WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:39.920 I'm going to take a break from 1 Corinthians, and I know it's in the bulletin that I'm in 1 Corinthians 3, and you may go on, may wonder, "Why am I taking a break?" or "Why am I getting out of 1 Corinthians?" It's because in my personal reading of the Gospels, I've come across a passage that spoke to me in such a way that I saw some things I never saw before, and I couldn't get it off my heart, couldn't get it off my mind, and it was so real to me. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:41.439 I thought, "I have to preach this. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:47.320 I have to share this to you guys." And it's a sermon that I need to hear. 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:48.719 It's a sermon that I need. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:55.500 It's a message that's really glorious, but I need to be reminded of it. 00:00:55.500 --> 00:01:04.420 And it's really a message about Christ and being a disciple of Christ. 00:01:04.420 --> 00:01:09.959 So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to John 12. 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:20.760 John 12, we're going to be reading verses 20 through verses 26, and it's an account of a story that's only found in the Gospel of John. 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:27.239 It's not in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, but it's taking place after the triumphant entry. 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:29.040 So it's the last week. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:35.879 It's early in the last week of Christ, and Christ is preparing to die. 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:40.200 He's preparing for the crucifixion. 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:42.599 Start with me in verse 20. 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:49.019 "Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 00:01:49.019 --> 00:02:11.039 So there came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus, and Jesus answered them, 'Thou art has come from the Son of man to be glorified. 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:17.280 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:21.159 But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:30.000 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:37.479 If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there will my servants be also. 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:53.759 If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.'" This is a strange story because throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, he really never really interacted with the Greeks. 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.400 He never interacted with the Gentiles. 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:15.960 After he sent the disciples out two by two, he told them, after he formulated the disciples and sent them out, "Don't go to the Gentiles, only to the house of Israel." And throughout his ministry, he kind of sticks with the Jews. 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:43.479 It's not until after the resurrection he says, "Now therefore go into all the world." And so here's the only occasion that we see in the Gospels where Greeks, Gentiles, we don't know if these Gentiles were Protestants or were attached to the Jewish religion, or if they were just curious about Jesus, his fame had spread beyond the Jewish nation. 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:54.439 We don't know for sure, but here they're coming to seek Jesus, and they have the most amazing request, a wonderful request. 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:58.719 In the King James it says, "We would see Jesus. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:05.159 We want to see Jesus." And I pray that that's your heart. 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:09.000 I pray that you're here this morning because you want to see the Lord Jesus. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.240 I want to see him. 00:04:11.240 --> 00:04:13.460 I want to know him. 00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:15.120 I want to follow him. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:16.720 I want to see his glory. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:18.439 I want to see his majesty. 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:21.800 I'm here to see Jesus. 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.120 And so here are the Greeks. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:25.120 They have heard of the Lord Jesus. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.120 They heard of his fame. 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:27.839 They heard of his miracles. 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:29.639 And now they're seeking him. 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:32.120 They're searching him out. 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:34.639 And they want to see Jesus. 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:40.160 But what's amazing about this story is the response of the Lord Jesus. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:48.160 He did not tell Philip and Andrew, "Well, go tell him to come here." We don't even know if he ever actually saw the Greeks. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:54.720 We never really know if he actually communicated to them or if they ever got into the presence. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.399 They want to see Jesus. 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:10.079 And Jesus' response to them was, "My hour has come for me to be glorified." And he was speaking about his death. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:12.360 I'm about to die. 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:15.000 And unless the seed dies, it remains alone. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.600 But if it dies, it will bear much fruit. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:32.399 And essentially he's telling Philip and Andrew, "Go tell them that I'm about to die." If you want to see me, come back and look at the cross. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.560 Come back and look at me, dead and buried. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:41.459 If you want to see me, see me suffering. 00:05:41.459 --> 00:05:44.800 This was his message back. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.839 And they wanted to be, if you would, potentially his disciples. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:52.839 They were curious enough to want to know him and potentially follow him. 00:05:52.839 --> 00:05:57.720 And so he gives them the cost of discipleship. 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:01.839 If you want to follow me, this is what it's going to cost you. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.600 You too, like me, you must die. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:07.600 You must lose your life. 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:09.459 If you love your life, you're going to lose it. 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:14.680 But if you want to save your life, you must lose it. 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.319 You must die to yourself. 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:19.560 You must crucify yourself. 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:22.220 This is what it's going to take to follow me. 00:06:22.220 --> 00:06:25.160 Is this what you want to look at or you just want the miracles? 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:27.279 Do you just want the glory? 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:31.100 You want the resurrection or do you want the crucifixion? 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:36.720 Do you want to follow me and have health, wealth and prosperity? 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.519 Or do you want to follow me unto death? 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:47.220 Do you want to immolate me and die to yourself and lose your life? 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:50.120 For this is what it's going to cost to be my disciple. 