The Life Resulting From Death Principle

Transcript

GR 381
11/30/1980
The Life Resulting From Death Principle
John 12:20-26
Gil Rugh

We come to the 12th chapter, and you remember we are closing the public ministry of Jesus Christ. You could really skip from chapter 12 to chapter 18 of John and have the basic flow, although there would be some key events that would be missing like the leaving of Judas to carry out the betrayal. But as far as the public aspect of His ministry, at the end of chapter 12 He will retire with His disciples to the upper room and then they will move to the garden for the betrayal.

We noted that the chapter opened up with Mary’s anointing of Jesus. A very significant event because it is the preparation of Jesus Christ for His burial. Mary has taken an alabaster vial, a very costly ointment, and poured it out on Jesus anointing His feet, wiping them with her hair. And Judas leads the way among the disciples to rebuke her, but Jesus responded in verse 7 by saying, "Let her alone in order that she may keep it for the day of My burial." This would be the only anointing for burial that the body of Jesus would receive. After the crucifixions, because of the impending Sabbath, His body is temporarily prepared and placed in a tomb. And then the resurrection occurs three days later. The women were coming after the Sabbath for the purpose of giving a more permanent preparation to the body in wrapping it with the spices and the ointment, but the resurrection had already occurred.

That's followed by the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the order of events is significant. First, He is anointed for burial by Mary. Then there is this triumphal procession to Jerusalem where He is proclaimed and heralded as the King of Israel, the Messiah of the nation. And we would think the events might be reversed in order, but in God's program, in the awareness of Christ, He is going to Jerusalem for the sole purpose of dying. So the preparation for burial preceded that triumphal entry where great multitudes acknowledge Him as the Messiah. Now for the vast majority of these multitudes it is not with insight and understanding that they proclaim Him as King, but on a superficial way in light of what they have heard about Him they are willing to proclaim Him King. But when He does not provide the kind of deliverance they are looking for, they are also ready to follow the leadership of those who want to crucify Him. And Jesus is aware of all this.

We noted the triumphal entry concludes in Luke’s account in chapter 19 by Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem because of the destruction that will come upon that nation for their rejection of Him as Messiah. He is totally aware of all that is going on in all of the events, and since they have chosen to reject Him the outcome is destruction and ruin for them as a nation.

Now as we come to verse 20 of chapter 12, we come to a significant event that is only recorded by John among the gospel writers—the coming of Greeks seeking an interview with Jesus. And it is a very significant event and it paves the way for a discourse by Jesus on His impending crucifixion.

"Now there were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these therefore came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’" Now way back when Solomon dedicated His temple, in his prayer he made reference to the foreigners who would come to the temple for worship.

Turn back to 1 Kings chapter 8. Now the temple that Jesus is at in John 12 is not Solomon's temple, obviously, but it is a temple that has been reconstructed by Herod. But the principle of the temple being the focal point of worship for the nation is the same. And in 1 Kings chapter 8 when Solomon dedicated his splendid temple, in verse 41 he prays, "Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Thy people Israel, when he comes from a far country for your name's sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Thine outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name." We have an example of this when we come to John chapter 12 The foreigners coming to the temple to worship.

And when you come back to John chapter 12, these Greeks would probably be what we would call proselytes, individuals who had converted to Judaism, stopping short of a full conversion. To become a full convert, a proselyte of righteousness, the men had to undergo circumcision and there were many proselytes who stopped short of a full commitment to Judaism. And they were allowed into the outer regions of the temple, called the court of the Gentiles, but not allowed into the inner precincts where the Jews were permitted to come. These come to the feasts. Being converts to Judaism, they now come to the temple for worship. You remember that God is still working a program with Israel in the gospels, and so these Gentiles who have converted, who have come to believe the revelation that God has given, now seek worship at the temple. And while there, they seek an interview with Jesus.

