HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR COINS? (John 13:36-38 March 6, 2005)

HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR COINS? (John 13:36-38 March 6, 2005) The next time you visit my office upstairs you will notice something new on my desk. A little bowl that has in it thirty-four one dollar coins. On the jar, I have a label Craig s Gift Of Life. On the twenty-fifth of this month I will take out one of those dollar coins and spend it. I sat down this week and worked out that the average life expectancy of an Australian male is seventy-six years. I am forty-two, turning forty-three. On average I have just over thirty-four years left in this world to glorify God. If God gives me the strength and extra years, then when my bowl is empty I plan to start putting dollar coins back in extra gifts but for now I assume that I have just over thirty-three years left to glorify the Lord in this world. I have been looking at my bowl this week. I have to tell you, thirty-four coins doesn t look like much at all. But every one of those coins represents a gift, the gift of life each coin is one year to serve and glorify the Lord in this world. So why am I bringing this up? In our Sunday morning studies, we are in an exposition of John 13-17, a wonderful section of Scripture where Jesus Appoints The Church To Continue His Task Passing the Passion. This is the time when Jesus turns from addressing the world and focuses on preparing His men for the days that will lie ahead after He has died and left them. In these chapters, Jesus passes on a mighty and noble task to the church. Just as Jesus came to manifest the glory of God so now our task will be to manifest the glory of God in a dark and hostile world. On this last night of His life, Jesus passed His consuming passion Glorifying God as a sacred legacy to the church to continue. We are to show Christ in our lives, declare Christ and above all point men to the cross. To fulfil that sacred legacy Jesus equipped the church with blessings. Last time, we looked at the first of these gifts: Love Your testimony to declare God s Glory This morning, I want to look at the second blessing: 1

Life Your opportunity to declare God s Glory We find this gift in John 13:36-38. Look with me at these verses, John 13:36-38: Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are You going? Jesus answered, Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later. Peter said to Him, Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You. Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. What we find in these verses is that: God gave us the gift of life in this world so that we might declare His glory. To put this interchange between Jesus and Peter in its context, look at verse 33 where Jesus said: Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, Where I am going, you cannot come. Jesus knows His time in this world is short. He is going to the Father, but for now the disciples cannot come. What they have to grasp is that they are to remain in this world for one reason to continue the task of glorifying God. Having told them He is going to the Father, Jesus then gave them the command that while they were in this world they were to glorify Him by loving one another. But Peter is a man of action. He doesn t want to follow Jesus later He wants to follow Him now. He wants to know, Lord, where are You going? When we look at Peter s words in verse 37 we see him offer to lay down his life. It is clear that Peter doesn t understand why Jesus has to die but the fact that Jesus is going to die is beginning to sink in. But if Jesus is going to die then count Peter in. He will lay down his life with Jesus. But Jesus gives this response, Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later. Now is not the time for Peter to die. Jesus has a task for him to do first. Jesus is going to die and return to heaven. But Peter, and the disciples and the church are to remain for the time being. They will follow later. When their time in this world is done they will die and follow Jesus to the glory of heaven. As we will see in chapter 14 our faith in the reality of heaven becomes part of the foundation that drives our ministry in this life. 2

But right now, these disciples have a task in this world. When Jesus leaves the task of glorifying God in this dark world will fall to them. They are entrusted with declaring Christ with their words and displaying Christ in their lives. But Peter still insists, Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You. This is typical Peter. Jesus said Peter had to stay while He went. But this isn t good enough for Peter. He loves the Lord. He just wants to be with Jesus. It is Peter who sees Jesus walking on the water and leaps out of the boat. It is Peter who sees Jesus on land and leaps out of the fishing boat to swim to shore. It is Peter who tries to stop Jesus being arrested. It is Peter who lops off the ear of the high priest s servant. Peter wants to be with Jesus and if it costs his life so be it. But, Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. Three verses. A very short interaction but it teaches two crucial truths. First, your life is a gift through which God displays His glory. God has given Christian s the gift of life so that they might display His glory in the world. We are to bear fruit declare Christ in our words and display Christ in our life. Peter says I will lay down My life for you right now. But Peter s offer is more like Butch and Sundance going out with all guns blazing. One final magnificent stand to show His love for Jesus. At this stage of his life, Peter would have made a great Muslim. One of the fundamental differences between Christianity and Islam has to do with where the power comes from. As Christians we see ourselves as weak vessels through whom the power of God comes. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul describes us like this: We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; But for the Muslim they view themselves as mighty warriors fighting for the name of Allah. And they are more than happy to die in the name of Allah. 3

Here is the difference imagine if Beenleigh Baptist Church ruled Australia. Ian is the Prime Pastor of the country. And I issue a warning to PNG repent, turn to Christ or we invade. They refuse so we invade. Our airforce bombs them into submission. Our navy blasts their cities and our army overruns the country. Then Ian as Prime Pastor addresses the conquered nation and says you have a choice repent or die. Most claim to repent. Who gets the glory? We do. Christ is not glorified by our might but by displaying His glory through us. Now that may mean that we have to die. But it is the power of God in us that enables us to face death not the type of human bravado Peter displays here. It takes Peter a while to learn this lesson. In John 18 Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest s slave and Jesus commands him Put your sword into the sheath! Christ s glory is not displayed through violence. The greatest way he could serve the Lord is to live a life which displays the power and glory of God. Look at verse 38. Jesus says Will you lay down your life for Me? This is a rhetorical question. Peter is offering to lay down his life for Jesus. He thinks that is the best way to show his love for Christ. But throughout His entire ministry and especially in the last few days Jesus has consistently said that it was His God-given task to display the glory of God in death. John 10:11: I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 12:23-24: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. In John 18 when Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest s slave not only does Jesus command him put your sword into the sheath! But He tells him that He had to drink the cup given to Him by the Father He had to go to the cross. Peter was not to try and stop His death. 4