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:55.720 So in this text, we see the cost of discipleship. 00:06:55.720 --> 00:07:01.180 And now this is true if we're not a Christian, if you're contemplating, do you want to be a child of God or not? 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:02.399 Do you want to be a disciple? 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:04.800 Do you want to be a Christian? 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:08.139 Well Christ would tell you, count the cost. 00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:10.439 Know the cost. 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:16.040 And for us who are disciples, the cost remains the same. 00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:18.839 You see, it's not a one-time crucifixion. 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:24.199 It's not a one-time laying our life down and surrendering ourselves to the Lord. 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:29.720 To follow the Lord Jesus Christ is picking up our cross daily. 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:32.620 It's mortification daily. 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:36.720 We must deny ourselves to immolate the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:46.480 We must suffer and be a servant and humble ourselves if we want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:50.120 That's the great cost of discipleship. 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:55.680 But before we look at the cost in detail, let's look at what it means to be a disciple. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.519 What does it mean to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ? 00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:03.560 We see first of all, to be a disciple of Christ is that you have to seek Christ. 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:05.240 You must look for Him. 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:11.519 We see in verse 20 through 22 that these Greeks, they were searching out Christ. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:12.680 They were looking for Christ. 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:14.480 They found a disciple. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.279 They found Philip, and Philip found Andrew. 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.560 And they say, "We need to see Christ. 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:21.240 We're not here to see you, Philip. 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:22.959 We're here to see your Master. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:25.439 We're here to see your Lord. 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:26.879 Show us Jesus. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:33.639 We're here to see the Lord Jesus Christ." You see, this is always the first step. 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:36.679 If you're unconverted, may you at least have the heart. 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:37.720 I want to see Him. 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.360 I want to know Him. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:43.919 Give me a glimpse of Jesus. 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:51.799 And I will say as an Isaiah to seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near. 00:08:51.799 --> 00:09:15.279 Proverbs 8 tells us, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me." And Jeremiah 29, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your hearts." If you want to be a disciple, you never get past this, a search for Christ, a seeking for Christ, a longing for Christ. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.720 I want to see the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.919 And again, this is not a one-time pursuit. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.919 First Chronicles 16, 11, "Seek the Lord in His strength. 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:56.240 Seek His presence continually." Or as Psalm 105 verse 4 says, "Seek His face always." This is what it is to be a disciple, to search for the Lord, to look for the Lord, to wake up in the morning and say, "Lord, I don't want the rest of my day to happen until I've seen You, until I've been in Your presence, until I get a good glimpse of Your glory." This is the longing of every true disciple. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.559 Sir, we would see Jesus. 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:04.919 Hopefully this morning that's your heart's desire, that's your longing. 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:08.519 I want to see Jesus this morning. 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:24.159 The psalmist said, "One thing to have asked of the Lord that I will seek after, that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inquire in His temple." Psalm 63, "O God, You are my God. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:41.120 Earnestly I seek You, my soul thirst for You, my flesh faints for You, as in the dry and weary land where there is no water." And the Lord says, "Seek my face." Is our response, Lord, Your face I will seek? 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:44.559 I want to see You. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:53.440 You know, Christianity is not just about duties and commands and living the right way. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.600 It's about seeing the Lord. 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:04.799 It's about delighting ourselves in Christ, seeking His presence. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:08.200 You see, this is the first step of being a disciple of Christ. 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:13.240 You know, it's only when we see the Lord will we be transformed into His likeness. 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:24.399 2 Corinthians 3, 18, "And we with all unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:28.360 This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." You see, I want to live a holy life. 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:29.440 I want to be a disciple. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.879 I want transformation. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:31.879 I want to be holy. 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:32.879 I want to be obedient. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:35.159 Well, you get that not from yourself. 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.600 You get that from a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:44.600 You've got to see Him first before you can obey Him. 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:50.679 You must dwell with Him before you have strength to conquer with Him. 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.159 Oh, that we would search Him out. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.279 Oh, that would we be like these Greeks, sir, we would see Jesus. 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:05.639 Second, it's not just seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, it's being a beneficiary of Christ. 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:08.159 This is what a disciple is. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:12.279 It's amazing Christ's response to these Greeks. 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:16.320 It's not what we would expect. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:19.799 Jesus answered them in verse 23. 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:23.000 If you want to see me, tell them this. 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:25.879 The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:30.200 He's talking about, you're going to see my glory? 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:32.279 I'm about to be glorified. 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.519 How is Christ about to be glorified? 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:38.200 In Him laying down His life. 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:44.240 Verse 24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:55.440 But if it dies, it bears much fruit." Now why would Christ respond in such a way? 