Sabbath 4/8/17 Seventh Day Baptist Edgewater, FL Pastor John sermon �Facing Toward Jerusalem�

Posted : 8 Apr, 2017 02:43 PM

Sabbath 4/8/17 Seventh Day Baptist Edgewater, FL Pastor John sermon �Facing Toward Jerusalem� Luke 9:51-56, 57-62

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All the scriptures tell us facts that we can count on. In our text Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem. When Jesus was a twelve year old child, He was in the Temple speaking with the church elders. Jesus had the habit of going to Jerusalem for the feasts as God commanded. The men Jesus chose to be his disciples were a strange bunch, pretty common folk and not highly intelligent people. In our text John and James wanted to burn up a city because they wouldn�t let Jesus stay there. This is when Jesus said He came to save folk and not to destroy folk. Jesus had a destination to go to and a miracle to perform-His own resurrection from the dead. God trusts us to share this miracle and our faith with other people.



Jesus made many trips to Jerusalem as a child and later as an adult. Our text says Jesus told the disciples that He would have to suffer and die on the cross for the world. Many Jews chose to go around the city of Samaria to get to Jerusalem. This detour was a path that changed elevations from very high mountains to very low valleys in a 16 mile journey. The Jews took this path to go around Samaria to get to Jerusalem. The Samaritans were the �unworthy� cousins to the Jews. Some of us all have family members we try to avoid. In the Samaritans situation, Jesus, chose to go thru Samaria because He wanted the Word of God to be shared with the Samaritans.



The disciples saw many miracles done by Jesus and also the miracles Jesus allowed them to do. The disciples saw Jesus� transformation as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. The disciples saw many events and were challenged in their thinking of who and what Jesus was. Jesus was steadfast and determined to go to Jerusalem. He had a goal in mind. He was determined and kept His focus on His goal. Jesus was goal minded to be in Jerusalem for the feast and to be crucified on the cross. Jesus never lost track of the final goal He had in His life down here. Jesus had a goal that was worthy of His death. The disciples had a goal that they believed was worthy of their lives. The Son of Man came not to destroy men�s lives but to save men�s lives.



**What We Must Do��.



1) We need to count the cost. We may be roughing it a bit.

2) We need to get on with our mission, our goal to follow Christ.

3) We need to look forward and not look backward when working for Jesus. One cannot plow a field when looking back or behind.

4) We need to make sure that what we are aiming at is a solid, stable goal.



We Christians have the same issues Jesus dealt with as He set to go to Jerusalem. We should not want to destroy people that don�t agree with us. We need to set our face toward our own personal Jerusalem � our own goals for Jesus.



AMEN

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