As we have been going through the Gospel of John for a little over a year now, the thing that settles into the mind as we enter this last section, believe it or not, the second half of the Book of John, is the last section. It is the entire last week of Christ on this earth in his incarnation. and even leading up to his resurrection. Here we establish the reality that throughout this whole story, throughout the entire gospel, Jesus has said at many occasions that his hour has not come, his day has not come, and now he has expressed his hour is here. His hour is here, and it is vexing to the core of his being. Now vexing is not a term we use in English very often, but it carries a unique aspect to it of it is troubled to the very core of one's being. It is something to anticipate a cross or the crucifixion of Christ. It is something to anticipate not just the sufferings of this, but to anticipate as God incarnate what it is like to be on the receiving end of the wrath of God. I think many of us get the idea that what Christ was most overwhelmed about was anticipating the physical sufferings of the cross, and yet I will put out to us to think about that from a higher perspective. There have been many Christians and martyrs who have established going to a cross, going to even being burned at the stake, even those who refused to be tied to the stake because they would willingly stay in the fire for the name of Christ, that did not experience the same kind of overwhelmingness that people accord to Christ. I think the disconnect happens for us is because we don't really understand what is happening at the cross. We think that there is just an aspect to the cross that there is a sacrifice to be paid, he is to suffer and die, and that is the end of it. And from our perspective, we kind of look at that and go, that's a marvelous aspect to this, right? We have the substitutionary atonement, he dies in our place, we live in his place. That's a wonderful thing, an aspect of the cross, but that is not all that is happening. It is easy for us to speak of the cross in such collapsed terms that we tend to forget that what is happening at the cross is multifaceted. There is so much going on. And it is not just the anticipation of suffering for which Jesus is saying his soul is troubled. It is not just the anticipation of these things. No, it is the anticipation of facing the wrath of God as a recipient. That is terrifying. It is establishing victory over the ruler of this world, as he is about to tell us here in today's passage. There is a victory that Christ wins at the cross. There is the wrath of God that is given to him in our stead. He is not just a sacrificial lamb, though he certainly is that. We do, I think, great violence to the teaching of the true and broad and deep hope of the Christian at the cross of Christ when we only preach one aspect of what happened there. So when we thank Christ for his cross, as we sang this morning, as we thank him for the price he paid, We should also be thanking him for the taking the wrath of God that is owed to us, every one of us, for the bearing of our sin and of our shame. We just sang of this. We should thank him for the victory that he has won over the rulers of this world, and I think one of the main reasons why Christians don't do this very often, and why in such an unusual passage, I have entitled this sermon Christ the Victor. Because we don't, in our circles, typically talk about the cross as a moment of victory. We talk about it as sacrifice, an expression of love. We talk about it as an expression of salvation, but we do not see a powerful God hanging himself on the cross. What was said by the Jewish leaders there at the foot of the cross is 100% true. This man, if he is the son of God, could command a thousand legions to come and take him down from the cross. Yes! He is not up there because of the nails. He is up there because of his will to maintain victory over this world, to bind the strong man, to establish salvation for his people, and to save and bring many sons and daughters to glory. That is a victorious march. And in retrospect, we should look back at the command for anyone who would seek to follow after Christ must deny himself and take up his cross and join me on this. It's not just a death march of suffering, it is a victorious march of suffering. That is the life of the Christian. And so much of the hopes that are part of the Christian life, people have taught as a way to say that our sufferings somehow separate us from that victory. Maybe the victory of Christ should be seen as relieving our sufferings and just establishing our comforts and giving us good times in our lives. That's not the case though. in your bulletin this morning, I never really make reference to these. But the inserts today were thoughts on Matthew chapter 10 verses 34 and 38. Establishing that same thing. If you're not aware, that bulletin inserts comes from my own personal study every week. And it's just something that is an overflow of that that I get to share with you all. But look at the way Jesus talks about that in that verse. