Sermon Central
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Running Into The Wall
Contributed by Paul Decker on Apr 20, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Now is the time to believe in Jesus.
RUNNING INTO THE WALL
S: Jesus
Th: Believing in Jesus
Pr: NOW IS THE TIME TO BELIEVE IN JESUS.
?: How? How do we connect with belief?
KW: Issues
TS: We will find in our study of John 12:27-50 three issues that we approach in order to connect with belief.
The _____ issue is…
I. IGNORANCE (27-36a)
II. INCREDULITY (36b-43)
III. INVITATION (44-50)
Version: ESV
RMBC 18 April 04 AM
INTRODUCTION:
What is your method when it comes to making decisions?
ILL Notebook: Decision (toss 14 times -- modified)
By the time Ted arrived at the Bills game, the first quarter was almost over.
"Why are you so late?" his friend asked.
“I had to toss a coin to decide between going to church and coming to the game."
"How long could that have taken you?"
"Well, I had to toss it 115 times."
It is interesting that our methods often reflect our desired outcomes, don’t they?
TRANSITION:
This was certainly true for the Jewish leadership when it came to the subject of Jesus.
As you may remember in our previous studies in the gospel of John, the leaders had already determined to kill Jesus.
It was a “done deal” in their minds, but the “how” it was going to get done was still undecided.
They had decided that they were going to wait until after the Passover, but then an event happened that forced their hand, so to speak.
It was the Triumphal Entry.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey, thus proclaiming Himself as King and Messiah.
This was just too much for the leadership.
Thus…
1. After the “Triumphal Entry,” panic sets in among the leadership.
It was their conclusion, “Look the whole world has gone after Him.”
It certainly was an overstatement.
The whole world had not, but this event was too much for the Jewish leadership.
They had to do something now.
The wait was over.
They just could not let this rising popularity of Jesus go unchecked.
He was going to destroy everything they stood for if they didn’t stop Him.
So…
2. The time had come.
They were going to do it.
But, they may have felt it was going to be a surprise to Jesus, but it wasn’t.
Do you know why?
It was because the time had come.
Jesus knew the hour had arrived.
He knew He was facing death.
And in so doing, He makes a final appeal.
It is an appeal that reaches down to the ages of us today.
It is time to believe.
Jesus knows that we will wait and wait.
He knows we will put it off.
He knows we will wait until a more convenient time.
But now is the time…
3. NOW IS THE TIME TO BELIEVE IN JESUS.
The challenge before us today is “how.”
How do we do this?
How do we connect with belief?
Well…
4. We will find in our study of John 12:27-50 three issues that we approach in order to connect with belief.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first issue is IGNORANCE (27-36a).
Jesus was faced with those that were ignorant of the urgency of the situation.
(27) "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. (28) Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." (29) The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." (30) Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. (31) Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. (32) And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (33) He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (34) So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" (35) So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. (36) While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
As we read through this passage, we see that…
1. Jesus anticipates the trouble that is coming.
The text here tells us that because of what is looming ahead for Jesus, He is in a continuous state of turmoil.
His soul is continually troubled.
