Serve, Follow, Be… Be Honored!
(A Message to the Ministers)
(Preached Saturday Evening, June 6, 2020)
” 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.”
(John 12:26)
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven [saying], “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
(John 12:20-28, New International Version of the Bible)
In the midst of this is the following statement. Do not let it, and all that it can do for you, pass you by, because what you are about to hear is poured forth from the heart of the Savior.
I. Serve Jesus!
”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.” (John 12:26)
A. If…
“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:23)
“Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.” (Exodus 32:26)
B. Any…
“And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Luke 7:23)
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
C. Man…
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matthew 5:13)
D. Serve…
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:” (Luke 6:47)
E. Me…
“And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” (John 12:20-22)
II. Follow Jesus!
”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.” (John 12:26)
A. Let him…
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)
“The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.” (Psalm 105:20)
B. Follow me…
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth…” (John 11:43-44a)
III. Be with Jesus!
”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.” (John 12:26)
A. And…
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” (John 9:35-36)
B. I Am!
“And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.” (John 9:37)
“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
C. Where…
“And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19-20)
D. There…
“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matthew 9:10-12)
E. Shall also…
“…with him and his disciples.” (see above)
F. My servant…
“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples…” (see above)
G. Be…
“…with him.” (see above)
IV. Be Honored for Jesus!
”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.” (John 12:26)
Hear then, now, this story that I bring to you… from the future! A story, not that I have written, but that has been told, word for word, as it was first told! A prophecy: coming true sooner than you have dared to think. Given from the mouth of God, written upon the Sacred pages of the indesctructible Bible which opens up for again, now, in this moment, in your life to reveal before the screen of your mind to you and before you and before all.
This… is the story of what shall be. Be still, and listen! Listen, as the Savior of the World, soon to be “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25), the Son of God who is God and yet, as his other title declares, is also the “Son of Man”… Listen! Listen – to… what… shall… be… at…
- The Judgment:
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not [e]take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
(Matthew 25:31-46, New American Standard Bible)
A. If any man serve me…
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. … as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40b)
- The hungry
- The thirsty
- The stranger
- The naked
- The sick
- The imprisoned
B. Him will my Father honour!
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: … ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:41, 45b-46)
- “… into everlasting punishment”; or
- “… into life eternal.”
OUTLINE:
Serve, Follow, Be: Be Honored!
Serve Jesus
Follow Jesus
Be With Jesus
Be Honored for Jesus
”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.” (John 12:26)
WORSHIP