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. How many times do we hear Jesus speak that way? Well, if you read the Gospels, many times. How about in the broader church culture? Very few times. There is a huge disconnect between what we would prefer Christ to be and who he reveals himself to be. It's one of the things I pray for all the time. God, we want to worship you as you have revealed yourself to be, not as we would prefer you to be. It is very easy to go down to a Christian store that has pictures of everything and find Jesus carrying a lamb, to find footprints in the sand, to find kind eyes, nice pictures that glow softly like it was taken at Olin Mills back in the late 80s. When was the last time you saw these types of sentences on a pillow? that the message of the gospel is a sword that will chop between members of households. That this is a victory march, but we bear on our backs not provisions for the way to walk, but a cross that we may meet our end because this victory march must needs pass through the grave. You say, but the cross is such an offensive death. It is, it robs from people dignity. They are crucified in the nude. There's shame on display for all to walk by mocking them. Yes. You said, but it takes out of them. They can't even do anything. Yes. And how they actually die is not even a loss of blood. It is through suffocation. They actually lose the spirit of breath in themselves. Yes. Through that helpless, shameful victory, we will see our God. And from that perspective, when we see sufferings in our life, may God give us the strength to bend the knee in gratitude for them. Because we see another piece of the cross stabbing us in the back. We see another part of the way in which God has enacted victory in this world is not to give us nice cars and comfortable living. No, it is to give us a cross that is uncomfortable and will indeed take our breath from us. But the end of that road is victory. Many are those who fall to the right and to the left by the siren's calls of comfort and security. I am not saying that we do not seek times of comfort and security, but in our seeking of it, be grateful to God for it, lest when they go, you lose your faith. times should the Lord tarry, we'll certainly come to the church again that will try our souls. And whether that be in grave difficulty on the individual or on the corporate level or who knows, When those days come, whether they come to your generation, or to the next, or to the next, or to the next, what we have handed down, what we have invested in our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, will come due. You have no idea how your prayers affect the future. Pray for them. You have no idea, and I know it sits close to the heart of so many Christians when the generations that have come after them no longer set foot in churches, no longer even claim to be Christians. I cannot understand at this point in my life what pains that must bring. Do not lose hope. Your prayers may indeed be going seven generations into the future and you cannot see it. Do not let the sufferings of this life steal from you the victory of Christ. The gates of hell will not overwhelm the church. Thorny ways will come. but a glorious end is at the end of those thorns. For Christ, before this week is up, will experience actually quite literal thorny ways, and many such have experienced this. I wanted to prep you for this before we even start the passage. Let's start the passage. God give us strength. John chapter 12, verse 27 through 36a. I'm gonna ask you to stand in honor of God and his word as we read these wonderful words. Before I cook to death, I'm gonna take this. There are certain sufferings even I'm not open for. God give us ears. John 12, 27. Now is my soul troubled. What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. It is for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was about to die. And 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? 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 even know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of light. Our Father, we pray for this. For everyone here who can hear, you give us ears to hear your gospel, eyes to see our need. Give us, Fathers, this day this delight of eternity. May we see Christ the victor, lifted up, exalted, and coming again. We pray it in his name, amen. You can be seated. Many are the fallacies of thinking of Christ as a weak beggar. I have heard people time and time again trying to convince people to become Christians by making Jesus nice. He wants to be your friend. Look how kind his eyes are, how flowy his hair is. Look at this lamb he picks up for some reason and puts on his shoulder. Everything's great. Look at this. He was kind to a little child and gave him as an example to his disciples. Don't you know the reason he chose a child was because a child is the only human who naturally understands humility. They are fully dependent on another for their food, for their protection, for their home, their shelter, and everything. And without somebody else, they have no future. You ever met a baby? A baby that was able to raise themselves up, provide food for themselves, shelter, safety, comfort, protection, and future. Anyone? I've had four, I promise you. They could not do these things on their own. I was a baby once, believe it or not. Big baby. I couldn't get anything for myself and neither could you. Jesus chooses a child because he shows the adults around that you have lost something about your existence when you grew up. You think you can do it. You think your pride and your abilities can accomplish things. And he says, in fact, unless you become like this child, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. That is a powerful statement. You