August 7, 2005
Morning Sermon Outline
“Arise, and Follow Christ”
John 14:28-31
In order to encourage His disciples about His soon approaching suffering and death, here at the end of this comforting chapter, Jesus opens to His disciples certain important spiritual realities. These should spur us to action:
I. He enlightens them about His glorious final destination – John 14:28
1. It is something they could not see
2. He had spoke to them about this before – 14:1-3; 14:18
3. It is something beneficial to them – see above verses
4. Yet He also lets them know it is beneficial to Him:
A. because He was counting their own love for Him to be their comfort
B. because He would have them certain that ‘with the Father’ was a much better place
5. Side note: the Father is greater than Christ:
A. As First Person of the Godhead to Second
B. As God in relation to Christ in His Manhood
C. They are equal in divine attributes
D. They are equal in power and glory
II. He assures them of His victory in His soon coming battle –John 14:29-30
1. Things will soon happen that will shock Jesus’ disciples - :29
2. Yet Jesus is not surprised - :29
3. He knows His enemy - :30
4. He knows His enemy’s abilities, the force His enemy will bring against Him - :30
5. He also knows His enemy’s limitations, what his enemy cannot do - :30
6. He assures His disciples His victory - :30
III. He tells them that the world will know of His love for His Father because they see His obedience – John 14:31
1. By the world He meant men and women other than His disciples would know what He did –
2. By the world He means many people inclusively would know Him, not only the Jews but the gentiles – John 12:19-20
3. In this context the term “world” would include His elect who would see (by God’s Spirit) the significance of what He has done and be saved by it – John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18
4. Yet, eventually all the world will know and acknowledge what He has done – Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 1:7
IV. In light of these great assurances Jesus calls His disciples to “Arise, let us go from here” (this is application)
1. Not totally clear but –
2. It is clear Jesus is calling His disciples (and us) to the same final destination – John 14:6; Colossians 3:1-2
3. It is clear Jesus is calling His disciples (and us) to the same battle – Ephesians 6:10; 2 Timothy 4:7
On, O beloved children,
The evening is at hand,
And desolate and fearful
The solitary land.
Take heart! the rest eternal
Awaits our weary feet;
From strength to strength press onwards,
The end, how passing sweet!
Lo, we can tread rejoicing
The narrow pilgrim road;
We know the voice that calls us,
We know our faithful God.
Come, children, on to glory!
With every face set fast
Towards the golden towers
Where we shall rest at last.
It was with voice of singing
We left the land of night,
To pass in glorious music
Far onward out of sight.
O children, was it sorrow?
Though thousand worlds be lost,
Our eyes have looked on Jesus,
And thus we count the cost.
The praising and the blaming,
The storehouse and the mart,
The mourning and the feasting,
The glory and the art,
The wisdom and the cunning,
Left far amid the gloom;
We may not look behind us,
For we are going home.
Across the will of nature
Leads on the path of God;
Not where the flesh delighteth
The feet of Jesus trod.
O bliss to leave behind us
The fetters of the slave,
To leave ourselves behind us,
The grave-clothes and the grave!
To speed, unburdened pilgrims,
Glad, empty-handed, free;
To cross the trackless deserts,
And walk upon the sea;
As strangers among strangers,
No home beneath the sun;
How soon the wanderings ended,
The endless rest begun!
We pass the children playing,
For evening shades fall fast;
We pass the wayside flowers—
God’s Paradise at last!
If now the path be narrow
And steep and rough and lone,
If crags and tangles cross it,
Praise God! we will go on.
We follow in His footsteps;
What if our feet be torn?
Where He has marked the pathway
All hail the briar and thorn!
Scarce seen, scarce heard, unreckoned,
Despised, defamed, unknown,
Or heard but by our singing,
On, children! ever on!
a hymn by Gernard Ter Steegen