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:57.360 Why would I not just say, hey, bring them here. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.200 Let me show them a miracle. 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.159 Let me give them some wisdom. 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:08.279 Let me impress them in some visible way. 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:20.360 You know, that's what they wanted to see, or at least most people who see Christ, they want to see the majesty and the splendor, they want to see some spectacular event. 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:26.799 Christ says, "Look at the cross. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:36.399 If you want to see me, look at the cross." In other words, if you want to see my glory, I'm about to be glorified. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.759 The Father's about to glorify me. 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:57.120 When we think about the Father glorifying the Son, we always think about the resurrection or the announcement, "All power in heaven and earth has been given to me," or "A name above all names have been given to me." We think of that victorious moment when He comes out of the grave. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.399 We think, well, there He's glorified. 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.919 And we think of the cross as His humiliation. 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:12.720 And we see here that Christ is talking about His death as a moment of His honor. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:15.159 How could this be? 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:20.080 You see, Christ came to bring glory and honor to the Father. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:24.000 His whole life was not about selfish attention. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:36.879 His whole life was to reflect the very beauty and the majesty and the holiness, the love and the goodness and the kindness and the mercy and the splendor of God the Father. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:51.080 And He's telling us that the greatest manifestation of the glory of God is not the angels crying out glory, glory, glory are holy, holy, holy, holy. 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:59.399 The greatest manifestation of the glory of God is that old rugged cross. 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:08.039 In that cross, we see God's love most vividly displayed. 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:17.159 At that cross, we see His kindness, His mercy, His long suffering. 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:27.220 All the goodness of God that we marvel at is most demonstrated and made manifested so clearly, not at the resurrection. 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:31.200 And there's glory at the resurrection, amen. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:42.360 But at that death of His Son, you want to see the God of Israel. 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:45.440 Come look at Him laying down His life. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:50.080 Take a hard, long look at His sacrificial humility. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:16:02.059 You see, He says, "My glory, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." How is Christ glorified by His death? 00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:13.600 How is He glorified by the cross? 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:22.039 One thing for the Almighty to be worshiped, brightly so. 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:30.720 But what type of God who is that glorious and deserves all majesty, all glory, all splendor? 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:45.679 Who is a God like that to take on your shame, to serve you, to bow down and put a towel around His waist and care for you? 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:47.399 That is glory. 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:49.399 Who does that? 00:16:49.399 --> 00:17:06.640 You and I don't do that, and we're nothing but for God of glory to love you, to serve you, to sacrificially give everything for you, and to take your guilt, to take your shame, to take your disgrace, and bear that on your behalf. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.079 That is love. 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:11.619 That is mercy. 00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:13.259 That is grace. 00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:14.680 That is goodness. 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:16.259 That is kindness. 00:17:16.259 --> 00:17:22.720 Everything God is is displayed in the humiliation of the Son. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:26.119 Christ says, "I did not come to be served. 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:33.700 I come to show who the Father is, and the Father is one who serves." Think about God. 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:36.160 He has nothing He needs from you. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:37.160 He needs nothing. 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.160 He's complete. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:39.160 He's absolute. 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:40.960 He's perfect. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:42.680 He did not create you because He's lonely. 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:46.160 He did not need you because He's lacking something. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.079 You see, God is a God of giving. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:51.400 He's a God who He gives and doesn't need anything in return. 00:17:51.400 --> 00:18:07.720 This is the very nature of who God is, and the cross, the personal life of Jesus Christ, and the fact that He lived a whole life of sacrifice, a whole life of giving, a whole life of humiliation and service to the point of giving all that He has. 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:16.079 That demonstrates the very nature of God, and that is a glorious God. 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:20.599 That is God is worthy of worship, worthy of seeking out. 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:22.119 I want to see God. 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:25.480 If you want to see God, go look at Jesus. 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:34.680 Jesus says, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." Don't think it's just Jesus that's humble. 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:37.440 Jesus was humble even before He was incarnate. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:44.200 He being in the form of God didn't think it was robbery to be equal with God, but condescended and made Himself of no reputation. 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:49.759 He did this as the second person of the Trinity, and He reflects the very nature of the Father. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:55.000 God the Father is as humble as God the Son. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:57.079 God the Father is just as giving. 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:00.799 The Father gave up His own Son. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:10.119 You see, the life of Jesus represents the goodness of God the Father and God the Son. 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:20.000 You see, Christ is glorifying the Father in His humility. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:34.119 Don't just think, "Well, the humility is not glory, but then the honor that comes after the humility, only the honor is glory." No, Christ is saying, "My humility shows you my glory. 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:38.079 My humility shows you the glory of the Father. 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:51.400 This is the hour that I will be glorified." He says, "Well, He's not glorified when everybody spits upon Him." No, but the Father is glorified. 