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Surrender is a huge part of the true Gospel and it includes a cross and thatrsquos why the cross has become the symbol of Christian faith
If the message you are hearing today does not begin there then its a false gospel a fake gospel
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
If you are being told that the way to gain a deep and wonderful sense of self-esteem is to simply come to Jesus and let Him build you up and make you feel good about yourself you are not hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It does not begin that way it starts with a cross
Dr A W Tozer the great preacher of a few decades ago said The cross is the symbol of death It stands for the abrupt violent end of the human being
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends He was not coming back
He was not going out to have his life redirected he was going out to have it ended
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The cross made no compromise modified nothing spared nothing It slew all of the man completely and for good It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim It struck swift and hard and when it finished its work the man was no more
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
That evangelism which draws friendly parallelsbetween the ways of God and the ways of man is false to the Bible and cruel to the soul of the hearers
The faith of Christ does not parallel the world it intersects it
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
In coming to Christ we do not bring our life up on to a higher plane We leave it at a cross (Gal 220)
The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
Also its not the end
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The end is If it dies it bears much fruit
That is where life begins
There is a life we are all born with that must end
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpwwwsabangdisciplesorgwp-contentuploads201309Self-Centered-Life1jpg
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It is a self-centered life that thinks only of itself seeks advantage for itself is ambitious and proud
That life has to die
That is the beginning of the Gospel
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But if it dies then another life takes its place a life that is gracious loving lovely peaceful filled with joy gladness and a deep sense of self-esteem knowing who it is and what it was made to be
That is the rest of the Gospel
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
You cannot reverse these two although people try to
They jump immediately to the end of the gospel -- life in Christ -- without first going to the cross
But that cannot be
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Jesus said so If any one serves Me he must follow Me and where I am there shall My servant be also He must go where Ive gone
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
In terms of daily practical experience what does Jesus mean He who comes after Me must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 923)
What does it mean to bear your cross daily
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It means two things First it means a once-for-all decision and secondly a continuing series of choices
That is what the cross stands forFirst it is a surrender of the rule of your life to Jesus It is a recognition that your life is not your own
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The key words of the Christian faith are You are not your own you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 19b-20a)
Actually you never were your own
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
That is an illusion that the world is perpetrating upon us through the media
They tell us that we belong to ourselves that we have a right to ourselves
That is a lie
Its not true
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It never was You are not your own you are bought with a price
This is the beginning of true life To recognize that fact to surrender your claim to yourself to give up your right to run your own affairs and to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus to do what He says and to stop what He says to stop
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
That hurts
It cancels out your own plans
It confounds your ambitions at times it feels like death
It is death its a form of dying
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It also means to daily follow up on that decision
Keep doing what is right
Stop doing what is wrong and do it all in the strength of Jesus love and companionship
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpmudpreacherfileswordpresscom200908holy-spirit-directed-lifejpgw=614
The result is that you will truly begin to live
New power will come to do what is right
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
New joy will be yours an inner peace that nothing can take away a new ability to loveeven those you could not love before because a new life is yours
You have found a new Lordship and a new life
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Our Lord uses this symbol of a grain of wheat not only of Himself but of everyone who follows Him
Have you ever heard a grain of wheat talking to itself
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Stretch your imagination a little and imagine a grain of wheat looking at itself admiring itself
So round so brown so fully packed and saying to itself This philosophy I hear asks me to fall into that dark cold ground and lose myself I dont want to do that I like myself I want to stay what I am I want to hang on to myself I want to be myself
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Does that sound familiar
If the grain of wheat wants to remain the same
it has that right
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But according to the word of Jesus it will never change
4500-year-old grains of wheat discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs were found to be absolutely the same as any grain of wheat today
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpmedia-cache-ak0pinimgcomoriginals7c7fdd7c7fdd7212f8984ff3b94c85388e435cjpg
But when they were planted these old grains began to grow
They had been totally unchanged for 4500 years but now they began to change - radically
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But suppose the grain of wheat said Well Im told there is more to come a lot more than Im experiencing and the only way I can have it is to fall into that dark ground and die So Ill do it
And it does so
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It falls into the ground and is covered up and dies
Its dark and unpleasant there
The grain of wheat begins to think What a fool I was Why did I ever listen to that idea Look whats happened to me I dont like this at all
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
But then it begins to feel a tickle on its back
It turns around and sees a white sprout coming out
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
It says What is this thats happening I didnt anticipate this at all Ive got to hold a committee meeting with myself and decide what to do about this Im used to being in charge Ive got to determine whether that thing is going to go sideways up or down or whatever
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
While its trying to determine that it discovers there is a lordship which began to take over the moment it fell into the ground
This lordship directs the process quite apart from what the grain of wheat may feel directing that a certain part goes down while another part goes up and soon breaks through into the sunlight
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Then the grain begins to say Oh this is much better Im beginning to enjoy this Its not as bad as I thought
The sprout comes then the blade then the stalk and finally the head
The grain of wheat says I feel fulfilled Irsquom bearing fruit
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Then those grains in the head fall into the ground and they go through the process again and again until at last a great shimmering field of wheat is growing beautiful rippling and golden in the sun
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
http2bpblogspotcom-90fW4ZO1_YcT13wCKhQ1nIAAAAAAAAAEsHZu1QAfeR9Es1600wheat+field+rainbowjpg
The grain of wheat says Ah this is life as it was intended to be
Fruitful -- that is what the end of the Gospel is
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
If you belong to Jesus every day will have its cross every day will have something you ought to do but you dont feel like doing
That is your cross He who follows Me must take up his cross daily and follow Me Luke 923
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Every day has its bit of death in order that it might bring forth life
The end result is a life so glorious so complete so obviously what we were made for that it is hard find the words to describe it
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httpsi0wpcomwwwnccsouthbostonorgwp-contentuploads201506from-death-comes-lifejpgresize=9002C300
The testimony of millions is that its all true
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
You will find this thought everywhere in Scripture
It doesnt make any difference whether its the Old Testament or the New Testament
But you will find this only in the Bible
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
No other book on Earth will tell you that this is the way to life only the Bible only the words of Jesus
But His word is true as He has demonstrated and as the testimony of over 2000 years bear witness He brings life through death
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
This is the choice that lies before us
If we choose to die with Him then we shall live
Truly truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
httptse2mmbingnetthid=JNYeZK4m9R0ZovA7PRca4vagamppid=151
Sunday
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Matthew 2133-45If I Reject Jesus
April 2 2017First Baptist ChurchJackson Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
The Plan of Hope amp Salvation
John 316 ESV16 ldquoFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal liferdquo
John 146 ESV6 Jesus said to him ldquoI am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through merdquo
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Romans 323 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 623a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death
bullDeath in this life (the first death) is 100bullEven Jesus the only one who doesnrsquot deserve death
died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins bullThe death referred to in Romans 623a is the second
death explained in Revelation 218
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Revelation 218 ESV8 ldquoBut as for the cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second deathrdquo
Romans 623b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Romans 58 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
Revelation 217 ESV7 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my sonrdquo
Romans 109-10 explains to us how to be conquerors
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
Romans 109-10 ESV9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved
Romans 1013 ESV13 For ldquoeveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be savedrdquo
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact
If you have questions or would like to know more Please contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or httpfirstbaptistjacksonorgcontact