MESSAGE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

A Paradox is statement appearing to be untrue or contradictory. Examples:

Getting rich by poverty                             Proverbs 13:7

Dead burying the dead                            Mathews 8:22

Finding life by losing it                             Mathew 10:39

Not peace but a sword                            Mathew 10:34-38

Wise as serpent, harmless as doves    Mathew 10:16

Hating and loving                                     Luke 14:26

Becoming great by serving                    Mark 10:43

Dying in order to live                               John 12: 24, 25

Becoming a fool to be wise                   1 Corinthians 3:18


Paradox in names:
Dhani Ram                     Poor man

Garib Das                      Rich man

Laxmi Devi                    Beggar

Mamta                            Cruel

Shanti                            Talkative

Surdas                           Blind

Himmat Singh               Coward



People struggle for their life. They fight for their right and wrestle for their greatness - only to find that it is the other way around that we can find them. Jesus said:

John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

John 12:25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

What was this amazing paradox which Jesus was teaching? He was saying three things:

I. IT IS ONLY BY DEATH THAT YOU CAN GAIN LIFE.
John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

The grain of wheat was ineffective and unfruitful so long as it was preserved, as it were, in safety and security. It was when it was thrown into the cold ground, and buried there as if in a tomb, that it bore fruit.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS:• It is by dying to sin through repentance and total surrender to Christ that we can gain eternal life in God
• It is only when we buried our personal aims and ambitions that we begin to be of real use to God
• It is by the death of our personal desires and ambition that we become servant of God
• It is by surrendering our own ways to God’s way that we become fruitful and effective for God

It was by the death of the martyrs that the Church grew. In the famous phrase: "The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church."

II. IT IS ONLY BY SPENDING LIFE THAT YOU CAN RETAIN IT.
John 12:25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

The man who loves his life is moved by two aims, by selfishness and by the desire for security. Not once or twice but many times Jesus insisted that the man who hoarded his life must in the end lose it, and the man who spent his life must in the end gain it.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:• People usually choose personal safety and avoid risk. But it is by taking the risk of being called Christian and ridiculed for the same faith that we can retain life with God
• People are resisting rules and cry for freedom. But it is by spending life according to rules of God’s word that we can gain real happiness freedom and peace
• People avoid danger and persecution so they choose what is generally accepted. But it is by living and dying for Christ that we can really gain eternal life
We have only to think of what this world would have lost if there had not been men prepared to forget their personal safety, security, selfish gain and selfish advancement. The world owes everything to people who recklessly spent their strength and gave themselves to God and to others.

No doubt we will exist longer if we take things easily, if we avoid all strain, if we sit at the fire and husband life, if we look after ourselves as a hypochondriac looks after his health. No doubt we will exist longer--but we will never live. (Barclay)

III. IT IS ONLY BY SERVING THAT GREATNESS COME.
John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:• People aim for the throne but it is through the feet of the cross that greatness start
• People trick and deceive others to be number one but it is by loving others and thinking of their welfare that we become great
• People tend to become proud once they got money and power but those who found the real power in God become humbles as they found their nothingness without God

The people whom the world remembers with love are the people who serve others. It is all too true that in the modern world the idea of service is in danger of getting lost. So many people are in business only for what they can get out of it. They may well become rich, but one thing is certain--they will never be loved, and love is the true wealth of life. (Barclay)

CONCLUSION:
Jesus came to us with a new view of life. We looked on glory as conquest, the acquisition of power, the right to rule. He looked on it as a cross. He taught men that only by death comes life; that only by spending life do we retain it; that only by service comes greatness. And the extraordinary thing is that when we come to think of it, Christ’s paradox is nothing other than the truth of common sense. (Barclay)

THE THREE PARADOXES TO A FRUITFUL  LIFE
(John 12:24-26)

What Makes a Church Great?

Acts 4:33

"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the

resurrection of the Lord Jesus:  and great grace was upon them

all."--Acts 4:33.

I believe this is a great church!  God is doing great things!  But there is greater still to come…revival is in progress, but it needs to continue and grow…mercy drops need to give way to showers of blessing!

