Seeking To Surrender

The Gospel of John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Seeking to Surrender

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Hopewell Baptist Church

February 16, 2020

Opening Illustration – Romanian Pastor Joseph Tson, was arrested and interrogated many times between 1970 and 1977 while Romania was still under Communist rule. However, during one such interrogation in or round 1977, he told the following to his interrogators:
“‘You should know your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying,’” Tson said.
“‘Now here is how it works, sir: You know that my sermons are on tape all over the country. When you shoot me or crush me, whichever way you choose, [you] only sprinkle my sermons with my blood. Everybody who has a tape of one of my sermons will pick it up and say, ‘I had better listen again. This man died for what he preached.’ Sir, my sermons will speak 10 times louder after you kill me and because you kill me. In fact, I will conquer this country for God because you killed me. Go on and do it.’
After telling them this, they sent him home and apparently never arrested him again until 1981 when he was exiled from the country.
Transition – Jesus says in Matthew that he who loses his life will find it. Joseph Tson, once he surrendered his life to the cross, truly found it and was able to bear much fruit in the name of Jesus throughout Romania. In the same way, Jesus tells his disciples that life comes from death.
Big Idea: Jesus died on the cross for our sins and is steadfastly faithful to us, His sheep; because of this, we can safely and soundly surrender our lives to Jesus Christ.
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Pray

I. Seeking Jesus –

a. Desire – v.20-21

i. There were some “Greeks” (v.20) who were amongst those gathered for the Passover. “Greeks” is a commonly used word for “Gentiles”, i.e., non-Jews. The fact that they were there at the Passover shows that they were most likely a group of “God-fearing Gentiles”.
ii. These Greeks wanted to see Jesus.
1. Their desire to see Jesus is likely born from the fact they are God fearing Gentiles and they want to know more of the man they have heard so much about
2. Did they get to meet Jesus? We don’t know, but it was obviously not of importance to the narrative of .
iii. They approached Philip, one of the 12, with their request to see Jesus.

b. Declaration – v. 22

i. Here, in verse 22, we see the declaration that Andrew and Philip make regarding the Greeks: they “went and told Jesus.” (v.22).
ii. They are declaring that there are people there to see Jesus.
1. To see -> in other instances of this word throughout the New Testament, it’s regarding having witnessed something Jesus did.
a. , , etc.

c. Life from Death – v. 23-24

i. v.23 – The hour has come…
1. In all previous uses of “the hour”, it was always a future use that wasn’t there yet. Now, it’s in the present, as in that the hour of His crucifixion is imminent.
a. Previous uses: ,
2. To be glorified – to be shown for who He really is, after His death, burial, and resurrection.
a. That He is the Messiah, the Christ, the King of the Jews, the Savior of the World!!!!
b. His ascension
ii. v.24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain…
1. if Grain does not fall and die, it will not bear fruit, it will remain alone.
a. Jesus is the grain that must die so that He will bear much fruit as the ultimate Passover lamb, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law.

II. Surrendering to Jesus –

a. A love-hate relationship – v.25

i. Whoever loves his life loses it
1. This love of one’s life is a denial of God, James calls it a friendship with the world (). If one is denying God, they cannot have eternal life.
a. (those who spurned the invitation…)
b. (Seek first the kingdom…)
ii. Whoever hates his life…
1. This is a denial of one’s self, putting oneself after the Gospel, taking ourselves off the pedestal of our lives and keeping God as first and foremost, as our first love.
a.

b. Putting yourself in the back seat – v.26

i. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
1. Jesus is the supreme revelation of God, so therefore as we serve Him, we must do so by taking the selfish focus off of ourselves and place is squarely on Jesus and His Gospel.
2. Jesus’s death brought life to His followers through the shed blood on the cross. Our “Deaths” is vindication, as we too will be glorified, righteous before God.

III. Application – Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His faithfulness to us, we must surrender our lives to Him.

a. We must surrender our spiritual lives to God.
i.
b. We must surrender our material lives to God.
i. – “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”
c. We must surrender our physical lives to God!
i.
ii. When Joseph Tson was set free to go home, he was truly “set free” in more than one way. He was set free from the bondage of the fear of death, free to more freely and effectively share the Gospel.
d. How Do We Do This?
i. Be denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus every day
ii. By finding those opportunities to share the Gospel
iii. By focusing all on Jesus
iv. By being disciples who make disciples…

IV. Invitation –

a. Repent and Believe
b. Be baptized
c. Surrender to the call of ministry
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