Title: What on earth are you doing for heaven’s sake
Scripture Reading: John 12:24-28
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Last words can sometimes reveal what a person valued most in life. Just before His ascension, Jesus had some parting words for his followers. Here is what he said: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)
Note: Please show the picture of johnny cash and billy graham
‘what on earth are you doing for Heaven’s sake? It goes like this.
Did you walk another mile, turn a frown with a smile?
Did you lift the lowly heart about to break?
Would you also give your cloak to one who took away your coat?
What on earth will you do for heaven’s sake?
Did you feed the poor in spirit an befriend the prosecuted?
Will you show the bounds that all the chains can break?
Did you sow the proper seed? Are you keeping out the weeds?
What on earth will you do for heaven’s sake?
Wil you be one of the meek, did you turn the other cheek?
Would you give a little more than you would take?
Di you shine your little light upon the children of the night?
What on earth will you do for heaven’s sake?
What on earth will you do for heaven’s sake is an appeal to lose your life for heaven’s sake.
A. Raising our families
– Matthew 10:37: ‘He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’
B. Work for you job
– Mark 8:36-37: ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’
C. Enjoying the pleasures of this world
– Hebrews 11:25-26: ‘choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
What the bible is saying is that you raise your families, work for your job, go for a holiday, have outdoor activities, all with perspective of eternity in mind.
We must not forget our missions. What on earth are you doing for heaven’s sake? This morning, Jesus is speaking to you and me through the book of John 12:25 ‘He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.’
Have you noticed how fashionable it is to love your life!
- ‘Love your life’
- 100 ways to Start living the Life you deserve
- 33 simple ways to fall back in love with your life.
‘Anyone who loves their life will lose it – the ‘love’ here is about satisfying our own desires, dress for success, enjoy the good things and the finer things of life, get away once a month.
Loving our life, in the world’s terms, it would seem is living a life of self-gratification, a life that makes us happy. The phrase, ‘live the life you deserve’, is a mantra for our day
- Jesus explains why we must be willing to face death
John 12:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.’
Note: please put the picture on the seed that die
The phrase, ‘unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies’ explains just as a seed will never become a plant unless it dies and is buried so the death and burial of Jesus was necessary to His glorification. Before there can be resurrection power and fruitfulness, there must be death. The same principle is also applicable and true of his followers. Jesus is stating a gospel principle and that is, the only true enrichment is through giving, the only true gain is through loss, the only true victory is through suffering and humiliation, the only true life is through death.
John 12:24 summarize the Christian life. We must die to self if we are going to live. It is to die to the ways of this world, to the way this world defines success, to the way this world defines pleasure, to the way this world defines who you are and what you should be doing with your life. It is to die to the world and to the flesh.
It is actually to live according to the way the word of God defines your life and the way God’s word defines success and the way God’s word defines the purpose of your life. It is saying we do not want to live according to our ways. It is saying, God, we want to live according to your ways. We do not want to live according to our wants. We do not want to live becoming like the world, living for this world. Instead, we want to live according to God’s word and becoming like God.
- Jesus explains that he that love his life shall lose it
Jesus repeated this phrase in Luke 17:32-33 to give an example when he says, ‘Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.’ Christ specifically told us, ‘Remember Lot’s wife.’
Sodom was a city of worldliness and godlessness.
Sodom was a place of materialism and sin.
Lot was actually living in a house in that city.
Lot’s wife wanted what was there. She wanted her beautiful house, and her nice clothes, and her friends, her massages, the Michelin star restaurant, in the city of destruction. She was thinking about all that she would lose if she kept going from the city.
Genesis 19:26, ‘His wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.’
The plains of Sodom today, are pillars of salt there to this very day!
The burning flames is a picture of hell itself.