What is a great church?  Some like a big church, some a small church.  [you have to wonder about the ones who want to stay small, not reaching out!]   Some like a country church, some a city church…I’ve been in both.  I’m glad we have all types around here and all are welcome!

This great church at Jerusalem is our God-given example of

"how to do it."  These folk got in touch with Heaven, received

their orders and the power to carry them out and please God.  In

this day, when hundreds of churches are like dead batteries,

giving out their sermonettes to Christianettes by preacherettes

so they can get out and smoke their cigarettes, we need some

“prophets” who will stand up like the Rock of Gibraltar and build a mighty fortress for God.

Let me share with you seven things that made the early New Testament church one of the greatest the world has ever known.

                   I.  THEY HAD A GREAT PURPOSE

     Their purpose was to obey the Savior.  Jesus had asked them

to tarry in the Upper Room.  He said, "But tarry ye in the city

of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).  Obedience is always a vital link to power and blessing from God.  Someone has said, "Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do or die."

     Then, their purpose was to obtain the promise.  The promise,

of course, was the blessed Holy Spirit.  Jesus had promised in

Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost

is come upon you . . ."  This promise is made to every person

who desires to receive it from the Lord.

     Their purpose was to offer the Gospel.  They were to be

witnesses . . ."both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in

Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). 

Peter stood before the great crowd in the streets of Jerusalem

and offered the Gospel to the Jews from many nations.  The sermon was simple, and his purpose was plain.  He wanted to help people get to Heaven.

                  II.  THEY HAD GREAT PREACHING

     Peter was an ordinary man and not really a great preacher,

but the content of his sermon was great preaching.  Great preaching in the early church had a 3 fold characteristic:  It exalted the Savior, it edified the saints, and it exposed sin.  These great characteristics are present in all great sermons.  [The last 2 are important:  Make sure you can be lifted up by cutting the ties that hold you down.]

     Three thousand people responded to the invitation and then five thousand, at a later sermon.  No one can deny that this is great preaching! 

                  III.  THEY HAD GREAT POWER

     The power at Pentecost was the same used at creation, to

divide the Red Sea, to keep Daniel safe in the lions' den, and to

rescue the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace.  This

was also the same power that turned the water to wine, healed multitudes, fed the five thousand, gave sight to the blind man and raised Lazarus from the dead.

   

        This great power is available to every Christian who will seek God and pay the price.  Notice this power depends on certain things.  It is dependent upon…a clean life.  God will not fill a dirty vessel with His Holy Spirit power.  We must be clean.  It depends on consistent walking.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  The fly-by-night, blow-hot-blow-cold, in-and-out kind of Christianity does not know the power of God.

    

Then, great power depends on continual asking.  Great power comes thru great prayer.  Will you pray for me, for your church, and for its members every day? Jesus said, "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? . . .How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:11,13). 

Consider David…God used him greatly for good reasons:

David had a willing heart.  When the Lord looked into his heart,

He saw a boy . . ."after his own heart" (I Sam. 13:14).  His

motives were pure, his life was clean, and he was ready to go

where the Lord led.

    

David also had a wise head.  He was wise enough to wait

until the proper time to claim the throne.  His experience of

victory over the bear and the lion, as well as over Goliath,

expresses a note of wisdom.

     David had working hands.  Notice that out of eight boys,

he was the one working.  This is an indication that he was more

suited to be king.  When the Lord recruits His workers, surely

these areas of the heart, the head and the hands are of major

importance.  Do this:  allow preaching to speak to your head, your heart, and your hands!  God is looking for a clean heart, a clear head and calloused hands.  Let the Word of God put you into the Work of God by prompting you to action!

     The story is told of a rich farmer in Greece who was about

to die.  He told both of his sons that he had buried his

treasures in the fields.  Before he could tell which field, he

passed away.  The boys began to dig and turn the soil.  For weeks they worked, seeking treasures.  At last and near exhaustion, they realized that planting time was upon them.  Since they had literally plowed the fields with their digging, they agreed to plant and wait until after the harvest to dig again.

     The harvest came forth, in great abundance, because of

the deep turning of the soil.  It was then that they awoke to the

wisdom of their father.  He had inspired them to work and labor

in the fields, and they had found a great treasure of wealth there!

