Reverend Ray Osborne, Senior Minister
Please Note That Most Messages Follow
The Revised Common Lectionary

St. John 12:20-33

There is a song that we use to sing in my youth group as I was growing up called, “Have You Seen Jesus My Lord.” So now you know why I am strapping this guitar on and why you have a copy of the words in your bulletin. I am going to teach it to you.

CHORUS:

Have you seen Jesus my Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look open your eyes;
He'll show it to you.

Have you ever looked at the sunset
With the sky mellow' red?
And the clouds suspended like
feathers? Then I say, You’ve seen
Jesus my Lord.

CHORUS

Have you ever stood at the ocean,
With the white foam at your feet?
Felt the endless thundering motion,
Then I say, You've seen Jesus my Lord.

CHORUS

Have you ever looked at the cross,
With a man hanging in pain,
Seen the look of love in His eyes?
Then I say, You've seen Jesus my Lord

. A group of Greeks came asking Philip to aid them in getting to see Jesus. Jesus had spent much of His life ministering along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Caravan routes from Europe, Asia, and Africa ran along those shores.

Persons from all three continents had been exposed to Christ and His teachings. Reports of His teaching drew these Greeks back to see Him. They wanted Him to come with them to Greece and be made a king.

Can you not hear their request? “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Just repeating that one phrase opens an array of images for me. I am of the opinion that people are desirously looking for Jesus; only they don’t realize it until someone cares enough to point that out to them.

The Russian author Dostoevsky's greatest genius was the ability to give life to polemic philosophy. In his day, friendships, even marriages, were made and broken, and people became criminals or saints, all for the sake of ideas, as all Russia was consumed with the passion to define itself and to see its way forward. He wrote these words,

“The ant knows the formula for the anthill. The bee knows the formula for the beehive. They do not know the formulas in a human way, but in their own way. Only man does not know his formula.” I am convinced that the “formula” so sought after is Jesus.

The most popular subject on the desk of today’s clergy is that of “church growth.” The reason is that Christian congregations throughout the world are experiencing decline in all areas that have been previously used as bragging devices. Attendance is declining. Baptisms are declining. Church receipts are declining. Clergy men and women exhaust all their resources into trying to find the key that will unlock the door of church growth that appears to have been slammed shut with the key locked inside.

I don’t know how many of you receive the “Biblical Recorder,” but all of you should. It is the best way I know to keep on top of what is happening in Baptist life within our state, our country, and our world. In the April 8th edition the headlines read, “ Focus on Jesus alone.”

I’d like to read portions of that article:

“Churches that thrive in the 21st century will be centered on Jesus but flexible about most everything else, two authors and church consultants said.

Bill Easum and Tom Bandy, consultants with Easum, Bandy and Associates and the authors of “Growing Spiritual Redwoods,” spoke at a March 23 seminar at Asbury United Methodist Church in Raleigh. At least 10 N.C. Baptists, including several members of the Baptist State Convention's General Board staff, attended. The Raleigh Baptist Association was a sponsor of the event.

Both Easum and Bandy stressed that church leaders must ask themselves, "What is it about my experience with Jesus that this community cannot live without?"

I found myself asking that very question. What is it about my experience with Jesus that this community cannot live without?” Can I share my conclusion with you? The one thing about my experience with Jesus that I feel this community cannot live without is that very experience itself!

I want people to know the One who I myself have come to know. I want people to experience Jesus. I want people to see Jesus. I want people to feel the very presence and existence of Jesus. I want people to know His love and His mercy and His grace. I want people to feel His life-changing power in their own life. Beloved let me ask you yet another question. When was the last time you experienced Jesus? When was the very last time you felt His presence and power in you own life? When was the last time you saw Jesus for yourself? Where was that place? What was that place like? Can you remember what it feels like to experience Jesus and to see Jesus?

It may very well be that you have come to this place, this sanctuary this morning with hopes of seeing, and finding, and experiencing Jesus. If that’s true then I remind you of the simple song we learned this morning,

“Have you seen Jesus my Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look open your eyes;
He'll show it to you.”

You aren’t alone. Throughout the world people are crying, “I want to see Jesus!” How many times have you seen the picture of a starving child with the swollen belly, flies on its face, big beautiful brown eyes, holding up an empty bowl? Somewhere in those big, beautiful brown eyes scream the words, “Please show me Jesus! I long to see and experience Jesus!” A child that has known little more than physical and emotional abuse in this world screams out “Show me Jesus! I long to see and experience Jesus!” The child from caught between battling parents, the lonely widow or widower who sit quietly in the solitude and seclusion of their homes are screaming “Somebody please show me Jesus! I long to see Jesus!” The hungry beggars, the homeless, the HIV patient, the outcasts of society all scream “Show us Jesus! We want to see Jesus!”

Jesus says to you and I, “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” What does he mean when he says that? Sure is a strange sounding thing isn’t it? Jesus means that you and I are to lose our lives in Him. We should allow our lives to become so consumed and filled with His presence that those who look at us might in fact see Jesus in us.

A little bit further Jesus says, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” If we are not careful, it becomes easy for us to become clothed in self-righteousness. We start thinking, “If I’m a good Christian, then I’m going to go and take Jesus to the world. I will take Him to a world that is doomed for Hell!” Well let me give you a little twist on that thinking. Who says that Creator God has ever abandoned this World? Who has ever proven that Jesus is no longer working in this World? Would it not behoove us to alter our thinking a bit? Perhaps what we need to say is “I am going to go out into the World where Jesus is already working and I am going to join Him in His work!”

Beloved can you see Jesus at work in the World? Can you not see what He is doing in the hearts and lives of people everywhere? Beloved just where do you see Jesus? Can you see Jesus? Have you seen Him lately?

If you say no – you’re not alone. Remember Jesus says, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.” You cannot draw one solitary person to Jesus and neither can I. This morning I want to challenge you to lift Him up in your life, through your life, through every deed you do, through every word you speak. Hold Jesus up and watch Him draw people to Himself.

As we journey to Easter we must journey to the cross. It is there on the cross that Jesus was lifted up and the love of God was poured out. Have you seen Jesus my Lord?

Have you ever looked at the cross,
With a man hanging in pain,
Seen the look of love in His eyes?
Then I say, You've seen Jesus my Lord.

Come on sing it with me softly:

“Have you seen Jesus my Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look open your eyes;
He'll show it to you.”

Let’s pray:

Merciful Father, it is here in this place this morning that we have seen and experienced the presence of your resurrected Son. We have truly seen Jesus this morning. Lord Jesus we have not only seen you, but we have felt your touch upon our hearts. Your Holy Spirit has visited with us and is even now doing His work of conviction, drawing, cleansing,redeeming, and empowering. Breathe upon us Holy Spirit. Envelope us with your abiding presence. As we come to a time of decision allow each one of us to renew our commitments to our Savior. Help others to see Jesus in us. Help us to join you as you work in this world drawing individuals to yourself. Help us to lift you up that others might see and experience you. If there are any here this morning who for the first time have seen you may they either come and receive your salvation or ask you into their hearts right where they are during our hymn of decision. If there are those who had lost sight of you but regained that sight this morning may they stand affirmed and renewed in your presence this morning. I pray this in the loving and strong name of Jesus my Lord. Amen.

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