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:59.279 And He glorifies the Father in His humiliation. 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:11.440 And I know God was angry at us and poured out His wrath on His Son because of us, but when He looked at the person of Jesus Christ, He was proud. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.039 He was satisfied. 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:16.240 That's my Son. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:24.319 I'm well pleased with Him, and He was never more pleased with the Son than on the cross. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:30.359 Made Him a perfect substitute for you and I, who we displeased Him in our life. 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:36.920 But He took our shame, our guilt. 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:40.119 And for the joy that was set before Him, He died for you. 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:41.200 He served you. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.920 He loved you. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:51.799 He was a self-sacrificial love. 00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:56.759 You see, when He was dying on the cross, He was glorified. 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:02.519 John 12, 27, "Now is my soul troubled," Jesus says, "and what shall I say? 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:08.720 Father saved me from this hour, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:11.799 Father, glorify Your name. 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:33.160 I come principally to show the world Your glory, and I'll show the world Your glory by dying." John 13, 31, when He had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.440 For God is glorified in Him. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:44.680 God will also glorify Him in Himself and glorify Him at once," talking about His death. 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:53.920 You see, the cross is the most vivid manifestation of the nature and the goodness and the glory and the majesty and the splendor of God. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:56.720 Nothing captures the love of God more than the cross. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:59.680 Nothing captures the humility of God more than the cross. 00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:08.480 Nothing captures the glory and the greatness of His love and all the other attributes more than the cross. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:10.519 And it's not just the fact that He died. 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:21.000 It'd be one thing for Him to serve good people, but it's greater glory that He humbled Himself to serve sinners. 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:26.799 Who does that? 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:30.680 He served us and gave to us while we had nothing to give to Him. 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:33.160 Again, do you want to see Jesus? 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.119 The Greek says we want to see Jesus. 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:42.599 Jesus couldn't have responded any better than to say, "Look at the cross. 00:22:42.599 --> 00:23:03.319 See me there." We see, if we're beneficiaries of the death of Christ, we see in verse 24 that all of our spiritual fruit, everything that we become as disciples of Christ, justification, sanctification, forgiven, everything comes from the fact that He died for us. 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:04.319 Look at verse 24. 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:10.119 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:18.920 But if it dies, it bears much fruit." Christ is saying, "If I'm going to bear fruit," and He came to bear fruit. 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:27.880 His whole life was on mission to please the Lord and to serve the Lord and glorify the Father and to bear much fruit. 00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:37.640 He says, "For me to bear fruit, I must die." He gives an illustration of a seed. 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:42.079 I don't understand how this works in biology, but a seed must die. 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:51.480 But if it doesn't die, it remains alone, Jesus says, but if it does die, then it's going to bear fruit. 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:58.559 It's going to bear a tree, and that tree will bear a lot of fruit. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:20.759 You know, every spiritual gift in this world, every fruit that we see from Genesis to Revelation, all of human history, any goodness in your life, any spiritual work in your life, anything you say, "Hey, this is good in my life," has sprouted out and sprung from the very death of Jesus Christ. 00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:24.920 You see, He died for you. 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:30.759 Being a disciple of Christ is not earning your salvation, it's receiving salvation. 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.440 It's His death that makes you a disciple. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:41.920 It's not your seeking, it's not you giving, it's not your dying that produces fruit, it's Christ's death that produces fruit. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:50.319 And of course, the fruit that He'll produce in you is that you too will die. 00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:54.880 You too will seek the Lord and follow His example. 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:57.000 So the first point of what is a disciple? 00:24:57.000 --> 00:24:59.000 It's one who seeks Christ. 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:05.519 And if you would see Jesus, look at His tears and His blood, He spilt for you. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:10.359 Look at the humiliation that He endured on your behalf. 00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:12.900 Look at His death. 00:25:12.900 --> 00:25:17.000 This is the ultimate cost of salvation. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:25.480 The second were followers of Christ. 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:31.759 I mean, second were the beneficiary of Christ, to be a disciple were followers of Christ. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.279 We see this in verse 25. 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:38.400 "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:49.079 If anyone serves me, he must follow me." That is, if you're going to be a disciple, you don't just seek Him initially, you find Him, then follow Him. 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:51.720 You follow Him all the days of your life. 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:57.960 If none will go with you, you will continue to follow Jesus Christ. 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:02.200 You're called to follow Him, to follow His example, to be imitators of Christ. 00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:05.640 As He has done, you're called to do likewise. 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:10.279 Thus, as the disciples were called to love like Christ. 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:27.160 Ephesians 5.1, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us a fragrant offering, a sacrifice to God." Were to love like Christ, were to be humble like Christ. 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:34.240 Philippians 2.5, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is also in Christ Jesus." He humbled Himself. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:38.279 We're to think better of others than we think of ourselves. 00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:42.000 This is to be like Christ as His disciples. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:45.799 To follow Him is to serve others like Christ. 