From the Crowd To The Core

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>From the Crowd To The Core</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id449.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Resurrection: This Changes Everythin"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id445.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who We Are And What We Are About"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"From the Crowd to the Core," John 12</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, April 5, 2004am</B></div> <bR> <div>      Ken Davis wrote, "In college I was asked to prepare a lesson to teach my speech class. We were to be graded on our creativity and ability to drive home a point in a memorable way. The title of my talk was, "The Law of the Pendulum." I spent 20 minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum is: A pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.</div> <div>      I attached a 3-foot string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. I pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where I let it go. Each time it swung back I made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When I finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard proved my thesis.</div> <div>      I then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All of my classmates raised their hands, so did the teacher. He started to walk to the front of the room thinking the class was over. In reality it had just begun. Hanging from the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room was a large, crude but functional pendulum (250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord.).</div> <div>      I invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. Then I brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face, I once again explained the law of the pendulum he had applauded only moments before, "If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger."</div> <div>      After that final restatement of this law, I looked him in the eye and asked, "Sir, do you believe this law is true?" There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, "Yes." I released the pendulum. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. I never saw a man move so fast in my life. He literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, I asked the class, "Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?" The students unanimously answered, 'NO!'" (Ken Davis, <I>How To Speak To Youth</I>.)</div> <div>      Are you a true "believer," according to that description of belief? The study of the variety of responses to Jesus and his message gives us the challenge to evaluate what kind of a "follower" of Jesus we are. What does it mean to "follow" Jesus? What did he have in mind? Every Sunday, crowds gather in Jesus' name. Is there a difference between the crowds gathered around Jesus, and the core of true believers?</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Six Responses to the message and work of Jesus - what kind of response will you give him </B><B>(</B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:1-37" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>John 12:1-37</B></U></A><B>)?</B></div> <div> <I>1. The fully-devoted worshiper and follower of Jesus.</I></div> <div>      Mary offered extravagant worship, which was illogical by merely human standards (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:1-3" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:1-3</U></A>). No cost is too much in following Jesus. Jesus had done so much for her - how could she not sacrifice everything to him in an act of generous appreciation? Her greatest value was Jesus himself. What kind of follower of Jesus are you?</div> <div> <I>2. The pretender, privately opposed to Jesus.</I></div> <div>      Judaswas only concerned about money (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:4-6" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:4-6</U></A>). He valued money more than following Jesus. He wanted everybody to think he was on the inside. But he worshiped another god, the god of money, and he was not a true follower of Jesus, even though he tried to act like it. What kind of follower of Jesus are you?</div> <div> <I>3. Those who openly opposed Jesus.</I><I>  </I></div> <div>      The Jewish leadersharbored anger, hatred, and a willingness to kill Jesus, as well as Lazarus (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:10-11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:10-11</U></A>), because many people had abandoned them and followed Jesus (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:19" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:19</U></A>). Their respect and authority was being threatened because of Jesus. They valued their pride and position and respect from others. How are you responding to Jesus?</div> <div> <I>4. Those who believed in Jesus but were unwilling to go public with their faith.</I></div> <div>      Many of the religious people, including some of the Jewish leaders, "believed" but did not "follow" Jesus,  because of their fear of being expelled from the synagogue (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+42-43" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:42-43</U></A>). They valued human praise and the security of their religion more than Christ. What kind of follower of Jesus are you?</div> <div> <I>5. The crowd interested in Jesus (as "the next big thing"?).</I></div> <div>      Note the emphasis on the size of the crowds all through the story (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:9-20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:9-20</U></A>). To the Pharisees, it seemed as if the "whole world" was following Jesus. Even Gentiles, God-fearing visitors to Israel, were interested in him. They gathered because of the testimony about Jesus' miracle and Lazarus.  They shouted "Hosanna" ["The Lord saves"], "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," and "Blessed is the King of Israel."  They honored Jesus and seemed to welcome him as their King. Note that "palms had become a symbol of Jewish nationalism" (Gary Burge, <I>John</I>. NIV Application Commentary). They were impressed with Jesus and his work. But were they all followers of Jesus? Were they apart of the core of his true disciples? Considering what happens next, probably not. What kind of follower of Jesus are you?</div> <div> <I>6. The crowd openly opposed to Jesus (part 2).</I></div> <div>      Despite all the miraculous signs, most of the people <I>did not believe</I> in him (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:37" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:37</U></A>). In <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+18:38-40" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 18:38-40</U></A>, the crowds wanted Barabbas released and Jesus killed. In <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+19:14-15" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 19:14-15</U></A>, the crowds cried out, "away with him; crucify him," and "we have no king but Caesar." So many had said to Jesus the week before, "Hail to the King of Israel" (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:13" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:13</U></A>). How are you responding to Jesus?</div> <bR> <div>      On the one hand, the crowds were gathering around Jesus, attracted by his miracles. On the other hand, the intensity of opposition to his ministry was increasing. But when he ended up on the cross, he would "draw all men to himself" (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:32" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:32</U></A>). Little did the opposition know that by his death, he would make it possible for all people to find salvation, the forgiveness of sins, transformation and eternal life (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:24" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>John 12:24</U></A>).</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. What it means and what it costs to follow Jesus (</B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+12:25-26" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>John 12:25-26</B></U></A><B>).</B></div> <div>      A "disciple" is a learner, a follower. Consider being educated, trained, or mentored: in construction or music or leadership or baseball. One who learns says, "I am willing to submit myself to you to learn from you." A disciple of Christ gives ownership and rulership and control of his life over to Christ.</div> <div>      If you are a part of the "core," if you claim to be a follower of Jesus, evaluate yourself. Does he have control and ownership over <I>every area</I> of your life? What are one or two areas where you are refusing his leadership? Confess those things and give them up to God.</div> <div>      If you are a part of the crowd, are you willing to pay the cost to follow Jesus? Do you truly believe, that you would turn ownership of your life over to Jesus?</div> <div>      Why would Mary offer such a profound act of devotion to Jesus? Because Jesus showed her grace, and he raised her brother from the dead. And that is the point. <I>We</I> have been given eternal life. Therefore, we offer our lives to him as an act of devotion and love and appreciation.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Questions for Thought and Discussion:</B></div> <div> 1. In light of the above responses to Jesus, how have you responded to his call to follow him? Why?</div> <bR> <div> 2. Describe a time when you had to humble yourself to learn a new skill from someone else? What similarities are there in following Jesus?</div> <bR> <div> 3. Is there anything you have been holding back from Jesus? Name it, very specifically. Why are you hanging on to it? Is it worth holding on to, while pushing Jesus away?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2004, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>