can't save yourself. You can't provide for yourself. The salvation you think that you can make for yourself will get you the same place as a baby who puts in a job application. There's the extended metaphor. Christ is not begging people behind a knobless door to let him in. Revelation 3.20 is about the church that gathers together and has no room for Christ because they're so infatuated with themselves. No, that's not about salvation. That's about a wayward church. Do you know how Christ puts it forward? The Gospel of Mark tells us in collapsed form, a single sentence that enraptures all of Christ's teaching. And guess what? It's not a reasoning. It's not a begging. I really want to be your friend. Let me into your heart. No. Do you know what it says? It is one of the greatest verses for you to put to memory, and I hardly ever see it on anyone's memory lists. Mark chapter one, verse 15. This week, your homework. Memorize it. I don't care what translation you use. Mark 115. Memorize it. Memorize it and have it at the ready. Because Jesus goes out into the lands and what is it he preaches? Repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You see, the preaching of the gospel is not reasoning with unbelievers to bring them to a kind Jesus that we make really small so he doesn't really affect you and he's not really gonna judge you, he's not gonna tell you about your sins, he's not gonna tell you about the difficulties that may come your way. What gospels are you reading? It is a command. Deny yourselves, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. Repent of your sins, repent of any hope in yourself. Believe in the gospel, the only good news that can save you because there is nothing in your hands worth trusting in. You know it and I know it. And if you don't know it and I don't know it, we are the most pitiful of all people. Because Christ was here to show us this reality over and over and over again. You want to see his power, see him command a demon to leave. God has the ability to compel obedience in the most powerful fallen beings in the spiritual world. You ever think about that? Get out of him. The demon wasn't sitting around going, you know what? I don't want to weigh the pros and cons of this, make up a little spirit list about if I follow his command it leads to this, if I don't follow his command, no. Get out of him, gone. Compulsory obedience. Do you hear the power on his words? Do you see the strength of what he is enacting? Do you see what he does when he sits down and takes up a clump of dirt, spits in it, puts it on a blind guy's eyes, and all of a sudden he can see? What is he telling us about us? You know that blindness spiritually that exists in all of us so that we cannot even see the value of the gospel? We just go, oh, Jesus seems nice from afar, and he says, no, you can't see far, you can't see close, you can't see anything unless I heal you. You see those good works in your hand? No you don't, they're bad. Everything, even your best righteousnesses. Even everything that we attempt, everything that we try, still shows to be lacking. In all of this, we are faced with a savior who is not weak, who is not just the victim, he is the victor. A powerful Savior who is in the world solely capable of pleasing the Father, solely capable of glorifying His name. It is only when we see the power of Christ as victor that we will lose our pride. Else we will think that as a church we have the ability to glorify God. We have the ability to please God and we don't really need Jesus for that. Do you see the pitfall? Now let's see Jesus speak about this. Jesus says to them, now is my soul troubled. What shall I say? Ever been there? I don't mean on this level. He is about to face the entire force of God's wrath against all his people's sin throughout all time and space. You ever tried looking at the sun directly? Now is my soul troubled, one of the biggest understatements. And what shall I say? Shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? Isn't that tempting? Don't we know that temptation? When facing something of grave difficulty, of grave suffering, God, make it so that I don't pass through that. Get me out of this situation. Either make the suffering end, or the suffering I am anticipating, make me take another path around it, something else. I don't want to pass through that. And Jesus understands this. And he says the same thing to us that we would say when we enter any sufferings, small though they are by comparison, my soul is troubled, but what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. Christian, when you are anticipating suffering in your life, is that your only request? Should we not desire the purpose of God no matter our comfort level? What if God in his great mercy and provision has you pass through sufferings that without him could undo you? What if his purpose in that is the salvation of you and the perspective of his glory that you would never see elsewise. The scripture speaks of this. When temporal things and hopes are shredded from us, taken from us, when temporal things pass, when the visible things are removed, the perspective on the invisible things that belong to us in the gospel go up. There's an inverse relationship to these things. that the sufferings we have are not purposeless. Here Jesus speaks to it. My soul is troubled, what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. It is for this purpose that I