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:55.359 After He washed the disciples' feet, He says, "If then your Lord and teachers have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:08.960 For I've given you example that you also should do as I have done to you." You're to serve people sacrificially. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:31.519 First Peter 2.21, "For this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps." You see, a disciple is a seeker, a beneficiary, a follower, and we see in verse 26, a disciple is a servant. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:41.480 Verse 26, "If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him." To be a disciple of Christ, you've got to serve Christ. 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:46.319 You have to be like Christ, immolate Him what He does, you do, and He was a servant. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:48.039 He came to serve the Father. 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:54.440 He came to serve us, and we too are called to serve Christ. 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:58.680 But this brings us to the cost of discipleship. 00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:10.319 What will it cost you to follow Christ, to seek Christ, to follow Christ, to be a beneficiary of Christ, to be a servant of Christ? 00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:13.880 What's that going to cost you? 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:18.200 What's going to cost you everything? 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:21.480 What is the cost of discipleship? 00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:23.279 Death. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:29.319 Look at verse 24. 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:40.279 "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. 00:28:40.279 --> 00:29:06.160 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Bonhoeffer said in his book, The Costs of Discipleship, "Whenever Christ calls you, He bids you to come and die." We're told in Romans 12.1 that we're called to be living sacrifices. 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:09.920 Our life is to be a sacrifice unto God. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:11.640 We have to die. 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:13.200 This is the cost of discipleship. 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:22.039 If you're not a Christian this morning, and you're wondering, "I want to be a Christian," well, count the cost. 00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:24.599 You have to die to yourself. 00:29:24.599 --> 00:29:29.440 You have to surrender everything to the Lord. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:41.319 Jesus put it this way in Matthew 16, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Now how do we die to ourselves? 00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:58.519 We all, hopefully, we want to see Christ lifted up on the cross and see his glory and how he served and how he died, and we are most amazed at God by looking at Christ's service and love and death for us. 00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:00.160 Now how do we die? 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:06.119 If we want to emulate Christ, how do we do it? 00:30:06.119 --> 00:30:07.599 I was thinking about this in my sermon. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:10.640 I didn't want to just preach a sermon and not do it myself. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.079 I said, "Lord, I want to die. 00:30:13.079 --> 00:30:15.200 I want to die to myself. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:25.440 How?" I was asking myself, "How do I die to myself?" For first, we must die to our self-centeredness. 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:31.640 Man, we wake up, and it's like it creeps back in. 00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:35.440 Selfishness just creeps in automatically. 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:39.240 While we know it, we're self-centered, self-focused. 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:45.759 Worry about our problems, worry about our glory, worry about our needs, worry about self. 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:54.039 And that's so easy for us to fall into selfishness and self-centeredness. 00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:56.839 Selfishness is the heart of sin. 00:30:56.839 --> 00:31:04.480 Bible identifies selfishness as the lust of the flesh, but we must die to self in the passions of the self. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:17.000 The Bible tells us in Galatians 5, 24, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." We have to die to self and to this world. 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:20.559 I mean, this world's calling out to us. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:29.680 All the shiny objects says, "Come and get me." You can't be content or happy until you get the new possessions. 00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:30.920 You need more of this world. 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:32.000 You need more entertainment. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.000 You need more sports. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:35.759 You need more fun, pleasure. 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:37.480 You need more of this world. 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:40.359 "Come get me," the world says. 00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:45.440 But if you're going to be disciples of Christ, you have to say, "I have to die to that. 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:46.640 That can't be my life. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:48.440 That can't be the passions of my soul. 00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:50.160 That can't be my idol. 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:51.400 That can't be my God. 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:57.400 I have to die to this world." Remember the rich young ruler? 00:31:57.400 --> 00:32:07.759 "Lord, what must I do to be saved?""Well, I've done all that.""What else?""Sell all that you have." Wait a minute. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:08.759 That's a price too high. 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:33.279 What do you mean, "Sell all that I have?""I'm rich." You know, if it would be one thing if I was poor, but I'm rich, you're telling me to be a disciple, I have to sacrifice all that I have? 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:35.480 In disciples like hearing this, "Well, who can be saved? 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:38.240 Who can be saved if this is the cost of discipleship? 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:46.559 Who can do this?" Jesus says, "Well, you can't." With man, it's impossible. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:52.640 It's impossible to deny all that you have, to give all that you have. 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:56.759 But with God, all things are possible. 00:32:56.759 --> 00:33:02.000 You cannot serve money and God at the same time. 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:03.000 Jesus said that. 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:07.319 "You cannot serve two masters, for you hate the one and love the other. 00:33:07.319 --> 00:33:11.519 You cannot serve God and wealth," Jesus said. 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:17.240 We must die to the love of pleasure. 00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:18.559 That seems crazy. 00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:29.559 Well, let me tell you, notch it up a bit, especially for parents. 00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:33.160 This seems too high of a cost. 00:33:33.160 --> 00:33:39.119 You have to be willing to sacrifice your Isaac. 00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:57.359 You have to be willing to not make your little ones, your precious ones, an idol of your life. 00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:05.000 Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.960 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:29.119 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." He says in Luke 14.33, "Anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has can't be my disciple." What is the cost of discipleship? 