John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

 “Work for the night is coming…”

     The story is told of a huge barge loaded with brick and rock

that sank in a New York harbor.  Over a long period of years, it

had mired deep in the mud, sinking a little more each year from

weight.  The engineers, attempting to build a large bridge across

the body of water, were hindered by this barge because it was

necessary to plant a foundation in that very spot.  All their

efforts and machinery could not do the job.

     Finally, a young engineer came up with an idea, and they

gave it a try.  Several big barges were chained together and

floated into the area at low tide.  Several chains were hooked to

the sunken barge, and then they backed off to wait.  As the tide

began to rise, there was a creaking, groaning and stretching of

chains.  Soon the barge broke loose and was lifted out of its

place and floated away.  The power of the Atlantic Ocean had been used to raise the barge.

     Surely there is an example here for us.  When all efforts of

human wisdom fail, God's mighty power can do the job! Great power comes thru prayer, but not prayer only.  We must put “feet” to our prayers!  Will you be out on visitation with us?

Ill.—I used to pray “God, use me.”  Now I pray, “God, make me usable!”

And He only puts His mighty hand into a clean glove…He uses willing hearts, wise heads, and clean, consistent, working hands!

                 IV.  THEY HAD GREAT PERSECUTION

     It is sad that those who do the work of God upon the earth

are persecuted, but this is history.  Christians have always been

persecuted.  Jesus said to His disciples, "In the world ye shall

have tribulation . . ." (John 16:33).  The Apostle Paul promised,

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him . . ." (II Tim. 2:12).

    

These early Christians went through deep waters, and eleven of the twelve apostles were killed in a violent way.  When people really go all out to please God, there will be criticism and threatening, as there was in the early New Testament church. And the blood of millions of Christian martyr’s was shed, and continues to be today…this concept may soon come to a country near you! And today, though Christ doesn’t ask us to die for Him, He does ask us to live for Him, which still involves paying a price of persecution. II Tim. 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you aren’t being booed at all…you’re not in the game!

                    V.  THEY HAD GREAT PEOPLE

     The people in this early Christian group were those willing

to give up their very life's work.  Peter left his nets and

followed Jesus.  James and John were willing to forsake their

fishing business and become fishers of men.  These folk were

willing to give up their wealth.  Barnabas sold his house and

laid his money at the offering table to be used for the work of

God.  They were willing to give up their very life.  Stephen was

willing to lay down his life in the street and give up his soul

unto the Lord.

     What a blessing to look out over the congregation of people

at our church and see those who have been willing to do these

very same things to further the cause of Christ.  It takes great

people to make a great church.  So many sacrifice every week, day after day, to see God’s church here succeed!  We’re blessed w/ a faithful people that make every effort to come out to every service…thank you!  We have a great message, a great mission, and great members. A church is people, not a building.  We have a great people, and that makes up a great church!

                    VI.  THEY HAD GREAT PRAISE

     We read that "They continued daily with one accord . .

.Praising God, and having favour with all the people . . ." (Acts

2:46,47).  As miracles took place, such as the healing of the

blind man at the gate of the Temple, all of the people

joined him in praising God.  David must have caught the spirit of  this when he wrote Psalm 107.  Five times he cried out in that Psalm, "Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

     There ought to be great praise for God, for the Gospel, and for His goodness.  How good God is!  But the world is bad.  So there ought to be great praise for His grace to get us thru this world. 

Ill.--One shabby little old lady with gray hair listened to the

testimonies of people in the church about the goodness of God. 

She stood to her feet and said, "I don't have much of this

world's goods.  My health is not so good.  I only have two teeth,

one up and one down; but, praise God, they meet together in the middle!"  This certainly ought to be the attitude of all true Christians.  There is always something to be thankful for.  A good, positive attitude of gratitude will keep this a great church!

                  VII.  THEY HAD GREAT PROMISES

     These people had a promise of Heaven, and so do we.  These

people had a promise of the Holy Spirit, and so do we.  They had a promise of genuine happiness, and so do we.  "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life" (I John

2:25).  Thousands of promises in the Bible are for your benefit

and mine. Surely the need of this day is to analyze carefully these seven great things that this great early church had, and apply them to our situation, that we, too, might always have a great church for our great and marvelous God.