have come to this hour. To establish the solidity of those who trust in Christ. When we come to the door of suffering, When we come to great loss, when we come to our own blessed grave, if it be God's purpose, let me walk through it cheerfully. Let me welcome it, let me thank God for it. And so what does Jesus say? Father, verse 28, glorify your name. If you are anticipating sufferings in your life, Christian, pray this. I promise you, it is worth the perspective. Father, glorify your name. no matter what it means to me, no matter what it pulls from me, no matter what discomforts it brings, I only want for you to be glorified. May my lips speak your praise, may my eyes look for your gospel, may my ears hear your promises, and may my arms hug another to keep them close to me to remind me of these things. Father, glorify your name. Do you know what is wrapped into that? Jesus knows the plan of this week. He knows where he's going to be come Friday. He knows where he will be come Saturday. He knows what will happen by Easter morning. He knows all of that, and still he prays, Father, glorify your name. How is he going to do it? By saving his people. by having his wrath poured out on Christ on the cross, by gaining victory over the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly places, that you and I may be seated in the heavenlies with Christ, having a salvation none can take from us. Satan's name means the accuser of the brethren. Accuser. Haven't you felt his breath on your neck? Sinner. You violated God. How could you be saved? Don't you know you deserve sin and death and hell? Let me take the wise words from somebody who was born 500 years before me to the year. I told you I'm gonna get church history in here one way or another. When the devil throws your sins back in your face and say you deserve sin and hell and death and all that comes with it, say I know. What of it? I know one who made satisfaction in my stead and promised where he is, thereto I will one day be. Martin Luther, if you're not familiar. I don't care what we face. Not as individuals, not as families, not as a church. Father, glorify your name. Do you realize you may sign up for grave suffering in praying that prayer? Do you realize that you may sign up for things that you will not like? Still pray it. Father, glorify your name. What if he takes you down a path where those who are closest to you do not follow Christ and instead follow a God of their own creation and their own desires? Will it take you from that path? Because if it was up to you or me, we would be shredded from that path and follow anyone that we could because of the fealty have between one another. And when Christ says, I did not come to bring peace, I came to bring a sword. Do not love father and mother more than me. Do not love brother and sister more than me. Do not love even your own life more than me. Take up your cross and follow me. And if you don't want to do that, you are not worthy to follow me. Because his path goes to the glorification of the Father. It will necessarily mean our own humiliation. It will cost us dearly to follow Christ. Do not come so close to Christ so that you are familiar with him from a distance and then when great suffering takes your life, run from him. There's no path back from that. It is why we must constantly be from the beginning, not a bait and switch where we say, Jesus is really nice and really kind. He'll never say anything bad about anyone ever and everything's great. Just ask him into your heart and your life will be better. Your dog will be healthier. Your wife will be happy. Your kids will be great. Everyone will get good scores and everything will be fine. You'll win the state championships. Grab a cross. It's going to hurt. You might lose your parents, you might lose your friends. For me, I've known people in seminary that have ceased walking with the Lord. I've known pastors, personally, that when it came to call, it was too much and they left it all. and not for riches or women, but because they never had the faith to begin with in Christ. It was only about them. They only followed God insofar as he could serve them. We serve him. That's the order. And when we have done all that is required of us, when He has brought us through this God-glorifying path of our life, filled and marked with sufferings and the scars of an overwhelming life, what does Christ say? Take it easy, kick up your feet and all is well? No. What does He say? When you have done all of this, say, we are still unworthy servants and we have only done what is our duty. There is nothing after following the Lord for 29 years that I have in my hands that shows me acceptable before the throne of grace. I have been a Christian since I was 11 years old. And I cannot look at a single act in my life and say that was 100% good and righteous. Not one. I have been proud. I've been a liar. I have been self-focused. I have been self-absorbed. And those fruits that I bear in keeping with repentance are so far between that I am glad that to this day there is nothing good in my hands that I bring. And simply to a cross I cling. We come naked before the throne of grace, not dressed in anything that we have, pressed For the grace of God, for the glory of his name, this is Christ's focus. And look at the Father's response. I have. First of all, let's not pass over the unbelievably bizarre aspect of the Father speaking out of heaven. How many times has