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:30.840 It's everything. 00:34:30.840 --> 00:34:32.119 It's everything. 00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:34.559 It's your whole life. 00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:37.320 Not just your mother, your father, your brother and sisters. 00:34:37.320 --> 00:34:44.920 Jesus says, "Yes, yea, even your own self." Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:46.920 Are you ready to give up everything? 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:48.320 You could have my life. 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:49.940 You could have my gold, my silver. 00:34:49.940 --> 00:34:52.119 You can have my family. 00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:58.760 Can any of you say, "If the Lord Jesus, if you want to take me home to heaven today, I know that I'm going to have to leave my mother. 00:34:58.760 --> 00:34:59.760 I'm going to leave my father. 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:00.760 I'm going to leave my wife. 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:01.760 I'm going to leave my children. 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:03.039 I'm going to leave everything. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:05.360 My pursuits, my job, my career, my ministry. 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:21.599 I'll leave everything." But for the joy of that treasure, the joy of Christ, I kind of joy to sell all that I have. 00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.599 What is this world? 00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:25.280 What is this life? 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:26.679 What is your possessions? 00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:27.719 What is your money? 00:35:27.719 --> 00:35:32.960 What is this life compared to Jesus? 00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:35.519 It's nothing. 00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:37.400 It's nothing. 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:44.159 We'll find out these things if they're not in its proper place. 00:35:44.159 --> 00:35:49.820 Take you to hell, and they won't surely make you happy. 00:35:49.820 --> 00:35:50.820 Most of you are miserable. 00:35:50.820 --> 00:35:57.639 You unbelievers who are not disciples of Christ, you're miserable because you're seeking the wrong thing. 00:35:57.639 --> 00:36:00.480 You're chasing pleasure to pleasure. 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:04.880 You're chasing one prideful thing to the next prideful thing. 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:07.719 You've made life about yourself. 00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:10.239 You're wondering why you're so discontent and miserable. 00:36:10.239 --> 00:36:27.920 Oh, if you could just see Christ, if you could just see the glory of Christ lifted up, if you have to see Him first before you can die, you have to see Him dying for you and see all the glory of His love for you, then it is nothing to give all to Him. 00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:33.679 You see, this is a lifelong calling. 00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:39.440 And Luke, it says we must pick up our cross daily and follow Him. 00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:46.719 This is why this is a message for unbelievers and for believers, for those who want to be disciples and those who are already disciples. 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:51.239 Today we must pick up our cross. 00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:55.559 How do we do that? 00:36:55.559 --> 00:36:59.000 We become servants of all. 00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:12.760 We emulate the Lord Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve, who came not for self-attention, but to give attention to others. 00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:25.440 Hebrews 13, 6, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Do you realize, brothers and sisters, this was transform your marriage? 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:30.199 There's a lot of marriage problems in our churches. 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:36.119 And all of us deal with issues in our marriages, all of us who are married. 00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:50.480 Men, this would change your marriage if you would love your wife like Christ loved the church, that you gave yourself to your wife, served your wife. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:54.079 Don't look at your wife as there to serve you. 00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:59.239 You're here to serve your wife and love her. 00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:00.960 So I don't feel like it. 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:01.960 I don't want to. 00:38:01.960 --> 00:38:05.079 I'm interested in my career. 00:38:05.079 --> 00:38:07.360 I'm interested in my own pursuits. 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:11.039 I'm too busy to pay attention to my wife. 00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:14.119 Christ is not too busy to pay attention to you. 00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:21.679 Wives, oh, how this would change your marriages if you would honor your husband. 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:26.239 You would love your husband, love the one that God has placed you with. 00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:28.079 Well, I'm discontent. 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:30.440 I'm not happy in my marriage. 00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:31.880 I'm unsatisfied. 00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:38.559 What does that have to do with it? 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:43.199 You're called to die to yourself, die to self-interest. 00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:51.320 "Oh, I won't be happy until I get what I want." No, that will make you miserable. 00:38:51.320 --> 00:38:54.760 Serve your husband. 00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:55.760 Serve your husband. 00:38:55.760 --> 00:39:01.679 This would change our marriages if we would just follow the steps of discipleship. 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:12.519 If we died to self and self-centeredness and self-focus and self-pleasure, Christ lived his whole life not for himself. 00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:16.199 He gave, he gave, he gave, he sacrificed, he sacrificed. 00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:19.519 And it was the joy of honoring the Father. 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:28.599 And let me tell you, when you give yourselves to others and serve others, you represent Jesus. 00:39:28.599 --> 00:39:33.280 You show the world the love of Christ. 00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:36.760 Not only do we need to die to self-centeredness, we need to die to self-righteousness. 00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:43.199 A member of the Pharisee and the tax collector heard most wonderful sermon this last Wednesday that I've ever heard. 00:39:43.199 --> 00:39:49.199 It was the man, Ron Shields, I think, his name came and spoke to us. 00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:57.440 It was just a clear exposition of the Pharisee coming into the temple with the tax collector. 00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:06.760 And Jesus spoke this parable because of those who took pride in their righteousness and their self-confidence. 00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:15.480 You know, to be saved, we think, well, we've got to deny our sin and say, "Hey, Lord, I'm a sinner." We've got to say, "I'm not, I've got to give you and sacrifice my righteousness. 00:40:15.480 --> 00:40:16.960 I have nothing. 00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:18.800 I die to everything. 