Now in verse 21 they came to Philip. We don't know why they picked Philip. Perhaps he's from Bethsaida of Galilee, a region apart from Jerusalem. Perhaps because Philip is a Greek name and they thought they might have an in with him. Philip meaning lover of horses. Perhaps he just happened to be available, and they recognized him as one of the disciples. Whatever the reason, they approach Philip and say 'We would like to see Jesus.' Now they don't just mean a physical opportunity to get a glimpse of His person, there would be many opportunities for that. They are looking for a personal interview with Christ, the Messiah, and Philip responds in a strange way in verse 22. "Philip came and told Andrew." And then Andrew comes with Philip and they both tell Jesus. You get the idea there is more to this than just some people who would like to be introduced to a famous man. Philip doesn’t have the confidence to tell these Greeks, ’Well, come with me I’ll be glad to introduce you.’ And Andrew doesn't have the confidence because both Philip and Andrew go and relay the message to Jesus. Now he may be in the inner precincts of the temple where the Greeks are not allowed to come, so perhaps they go to get Him and relay the information. I think the explanation and background for Philip's coming to Andrew rather than going straight to Christ with these men is in the message that Christ had given them during His earthly ministry. You remember, He came to be a Jewish King, the Messiah of Israel. He did not come with a message and ministry to the Gentile nation.

Look at a couple of passages in Matthew. Matthew chapter 10. On these occasions Christ had forbidden His disciples to minister to Gentiles. And after selecting the twelve and their names being given, in verse 5 of Matthew 10,
"These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them saying, 'Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’" Not to Gentiles, not to Samaritans, just to Jews.

Look over in Matthew 15. Here you have the account where the Syrophoenician woman has come and sought for her daughter to be healed from demon possession, and Jesus ignores her. In verse 24, "He answered and said, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’" You note that. I have a unique ministry, it is ONLY to the house of Israel. She continues and says, "Lord, help me!" in verse 25, "And He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children's food and give it to dogs.’" In effect He says you non-Israelites are dogs. I have come with blessing, with food for children, the children are the Jews. Not to feed the dogs. This woman is not offended. She says, 'I acknowledge that but even the dogs should be able to scrounge the crumbs that fall from the table.' Tremendous faith that Jesus honors. But you see the emphasis. Jesus came to be a Jewish Messiah, consistent with Old Testament emphasis. The Old Testament does not emphasize the nations as a whole, ’til we pick up with Abraham. But it is concentrated on one nation, the nation Israel, and any non-Israelites who came to believe the revelation that God has given of Himself, converted to Judaism, became proselytes, converts. Because God was working in and through the nation Israel, salvation was centered in the Jews and the gospels are still lived under the Old Testament system. And Jesus came to be the Messiah of Israel. To carry on a ministry to the nation Israel. That may be the background for the question over in John chapter 12 in Philip's mind and Andrew's mind. Would Jesus want to talk to these Greeks since He says we don't have a ministry directed to the Gentile people?

In verse 23 Jesus gives His response, and it's interesting because Jesus sees the coming of the Greeks as of tremendous significance in drawing to a culmination His earthly ministry. Here have come those who are not of the nation Israel seeking Him. And it is a reminder that the time has arrived when He will provide for all nations, not just Jews, the privilege of access into His presence and the presence of His Father.

"Jesus answered them saying, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'" Three aspects of His statement. The hour has come, the Son of Man, and to be glorified—all have significance. Notice what He says. "The hour has come." Up until this point in the Gospel of John we have been reminded on repeated occasions that it was not yet His hour. It was not yet time for the crucifixion.

Look at just two passages. Back in John chapter 7, verse 30. "They were seeking therefore to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come." Look over in chapter 8, verse 20. "These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come." So now it becomes of tremendous significance when chapter 12, verse 23 He says, "The hour has come." That point in time to which we have been moving, to which My ministry has been focused, it has now arrived. It is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified. To be glorified is a reference to the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. All are involved when you talk about glorification. He would pass through the suffering of crucifixion and death, the subsequent exaltation to the presence of the Father. This is referred to over in chapter 13, verse 31, immediately after Judas leaves the upper room to go out and betray Jesus Christ.

"When therefore he had gone out, Jesus said, ’Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately." The point in time has arrived for the glorification of the Son of God. Now that will transpire through the crucifixion. This is developed logically in Phil, chapter 2 where we're told that Jesus Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the King to the glory of God the Father. The crucifixion results in the exaltation. It's interesting as Jesus says the hour has come, He doesn't say the hour of gloom. It's the hour that I have been dreading. It's the hour that we would love to avoid. It's the hour of defeat. No. It's the hour of glorification. The hour when I will be exalted. That does not mean He was anxious, looking forward to being crucified. You see something of the agony of the garden in future chapters. But nonetheless, He recognizes that this is the means that will accomplish His glorification, His exaltation.