- Jesus explains that he that hates his life shall gain it
The phrase ‘he who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it:’ is a call to hate our life not in the sense that we disregard it, but in the sense that we freely give it up for God. Our life is precious to us, especially because it is something we can give it to Jesus. Jesus focused our hatred of life when he said he hates his life in this world. We are to disregard our life in this world, seeing instead that we are mere pilgrims and sojourners, with our home in heaven instead of earth. The man whose priorities are right, has such an attitude of love for the things of God that it makes all interest in the affairs of this life appear by comparison as hatred.
In dictionary.com, hate means to dislike intensely or passionately, have extremely hostility towards, detest.
To ‘hate his life’ means to be so committed to Christ that he has no self-centeredness, no concern for himself. Tim Keller also says, ‘Anything in life can become an idol, including goals, interests, and loves. Many of Jesus’ original disciples did follow Him – in death.
Note: post picture on the Lord’s supper
Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.
Andrew went to the land of man-eaters (Soviet Union). He was also crucified.
Thomas went a far as India. He was pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Philip went to North Africa where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation, the procounsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.
Matthew, the tax collector was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
Bartholomew went to Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia where he died as a Martyr.
James ministered in Syria. He was stoned and clubbed to death.
Simon the Zealot, ministered in Persia and was killed for refusing to worship the sun God. Matthias went to Syria and died by burning.
John the beloved, died a natural death.
So in today’s context what does it mean?
It means, at least, that you don’t take much thought for your life in this world. In other words, it just doesn’t matter much what happens to your life in this world.
If men speak well of you, it doesn’t matter much
If they hate you, it doesn’t matter much
If you have a lot of things, it doesn’t matter much
If you have little, it doesn’t matter much
If you are persecuted or lied about, it doesn’t matter much
If you are famous or unheard of, it doesn’t matter much
Jesus is saying, ‘choose to die with me. Choose to hate your life in this world the way I have chosen the cross. Jesus calls us to choose the cross. People only did one thing on the cross. They died on it. Paul defines it so well in Act 20:24, ‘I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify of the grace of God. Paul is saying, ‘It doesn’t matter what happens to me – if I can just live to the glory of God’s grace.
What I have shared, I should say, all of us have failed miserably. We have failed to lose our lives. We have failed to hate our life. We cling on so much to life. We love the home, the friends, the food and the finer things of life as if they will last forever. We are like Lot’s wife, who cannot give up the things of this world. We have turned back and looked. But there is good news. What we failed; Jesus has succeeded. He literally hated his life when he went to the cross for each of us. He paid for all those failures and sins in our life. And when he died, the father said He had punished Jesus on our behalf and Jesus has paid for all your sins. But Jesus came back with resurrection power and fruitfulness. And he offers this new life to us if you follow him. And He declared that his promises are better than life in this world.
His first promise is to give us the spirit’s life. That’s the Holy Spirit’s life—the Spirit’s life is eternal life. The Spirit takes the life of Christ and his coming kingdom and mediates that life—that unending, all-satisfying life—to our innermost being when we hate our lives in this world. Why settle for anything in this world when you can have God? You can’t top the Spirit’s life with any experience in this world. Nothing in this world can give you unending, all-satisfying life from the very presence of God like the Spirit gives to the one who follows Jesus. Nothing—no gadget, no praise, no pornographic image, no person, no cash, no drug, no vacation compares with the Holy Spirit of God.
His second promise is he gives you the son’s promise. Christians, we don’t hate our lives in this world as an end in itself, but to help us pursue others with the same self-less service and self-sacrificial love so characteristic of Jesus. We gain the very presence of Jesus. His point is that no matter what may come to us as a result of following Jesus—even if it’s something as severe as martyrdom for the sake of the gospel—he is present with us and nothing in this world can take him away from us or us away from him.
The third promise the Father’s reward. Look at the end of verse 26: “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” The Father’s honor remains forever, because he remains forever, and the Son in whom he delights remains forever, and the Spirit—who will one day conform us fully to Christ’s image—he too, remains forever. And the honor he gives us is forever. So, if we hate our lives in this world and follow Jesus, the Spirit’s life, the Son’s presence, and the Father’s reward are all ours—and those promises far outweigh anything this world can offer.