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:26.380 I can't even hang on to my good works or my perceived good works." Remember the Apostle Paul? 00:40:26.380 --> 00:40:39.519 He looked back over his life and he was excelling as a Pharisee and he was rising up the ranks and he was, from his perspective and other people's perspective, he was a righteous man, a zealous man. 00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:45.360 He says, "All that I gain, all that I accomplish, I look back and I count that as rubbish, as trash. 00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:46.639 I give all that up. 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:47.639 I don't want that. 00:40:47.639 --> 00:40:49.079 I don't have any claims. 00:40:49.079 --> 00:40:52.559 I just sacrifice everything. 00:40:52.559 --> 00:41:00.079 I have nothing." To be a disciple of Christ, you have to go to Christ empty-handed. 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:02.159 This is, you know, you're not going to bargain with him. 00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:04.760 "My Lord, you do this, I do that." No, you come to God. 00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:05.760 He's a giver. 00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:09.360 Remember, he's already proven that he gives and he needs nothing in return. 00:41:09.360 --> 00:41:10.360 He loves you. 00:41:10.360 --> 00:41:11.360 He will give to you. 00:41:11.360 --> 00:41:15.579 He died for you and you have to accept that and you have nothing to give him back. 00:41:15.579 --> 00:41:21.679 You just die and come to him empty-handed, "Lord, here I am. 00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:28.980 Nothing else to give you but I give you all that I have," which is nothing. 00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:33.280 You must die and we must continuously die to our self-sufficiency. 00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:52.320 John 15, Jesus says, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." In the ministry, we begin to think, "Well, I'm doing this and I've done that and I've got some talents and I've got some education and I've got some wisdom and I've got something to offer." And then we think, "Well, in these things that I have now, I can serve the Lord." No, you and I can do nothing. 00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:58.300 We must die to any thought that we can serve the Lord in our own strength. 00:41:58.300 --> 00:42:00.760 This is all about God's grace given to us. 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:03.960 We don't have nothing that we can turn and give back to him. 00:42:03.960 --> 00:42:07.880 And if we do have fruit, it'll be through our death. 00:42:07.880 --> 00:42:11.880 If we're going to bear fruit, we must die to yourself first. 00:42:11.880 --> 00:42:14.219 It's only when we die that we can bear fruit. 00:42:14.219 --> 00:42:19.199 It's not in our living that we could be fruitful, not in our self-confidence. 00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:22.800 We should become more humble and more weak and more dependent. 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:25.559 And by becoming less, we become more. 00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:28.519 By becoming weak, we become strong. 00:42:28.519 --> 00:42:31.739 By becoming nothing, we become something. 00:42:31.739 --> 00:42:38.039 The way to life is through death. 00:42:38.039 --> 00:42:47.679 We must die to self- ambition, the desires to be great in this world, the desire to build a platform, the desire to be seen and be notable and be famous. 00:42:47.679 --> 00:42:51.480 All this we must die to. 00:42:51.480 --> 00:43:03.280 Jesus said, remember when John and James, the son of Zebedee, came with their mother and said, hey, we want to be first and second in your kingdom. 00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:09.639 I mean, you can be first, but we want the second and third place, the right and left hand. 00:43:09.639 --> 00:43:10.800 And Jesus gives them a speech. 00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:13.639 Like, if you want to be great, you've got to be like me. 00:43:13.639 --> 00:43:17.360 You've got to be the least. 00:43:17.360 --> 00:43:18.360 You want to be great. 00:43:18.360 --> 00:43:20.360 You've got to lower yourself. 00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:29.139 You want to be great, you've got to be the servant of all, the servant of all the servants. 00:43:29.139 --> 00:43:31.960 Do you know who are the greatest in the kingdom of God? 00:43:31.960 --> 00:43:51.840 The greatest in the kingdom of God are the servants, the ones who serve, humbly without seeking attention, without looking for recognition, who are sacrificially serving, often behind the scenes. 00:43:51.840 --> 00:43:54.400 Oh, those are the great ones. 00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:56.360 The first shall be last and last shall be first. 00:43:56.360 --> 00:44:00.320 I think when we get to heaven, we're going to be running to the unknown widowers. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:03.039 We're going to be running to the unknown servants of the Lord. 00:44:03.039 --> 00:44:07.079 And he's like, hey, tell me more about your greatness. 00:44:07.079 --> 00:44:08.079 So what greatness? 00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:13.199 Oh, the greatness of living and serving and giving all that you have to the Lord. 00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:15.719 You were a poor widow and you gave that might. 00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:20.000 Tell me more about that might be and all that you have. 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:26.320 And by that, she gave more than all the rich people. 00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:32.599 You see, Jesus says, if you want to be great, you've got to be the youngest. 00:44:32.599 --> 00:44:37.599 Matthew 18 at that time, disciples came to Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:46.719 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, truly, truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:44:46.719 --> 00:44:52.380 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 00:44:52.380 --> 00:45:00.000 This corresponds with what he said in a couple chapters later, the greatest among you shall be your servants. 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:02.719 You see, the older you get, the less serving you do. 00:45:02.719 --> 00:45:08.119 Kids have to run around, serve, do this, do that, do this, do this, do that. 00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:12.079 And surely when you get a senior citizen, you can sit down and be served. 00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:15.480 See, this is the way of the kingdoms of this world. 00:45:15.480 --> 00:45:19.960 If you want to be great, you climb the letter of honor and every veil serves you. 00:45:19.960 --> 00:45:25.239 But in the kingdom of God, you go down and you go down. 00:45:25.239 --> 00:45:30.159 You see, you must die to your self-glory and self-importance. 00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:39.039 Philippians 2, 3, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself. 00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:53.159 Let each one of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others, because God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." You see, this is the cost of discipleship. 00:45:53.159 --> 00:45:54.159 You want to be a Christian. 00:45:54.159 --> 00:46:00.000 You want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we'll follow him to the cross. 00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:03.119 Give all that you have to serve him. 00:46:03.119 --> 00:46:13.559 Now, let me close by giving you the payoff, the reward, the glory of discipleship. 00:46:13.559 --> 00:46:16.800 This is amazing. 00:46:16.800 --> 00:46:20.480 First of all, those who died itself will bear much fruit. 00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.079 We see that in verse 24. 00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:31.400 And if you haven't noticed, I'm walking through this text three times, going back, pulling another perspective out of it. 00:46:31.400 --> 00:46:34.599 And this is the glory of discipleship. 00:46:34.599 --> 00:46:43.480 "A seed," he says in verse 24, "does not bear fruit until it dies, but if it does die, it doesn't bear some fruit. 