One other statement here. "The Son of Man" is the one to be glorified. I think that's significant that He uses this title again of Himself in light of the fact that it is Greeks or Gentiles that come to Him. Remember the background for this name is in Daniel chapter 7. Go back there if you would. We've been to Daniel 7 several times in our study.

Daniel 7. The title or name Son of Man originates as a title for Messiah in the Old Testament. Daniel 7, verse 13. "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming..." There is the expression. Jesus' favorite name for Himself during His earthly ministry—Son of Man. "He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him." Now note, "And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."

That He uses the title "Son of Man" in Daniel's prophecy, that title for Messiah is centered in the coming of the nations to Him. So as these Greeks come seeking Jesus Christ, He says "The Son of Man" has arrived at the point of glorification. He will make provision for Gentile and Jew alike to come before Him, to serve Him, to be peoples of His kingdom.

This is the same thing that Jesus referred to in John chapter 10 under the analogy of the sheep. In verse 16 of John 10, when He says "I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice, and they shall become one flock with one Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again." It would be through the death of Christ that men and women of all nationalities would be enabled to come to God.

Over in John chapter 12 again. Jesus gives an added explanation in v. 24. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Jesus uses the analogy of a kernel of grain to compare with Himself, and just like that seed does not accomplish its purpose until it is buried in the ground and covered over, then it springs to life. As long as it is sitting on the shelf, as long as it is in a jar it does not produce life. Amazing that in some of the tombs that go back into Egypt centuries and centuries, they have found seed that is capable of springing to life when it is planted! But was dormant the entire thousands of years that it lay there. Why? It had to be buried, it had to die. Then what happened? It would produce a multiple, it would multiply. That principle is applied to Christ. Verse 24 has reference to Christ alone. He is the seed, the grain, that falls into the earth and dies and the result is it produces much fruit. Jesus Christ died on the cross, is buried and subsequently raised from the dead. The result of that is that anyone and everyone who comes to believe in Him as the One who died for them receives new life and we are assembled here today as what? Fruit of His death.
We have been born again because we have believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But if He had not died, there would be no salvation for anyone. We would be under eternal condemnation even as the angels are who sinned and rebelled against God and have been assigned to eternity in hell. But because of His death, there is life. It doesn't matter what your nationality. You note. Salvation is through one man regardless of nationality, background, etc. His provision was for Jew and Gentile alike, and the coming of these Greeks to seek Him out draws Jesus' attention to the time when the hour has arrived.

It is significant that the Gentiles will come to Me even when My own people have rejected Me. He would now make a provision that would encompass all nations. Christ alone is in view in verse 24. Acts 4:12 says there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work that salvation results. But this principle of death resulting in life is applicable to the believer, applicable to those who will come to trust Christ. So it is applied in verses 25 and 26 to those that Jesus confronts. Does it with some paradoxical statements.

"He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal." Contrast and seeming paradox. If you love your life, you’ll lose it. If you hate your life, you'll have it for eternity. Now, what is in view here when He talks about he who loves his life? A word that means to have affection for, to have love for. It is a person who has affection or a love for this life. Its happiness, its fulfillment, its satisfaction. This physical, earthly life is the center of his existence. He is concerned about what makes him happy, what pleases him, what fulfills him. That person will lose his life ultimately. But there is the person who hates his life in this world who keeps it to eternal life. So the other side—hating the life is a person who is willing to go contrary to the natural affections, the natural desires, the natural longs to restrain my desires here on earth. In other words, I am not revolving around myself, and what pleasure will I get. And the most important thing in my life is me and what I get and the fulfillment I find and the pleasure I receive. But I am willing to forgo that in light of a more ultimate and better goal. That is what Jesus is talking about. That kind of contrast. Hating our life and loving our life. The person who loves this world, is concerned about the fulfillment of this life, and I realize this paradox can be continued around. Because in a sense I hate my life and I keep it for life eternal, but I ultimately have the most complete and full inner fulfillment as a result of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And what have I lost? Jesus is dealing with it on the human level. And there is pleasure and there is satisfaction in sin. "Bread eaten in secret is pleasant; stolen waters are sweet" the Book of Proverbs says. Hebrews says that Moses was willing to forgo the pleasures of sin for a season. There is pleasure and enjoyment and satisfaction in sin. But it is a transitory, temporal type of satisfaction. We're talking about a person who is willing to forgo that, the person who is willing to sacrifice fulfillment on that level for a better goal.