that happened? Baptism, here. Don't miss how awesome it is that Jesus saves that moment for when the Greeks come and ask him questions. What does the Father say out of heaven? I have glorified it. And I will do it again. That is the answer to the prayer of God, glorify your name in my life. I have, and I will do it again. God has seen fit to be glorified in my life through various sufferings. I still pray for it. God, glorify your name. And he reminds, I have, and I will do it again. Great suffering usually accompanies the one praying that prayer. It is not a simple prayer where we can say, God, glorify your name over there. Let me live my kind and comfortable life while you work your enormous power way over there. And I'll just recognize it from afar. No, welcome it. Lean into the glory of God. Why? Because it will shred any self-absorption that you have. and it will humble you to the ground, to the place where gratitude is truly known. When I say be thankful for your sufferings, I really, really, really mean it. Because when I say that, the things that come up in our mind and the things that constantly drive me away, maybe that's pushing it too far, maybe that's just, that's the part to be ignored. That's why sufferings reveal our hearts. It shows us where we are. It's like going to the doc. Any of you ever go to the doctor and there's a great deal of suffering? You're just gonna feel a bit of pressure? You're just gonna feel a bit of a pinch? You're just gonna, right? You go to the doctor and it has sufferings of its own, doesn't it? What do those sufferings do? They teach you about what your current status is. How healthy are you? How's everything going? Is it going well or is it not going well? This kind of stuff. Let's assume he knows everything, which no doctor does. Hey, it's almost like Jesus calls himself the great physician on purpose. When we understand these things, we understand that suffering actually shows us how our heart looks at God. And so when we desire to be separate from suffering, guess what? It's like skipping a physical. You don't get to actually see and try what you're actually thinking and what you actually do. When they say these are the times that try men's souls, they really mean it. It's not the easy times that try our souls. It's not the comforts of life that do it. It's the difficult times in life. And when Jesus is expressing this, he is about to face the most difficult suffering anybody in the history of mankind will ever endure. And it's not about the physical pain of being on a cross. That is nothing compared to bearing the wrath of God face to face. The Father held nothing back Nothing. He didn't take it easy on him. Christian, every sin, every intention to sin, every filthy righteousness of your life that owed to itself an eternal bearing of the wrath of God was directed to him at a space of time of six hours. And not just yours or yours, mine, yours, yours, and every Christian that ever will live from the time of the Garden of Eden to the end of the age. Six hours to bear the full force of God's wrath on behalf of his people. And still he prays for those who are persecuting him. Look at the way he addresses this. The father calls out, I have glorified my name. I will glorify it again. The crowd that stood there heard it. They said that it had thundered, which kind of tells us how God speaks and what it sounds like. There's a reason why kids are smarter than us. They're afraid of thunder. Don't lose that. Others said an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and says, that wasn't for my sake. I know my Father will glorify his name. I know he has glorified it, that's why I pray for it. He didn't remind me, he was telling all of you that what you're about to see is God glorifying himself. It didn't come from my sake. By the way, the other place where the Father calls out of heaven, if you hadn't gotten to it yet, is the Mount of Transfiguration. He says the same thing that he said at Jesus' baptism. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Then he adds on the caveat, listen to him. It is very forceful in the Greek. It is not a listen to him because he's saying some cool stuff or hear his words. No, it is the same thing that happens in Deuteronomy 6, 4, where it says, hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, right, the Shema. It is the same thing when God calls out from heaven and says the same thing. This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased. I don't care if you're well-pleased. You're not the one well-pleasing to me. He is the one with whom I'm well-pleased. Listen and follow and obey what he is saying. He's the one on whom I will glorify myself again and again and again. Hear Him. And here we have the Father calling out and assuring the crowds that He has already glorified His name and He promises to do it again. Here is a promise you can so-called take to the bank. God will be glorified. Did you know that? When we pray and when we read, in my life, Lord, be glorified, I promise you, for good or for evil, that will certainly come true. You say, what? Isn't it all about salvation? No. God will be glorified in his creation. God will be glorified in his people. You say, well, how is that the case? What about someone who does not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? What about somebody who hates the Lord? How is God glorified in them? By their destruction. Because the wrath