00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:48.760 It bears much fruit." That's bore fruit by his death. 00:46:48.760 --> 00:46:55.039 Think about his whole life was sacrificial, prepared, was a preparation for death. 00:46:55.039 --> 00:46:57.300 But in dying, he brought life. 00:46:57.300 --> 00:46:58.940 He brought grace. 00:46:58.940 --> 00:47:00.559 He brought fruit. 00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:06.820 The same way for us to be fruitful. 00:47:06.820 --> 00:47:10.320 We must die. 00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:13.400 Those who die will live. 00:47:13.400 --> 00:47:20.760 Let's put it this way, whoever loves this life loses it, and whoever hates this life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:21.840 It's backwards. 00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:23.420 People want to live forever. 00:47:23.420 --> 00:47:31.320 We live in an age of people are freezing themselves, hoping that they get the cure of longevity or eternal life in the future. 00:47:31.320 --> 00:47:32.320 So they freeze themselves. 00:47:32.320 --> 00:47:33.320 It's crazy. 00:47:33.320 --> 00:47:34.320 People want to live. 00:47:34.320 --> 00:47:35.320 Live. 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:37.000 They seek life. 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:41.320 But in seeking life, in seeking this world, they lose everything they have. 00:47:41.320 --> 00:47:48.840 And they don't realize they're miserable in the process of it all. 00:47:48.840 --> 00:47:55.639 But to have life and life more abundantly, we must die. 00:47:55.639 --> 00:48:01.880 First Corinthians 15, 36, "What you sow will not come to life unless it dies." And this is the nature of the Christian life. 00:48:01.880 --> 00:48:04.159 We have life because we've died. 00:48:04.159 --> 00:48:12.719 We were buried with him by baptism into his death in order that just as Christ raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. 00:48:12.719 --> 00:48:18.280 This is why Paul says, "I've been crucified with Christ, but nevertheless I live. 00:48:18.280 --> 00:48:33.079 Yet it's not I who lives, but the life of Christ in me." Those who die will not only live forever, they'll live forever with Christ. 00:48:33.079 --> 00:48:34.079 Look at verse 26. 00:48:34.079 --> 00:48:47.360 "If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I'm there, my servants will be also." Now look at this last phrase. 00:48:47.360 --> 00:49:03.840 "If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him." That is, those who die, those who humble themselves, the Father honors. 00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:21.280 James 4, 6, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." First Peter 5, 5, "Clothe yourself, all of you, with humility towards one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." We get not just grace, but we get wisdom. 00:49:21.280 --> 00:49:25.599 Proverbs 11, 2, "With humility comes wisdom." We get honor. 00:49:25.599 --> 00:49:27.239 Humility comes before honor. 00:49:27.239 --> 00:49:28.480 Before honor is humility. 00:49:28.480 --> 00:49:31.519 Proverbs 18, 12, and Proverbs 15, 23. 00:49:31.519 --> 00:49:41.000 Proverbs 29, 23, "A man's pride will bring him low, but humble spirit will obtain honor." Even we will be exalted. 00:49:41.000 --> 00:49:59.440 Luke 14, 11, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." First Peter 5, 6, "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, so at the proper time he may exalt you." You see, I believe when Christ died, he humbled himself to the greatest extent. 00:49:59.440 --> 00:50:03.000 He could not have poured himself out more. 00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:05.820 He could not have been any more humble than he was. 00:50:05.820 --> 00:50:11.760 He could not have been more sacrificial because he gave everything he had. 00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:18.440 But in that moment, it demonstrated the very honor, glory, and majesty of the Father. 00:50:18.440 --> 00:50:23.340 It demonstrated the glory of the Son. 00:50:23.340 --> 00:50:30.159 And so, yes, we often think of humility, then some time passes, then honor comes. 00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:33.880 But I want you to see the honor of humility. 00:50:33.880 --> 00:50:37.599 I want you to see the glory of dying to self. 00:50:37.599 --> 00:50:40.280 I want you to see the life of dying. 00:50:40.280 --> 00:50:47.440 I want you to see the majesty of being a servant, how glorious that is in God's perspective. 00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:56.039 If you want majesty and honor and you want to be exalted, then outdo others and showing honors to others. 00:50:56.039 --> 00:50:57.079 Put yourself last. 00:50:57.079 --> 00:51:00.679 Go to a table and sit at the lowest seat. 00:51:00.679 --> 00:51:03.480 Be a servant of all. 00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:05.440 That's the way of Christ. 00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:07.380 That's the way of the Master. 00:51:07.380 --> 00:51:09.719 That is the way of discipleship. 00:51:09.719 --> 00:51:14.079 That is what it is to be a disciple of Christ. 00:51:14.079 --> 00:51:18.480 You see, the glory of discipleship is found in the cost of discipleship. 00:51:18.480 --> 00:51:25.280 The cost is really no cost at all. 00:51:25.280 --> 00:51:34.039 The only value we have as disciples of Christ is the degree that we reflect and mirror the humility, the sacrifice, and the love of God. 00:51:34.039 --> 00:51:35.440 Now, think about this. 00:51:35.440 --> 00:51:47.019 Jesus represented the love, the mercy, the patience, the humility of the Father in his death and that was made Jesus glorious. 00:51:47.019 --> 00:51:51.739 What makes you glorious? 00:51:51.739 --> 00:51:53.039 What makes you so wonderful? 00:51:53.039 --> 00:52:01.619 And when you think of the great Christians among us and from church history, what makes them so great? 00:52:01.619 --> 00:52:06.239 It's what they gave up. 00:52:06.239 --> 00:52:09.159 It's what they sacrificed. 00:52:09.159 --> 00:52:13.880 It's what they did without. 00:52:13.880 --> 00:52:17.960 Because what it does when you see that, you see Jesus. 00:52:17.960 --> 00:52:24.719 You don't represent Jesus when you're self-centered and you're powerful and you're arrogant and you're serving yourself. 00:52:24.719 --> 00:52:36.219 That doesn't represent, that doesn't show the love of Christ, but it does show who Christ is when you live as disciples, as imitators of him. 00:52:36.219 --> 00:52:43.639 If people can see the kindness and the grace and the forgiveness, the sacrificial service in you, then they can see the love of God in you. 00:52:43.639 --> 00:52:50.079 And they can see the love of God in you, then they can see Christ shining through you. 00:52:50.079 --> 00:52:53.440 It is his death that leads to our death. 00:52:53.440 --> 00:52:58.760 It's because he died first that we can die and give our lives to him. 00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:04.760 Let me close by appealing to you all to die. 00:53:04.760 --> 00:53:09.400 I don't know if you're a Christian or not a Christian, many of you are believers. 00:53:09.400 --> 00:53:10.760 Let us re-die. 00:53:10.760 --> 00:53:13.320 Let's pick up our cross again today. 00:53:13.320 --> 00:53:17.639 And if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, he will receive you. 00:53:17.639 --> 00:53:20.159 He died for you. 00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:22.119 It's not your death that saves you. 00:53:22.119 --> 00:53:24.320 It's his death that saves you. 00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:32.360 But he saved you from sin and selfishness so that you can die to self and live to God. 00:53:32.360 --> 00:53:33.360 Let's pray. 00:53:33.360 --> 00:53:43.480 Lord, what amazing word, what amazing message that there's life in death, there's honor in humility. 00:53:43.480 --> 00:53:46.360 Lord, help us to be like Jesus Christ. 00:53:46.360 --> 00:53:48.800 Truly, he's worthy of worship and honor. 00:53:48.800 --> 00:53:52.400 He's the best man we've ever known. 00:53:52.400 --> 00:53:55.719 Thank you for showing us a glimpse of him this morning. 00:53:55.719 --> 00:53:57.360 This we pray in your son's name. 00:53:57.360 --> 00:53:57.679 Amen. 00:53:57.679 --> 00:54:07.679 [BLANK_AUDIO]