Look at verse 26. "If any one serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if any one serves Me, the Father will honor him." If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and not to love one's life but to hate it is equivalent to serving Jesus Christ. It's important to see that.
I don't love my life but I hate it in this world is the same as serving Jesus Christ. We're going to look at a number of parallel passages in a moment.
This principle is important and overlooked often today. That Jesus Christ calls us to a life of sacrifice. We want to paint such a rosy picture. We want to tell everyone how wonderful it is to be a Christian, and how wonderful it will be when you become a Christian, but I am impressed in the gospels that that is not what Jesus tells them. He tells them about the suffering there will be. He tells them about the sacrifice there will be. He tells them about the persecution there will be. And what do I say? When you come to believe in Jesus Christ everything will be wonderful. There is an element of truth in that. There is an inner peace, an inner joy, an inner fulfillment, but I need to be honest. We're called to a life of sacrifice not fulfillment. When you're not a child of Jesus Christ you can live your life for yourself. The only factor in your consideration is, Will it please me? Will it make me happy? You come to believe in Jesus Christ, the focal point must change. Will it please Him? Will it glorify Him? And that may be a costly thing in this life. There are things that my flesh would crave to do and I know my flesh would enjoy doing it. This body would love to revel in sin, but that's no longer an option for me. I am to hate my life in this world, those things which are characteristic of this world, the sinful pleasures that are but for a season—a transitory period of time. Because I am called to serve Him. If anyone serves Me, let Him follow Me. And there is an emphasis here—if anyone serves Me—ME! Let Him follow Me. The stress is on Christ. If anyone serves Me, ME, let him follow Me.
Note two privileges given to the one who does serve and follow Him. "Where I am, there shall My servant also be." Second, "If any one serves Me, the Father will honor him." Two privileges given to the one who hates his life in this world and serves Jesus Christ. He is given the privilege of being with Jesus Christ for all eternity. And he is promised that he will be honored by God the Father. That's amazing. I think we ought to be honest when we present Jesus Christ. You are not saved by living a life of sacrifice. You are not saved by depriving yourself. You're not saved by sitting on a bed of nails and doing without for a lifetime. You are saved by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That the Son of God died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sin. But when you do come to believe in Him, there is a life of sacrifice to be lived. There is a commitment involved. That is costly, humanly speaking. So you come to make a decision but you recognize that if you come to believe in Him, it will cost you everything in this life. If I do not believe in Him, it will cost me everything in eternity. What a choice! The temporal, transitory pleasures of sin for a brief time; or the joy of the presence of the Son of God and the honor of His Father for eternity. Those are the choices that are laid before us. Tragedy that we lose sight of what the goal is. In a heathenistic society where the pursuit of pleasure presses in on us, even believers find themselves confronted with questions—well it doesn't please me! It doesn't make me happy. It doesn't give me pleasure! And He never called me to a ME-Life!
But to serve Him. To follow Him. To glorify Him. And there is a world of difference. Somehow I justify the wrong that I do because I deserve a certain amount of pleasure. He didn't promise me anything but trouble here and glory there. And you're headed for trouble if you look for the glory here, for pleasure here rather than there. Repeated and repeated and repeated through the gospels. I take it the Spirit of God in directing the writing of our New Testament had a purpose in reiterating through several writers some of these points. Look at them with me if you would. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10.

Matthew chapter 10, verse 37. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Now you note. Jesus Christ is not willing to be second to anyone. The Bible says I ought to love my wife. I am to love my children. But I am to love Jesus Christ more than anyone or anything, and if I do not, I am not worthy of Him. He is unwilling to be second. He goes on. "He who has found his life shall lose it; he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it." Same emphasis as John chapter 12. Losing your life in this world, the cost that is involved. "He who has found his life shall lose it; he who has lost his life for My sake, shall find it."

Verse 38. "He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Taking up the cross. A picture of sacrifice and suffering. You must take your cross. You embark on following the Master, and that suffering, that life of deprivation or you are not worthy of Him.