of God will be enacted on them the same way in which the wrath of God was enacted on Christ. But they will not be able to bear it. And the pride of many will evaporate to meaninglessness. And when Christ is establishing these realities, when the Father calls out from heaven, giving witness to the reality of what is about to happen, he reminds everyone hearing this in verse 30, he says, this voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world. What? Now is the judgment of this world? Yes. Yes, now is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up, I will draw all peoples to myself. What an incredible statement. That was the first thing that Satan offered to him regarding the peoples of this world. Bow down to me and I'll give them to you. He took him to a high point and showed him all the nations of the world that were in his domain, a legitimate offer that he had full ability to deliver on. Just worship me and I will give you all the people of the world no suffering necessary. You don't think that was a real temptation? You don't think every single one of us would have crumpled under that offer? Not only will you have purchased the people that the Father is giving you, you will have freed every single person in the world. Everyone would be saved and you wouldn't have to suffer. That's what Satan was offering Jesus in the wilderness. And what was the path he chose instead? A path that led to a great number of people never coming to salvation. A path that led to a great deal of suffering and the facing of the wrath of God directly. And yet, what does he say, when I am lifted up? When I am put on that cross, which by anyone's eyes will look like something being done to me rather than something that I am doing. Not just allowing. This is my intention. This is why I came into the world. When I am up there with my hands nailed down, unable to do anything, I will draw all peoples to myself. I am not just the Savior of Israel. I am not just the Savior of this group of people here, these disciples here. There are people whose languages nobody has ever heard that will call on my name for salvation. I will see to it, and there is nothing you can do about it. The Father will be glorified and I will not fail in the job that he has given me. Look at that confidence. Look at that confidence. John even puts in a word on here, an editorial mark in verse 33. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. Nobody expected him to be crucified, nobody. even having Psalm 22 in the hymns of Israel, nobody saw it. They saw two different pictures of the Messiah, a suffering servant, which is weird, and a victorious king. And so they theorized there might be actually two messiahs because this makes no sense. You do not have victory through suffering. Unless that's exactly how heaven works. And Christian, when I say be thankful for the sufferings that are gracefully placed into your life, why I mean that is because that is the way of heaven's victory. That is the way of great power. That is the way of great glory. Not because your sufferings are better than somebody else's, but because my friend, you see Christ there like you don't see him anywhere else. How many of you have known a sickness that has caused you to see God clearer than you did before? To see your role in this world clearer than you did before? A loss, somebody close to you that crystallized your vision of yourself and of the future. Even in the unknown, a peace that makes no darn sense whatsoever. to say, whatever thorny ways, I will follow you to whatever end. The crowd was very confused. That's not how the world works. The crowd answered him and said, we have heard from the law. You see, they all take their Bibles out. We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the son of man must be lifted up? Which is a euphemism for crucified. How can you say that the son of man must be lifted up? Who then is the son of man? Because we know it can't be you. The suffering servant and the victorious king cannot be the same person. That's not how the world works. That's not how our interpretation of the scriptures works, right? So then who is this son of man? Because we know he can't be the victorious king if he's going to be lifted up. If you're gonna be lifted up, then who's the son of man? He must be someone else. Jesus didn't answer them. The light is fading. It's among you only for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light. Otherwise, darkness will overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn't even know where he's going. While you have the light, believe in the light, and you will become sons of light. What is he saying? How is that a legitimate response? It doesn't make any sense. The law has shown us that the Son of Man is glorified. The Son of Man is grand. The Father will glorify Him. It says that the Christ remains forever. Now you're saying that you're gonna be lifted up. Okay, if you're gonna be lifted up, then who is the Son of Man? Who should we place our faith in? Because we don't wanna place it in somebody that's going to cause more suffering. Who wants to follow a leader that leads to suffering? Anyone, anyone, anyone? Nobody naturally wants to do that. What kind of leader is that? Hey, I got an idea, everyone. I got this new thing that I want everyone to invest in here. It's just going to make all of its customers suffer. People are going to be put to death for owning it, and even