To Die and Bear Much Fruit

To Die and Bear Much Fruit, "Why Did He Come?" Series - Part 4, John 12:24-27

“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.  25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  26 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.  27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

                                                                                                                                   - John 12:24-27

To Be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest

To Be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest, "Why Did He Come?" Series Part 3, Hebrews 2:17-18

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

                                                                                                                               - Hebrews 2:17-18

To Restore a Broken Relationship

To Restore a Broken Relationship, "Why Did He Come?" Series Part 2, Hebrews 10:1-10

10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

                                                                                                                                - Hebrews 10:1-10

To Bear Witness To The Truth

To Bear Witness To The Truth, "Why Did He Come?" Series - Part 1, John 18:33-38

“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"  34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"  35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?"  36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.”

                                                                                                                                  - John 18:33-38

Show Me Your Glory: The Cry For Spiritual Renewal

Show Me Your Glory: The Cry For Spiritual Renewal, "Renewal" Series - Part 3, Exodus 33:18-23

“Moses said, "Please show me your glory."  19 And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."  21 And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,  22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

                                                                                                                               - Exodus 33:18-23

Praying For Spiritual Renewal

Praying For Spiritual Renewal, "Renewal" Series - Part 2, Exodus 33:7-11

“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.  8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.  9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses.  10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.  11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

                                                                                                                                   - Exodus 33:7-11

The Beginnings of Spiritual Renewal

The Beginnings of Spiritual Renewal, "Renewal" Series - Part 1, Exodus 33:1-6

“The LORD said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.'  2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."  4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.  5 For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.'"  6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.”

                                                                                                                                    - Exodus 33:1-6

A New Life Is A Sent Life

A New Life Is A Sent Life, "Made Alive" Series Part 6, John 4:25-42

“The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things."  26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."  27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"  28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,  29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"  30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.  31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."  33 So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"  34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.  35 Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'  38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."  39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did."  40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.  41 And many more believed because of his word.  42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

                                                                                                                                     - John 4:25-42