Chapter 16 of Matthew, verse 24. Note—Jesus has just told the disciples that He is going to the cross. Peter says 'No! It can't be!' Why? Suffering is contrary to what we want. Note what Jesus says in verse 24, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds.'" The Son of Man is coming. Whatever decision you make about Jesus Christ, remember the Son of Man is coming. And He will recompense according to what we have done. We're back to that motivating factor of the ultimate goal, that someday I must see Jesus Christ face to face. And the decisions I make in this life now, I make in light of that. Note in light of what I would like to do now. In light of the fact that I am going to see Him and render account.

Mark chapter 8, verse 34. "And He summoned the multitude with His disciples..." You note the multitude are called into this with the disciples, "...with His disciples and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'" You note. ME has to go. Deny self, take up the cross and follow Him. "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.'" Keep that in mind. If you're ashamed of Jesus Christ here, unwilling to believe and submit to Him, there will come a day when He will be unwilling to acknowledge you. And the result of that is condemnation for eternity.

Luke chapter 9, verse 23. "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.'" Luke chapter 14, verse 26. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.’" You note. To come to Jesus Christ, to believe in Him, involves a total commitment. It is a costly commitment, humanly speaking, because I am no longer my own. First Corinthians Paul wrote and said in verse 20 of chapter 6, "You are not your own. You have been brought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body." Now I’m not saved by doing something. I'm saved by believing that Jesus died for my sins. But entailed in that commitment is a sacrifice of everything that is mine. Because now I become His. It's no longer my life and my body to do with as I please but it is His body and His life to do with as He pleases. "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live; yet not I, it is Christ who lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" Paul wrote to the Galatians in 2:20. It's not mine any longer to do with as I please to serve myself.

One other passage. Chapter 17 of Luke, verse 32. "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it alive." What happened to Lot's wife? She was so absorbed with the pleasures of Sodom and Gomorrah that she couldn't tear herself away. She longed to go back and it cost her everything. So keep in mind. You think it's too costly to serve Jesus Christ? Remember, to serve Him, to believe in Him costs you everything in this life—to note believe in Him costs you everything in eternity. And we’re so childish, we grasp for the immediate pleasure. You note the more immature a child or a baby is the more obvious it is. The only thing that matters is immediate fulfillment, and we who claim to be adults function that way so often. We lose sight of eternal things, and the only thing that matters is immediate fulfillment and satisfaction. And just like the baby grabbing for the immediate because he has no sense of the future. I must put everything into the perspective of eternity.

Two things laid before us as a goal. What are you focused on? What’s most important? That you spend eternity in the presence of the Son of God and be honored by His Father? Or you would satisfy some fleshly desires for a transitory time? Have you come to believe in Jesus Christ personally? Those are the choices before. And it’s really no loss, because even though it costs you everything humanly speaking, He's given me peace and joy and happiness and fulfillment within that those pleasures never gave me anyway. So the paradox goes on. When I gave up everything, I got everything I was looking for in the first place in the ultimate fulfillment and meaning of life.

For those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ, we ought to always keep before us the commitment that was made when we trusted Him. Romans 6 develops this. Colossians 3 develops it. Other passages develop it—that we were crucified with Jesus Christ. The flesh and its pursuits are to be past history the world lives for the now. We live for the future. The world lives for what it can get and receive today. We live in light of eternity. What a privilege to live in a temporal, transitory time period but to be of eternal significance We need to be careful as believers that we are not sucked in, drawn into the world's way and thus our lives are characterized by the temporal rather than by a commitment to the eternal in light of the fact we be privileged to be in His presence and be honored by His Father for eternity. Let's pray together.

Father, how we praise you for a Savior who has secured such a redemption, who has accomplished for us, Father, a salvation that is complete. Lord, our desire is that you would have your way in our lives. That those who are here, Father, who have opted for temporal insignificant things may stop and ponder these decisions in light of eternity.

Father, pray that we who are believers might have our attention focused upon those things which are of eternal significance. Father, not to be like the world that is full of blind lovers who love themselves to their undoing, but at the last will hate themselves bitterly because they have not hated themselves properly.

May we be a people who magnify and honor your name in all things and we’ll praise you for it in Jesus’ name