for speaking about it. How good of a product would that be? You'd have to enroll the greatest marketing department on Earth to sell one of them. Nobody wants that. And yet how many people try to turn Christ into something so easy to believe in that it requires nothing of the hearer? I have heard people even speak of the Christian life in an evangelistic situation to say, do this, it will cure your ills. Follow Christ and you don't have to suffer anymore. meaningless, unhappiness. You'll be happy. Everything will be great. Oh, my friend, what a lie. How many of you know in the Christian life to be the source only of good happiness is in great times and ease and comfort? See, if we know that somebody is saying that in the sales world, we know that they're lying to us. If you go to a car salesman and he says, boy, I tell you, you buy this car, you'll never need another car again. You don't even need to change its oil, nothing. There's no frustrations with it. It costs you nothing. In fact, it'll cost you money not to own this car. We know he's lying. That's evil marketing. Don't welcome it into the gospel. I have been reprimanded for telling unbelievers not to follow Christ unless they have what it takes to follow him to the death. I took that reprimandation and I passed it right back. I am only quoting Christ. If you are not willing to deny yourself and take up a cross, don't follow him. He said, it doesn't make any sense. I know. Not to the human mind on any level whatsoever. Not on any level whatsoever. Why? Because we are people of darkness. We can't see the future. We can barely see the glory of God. We can barely see the purposes of God, and yet Christ, with full knowledge of everything going around him, he knows the thoughts and the intentions of the hearts of everyone in his sphere. He knows the intention of God at every moment. He knows every relative, every friend, every moment of everyone's life, everywhere. The most amazing testament to God's mercy is that he's not constantly going around killing everybody. Because if I had that knowledge, I'm well certain my mercy would have been used up and I would be out just killing people. This person hurt that person, this one just got away with murder three days ago, this one Think of the things that people keep secret in their hearts. Jesus knew every single one of them and he wasn't constantly killing everyone. That is an incredible testament to the mercy of God. Think of the worst things you have done. Think about if everyone in your life knew about it. and then realized that Christ knew about it and he still bore the wrath of God for you and for me, things unspeakable. And we don't think he's a powerful savior. We, by nature, are children of darkness. And he says, of course it doesn't make sense to you. Walk while you have the light because the light won't be in the world for very long. While you have the light, what is our response to him? To question him? to say, Jesus, that gospel you gave is a little bit too harsh. We're gonna tweak some of the things on it a little bit, make it more palatable to unbelievers so that they can just be our friends and we don't actually have them, you know, repent of their sins and believe in the gospel. We'll just have them hang out with us a bit and we'll kind of teach them how to pretend to be Christians. You will teach well-behaved people how to go to hell boldly. I don't know about you, but I want no part of that. This is a savior worth entrusting your soul to. Do you know why? Because he made us from the ground and he breathed into our nostrils the breath of life. And then when we flipped him off and said, we would rather rule our own lives instead of yours, we would rather walk in darkness than light. He still came and saved us out of this world. And for reasons I will never in this life fully understand, set his love on his church. And gives us the promise that when we pass through our own blessed grave, he will pull us from the dirt again. breathe into our nostrils the breath of life and resurrect us to a life that cannot be taken away. Christ the victor has cast the ruler of this world out. We desire the kingdom of God instead. Do not, for any reason whatsoever, cast aside the promises of God for the kingdoms and the promises of this earth. They will all let you down. And in case you haven't learned that yet, we have another election rolling around to show you how the very many ways this world can let you down and how many promises are made. that this world, even with its strongest people, cannot deliver on. And even if they could deliver on every promise they made, guess what? They can't do anything about their own grave. Or yours. This is a victorious king. This is a merciful creator. Let's pray. Our Father, we are indeed very grateful that you have sought to glorify your name in the person of Christ, in his sufferings, his death, his resurrection. Father, what a tremendous grace for our lives that you have sought to do the same thing, to glorify your name in your church. It is an astounding thing that you call your church the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, where you will be glorified. And Father, we desire that. We know it may bring about great suffering. We pray you give us stout hearts. We have a task given to us that outweighs our abilities. And so we pray, Father, Lord of the harvest, make us faithful workers for your kingdom to come. In your son's name, amen.