God gave the task of dying to Jesus. Jesus would display the glory of God to the world on the cross. That was not Peter s task. He was given the task of living in the power of God. Living in Christ s power would lead to the spread of the kingdom. So what Jesus is saying is this. The task of dying to glorify God belongs to the Son of God. The task of living to glorify God belongs to us. Now don t misunderstand. If we die in the task of proclaiming Christ so be it. We have to be ready to die for Jesus. Ready to take up our cross. But living for Christ is hard. We have to wean ourselves from sin and the world. We have to prize Christ above the lusts of this life. We have to suffer for Him. Dying to self is often harder than sacrificing your life. Jesus didn t want Peter to needlessly or violently sacrifice his life in a display of human power. But when we get to chapter 21 we will see that finally, Peter will lay down his life as a martyr and it will be to the glory of God. But right now Peter s task and your task and my task is to live to the glory of God. But there is a second crucial truth these verses teach us. Often it is harder to glorify Christ by living than by dying. Which is harder for Peter to do to lay down His life for Jesus or to declare His faith in Jesus? Look at these words of Jesus, Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. Here is Peter. Lord I will die for you. I have no doubt that Peter would have willingly joined Jesus in death. But have a look what happens later that very night. In chapters 13-17 Jesus tells Peter you are to be my witnesses in the world. You are to proclaim Me that the lost might believe and live. It will be tough. They will persecute you but you must persevere anyway. Then having entrusted this task to His men look at the very next chapter Chapter 18. 5

Jesus has been arrested. Peter followed Jesus and had the courage to follow Jesus right into the court of the high priest. He will lay down his life if needs be. Peter went with another of the disciples one who was known to the high priest. This disciple spoke to the doorkeeper, a slave-girl, and Peter was admitted to the courtyard. But look at verse 17: Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, You are not also one of this man s disciples, are you? Literally the question is, Surely, you are not also one of this man s disciples, are you? The way the question is formed suggests that what she is saying is something like this: You came with a man I know is a disciple of Jesus. Jesus, the man arrested by the leaders of our nation. Jesus the man who claims to be God. But you look too smart to also be one of His disciples. I mean you are not one of them are you? Surely you couldn t be that foolish? And Peter, who was willing to lay down his life says, I am not. Instead of testifying to Jesus. Instead of doing what He was called out to do. He denies Him. I don t think Peter was afraid of death. But I think Peter found the foolishness of the gospel hard to own. What should he have said?: My dear girl. That is no mere man. He is the Son of God. He is about to die and in His death is the only hope anyone has for salvation. Of course I am His disciple and I beg you to also be His disciple for there is salvation in no other name. But Peter said: No, I m not His disciple. In contrast look at verses 19-24 Jesus boldly testifies. He shows us what we are to do testify no matter the scorn or persecution. We glorify God no matter the cost. Now look down to John 18:25-27: Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it, and said, I am not. One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with Him? Peter then denied it again, - - - - and immediately a rooster crowed. 6

Twice more, Peter is given the opportunity to testify to His faith in Christ. He is given the chance to glorify God. Twice more he fails. Brothers and sisters, I tell you often it is harder to glorify Christ by living than by dying. I have no doubt that Peter would have died for Christ. But with Jesus under arrest, in a hostile environment, faced with scornful questioners Peter failed. But before we judge him too harshly I want to tell you often it is harder to glorify Christ in our life than to die for Christ. Let me give you two scenarios. Scenario one. It is a worship service much like this you are surrounded by men and women who know you as a Christian. Suddenly three masked Islamic fundamentalists burst in. Their leader cries out, You are all infidels. Your witness desecrates the name of the Prophet. Then he singles you out from the congregation and brings you to the front. He puts his semi-automatic pistol to your head and says, You have a choice give glory to Allah and his prophet or die. You have five seconds. Five four three Scenario two. You are at work, or school, or a neighbourhood meeting. Suddenly, your boss, your teacher, your lecturer, your neighbour the one in authority says this: I have to tell you I just met one of those Christian freaks yesterday. He actually believes Noah was real! Thinks the world is only a few thousand years old! Believes Jesus literally walked on water, healed the blind and rose from the dead! He tried to tell me Me! someone with a Phd that I need Jesus. I told him that he needs his head read. I showed him that science had killed his Jesus. I challenged him to show me a miracle. I told him how higher criticism had undermined his Bible. I told him that only the feeble minded believed in God and only the deluded believed Jesus was God. You should have seen him. He scurried away with his little Christian tail between his little Christian legs. And then he looks at you. And he says: By the way, surely you aren t one of those Christians are you? You seem too normal. You seem to have a brain. You aren t one are you? Don t let me down. And every eye in the room settles on you. 7

I know that sitting here this morning there are men and women who would find it much easier to die for Christ than to testify of Christ in a hostile an environment that makes us seem to be fools in the eyes of the world. Witnessing to our five year old is one thing. Witnessing to our boss. Witnessing to a stranger whose door we have just knocked on. Witnessing to our friend. That is something else. We find it so hard to be labelled different, uncool, stupid, mindless, indoctrinated. It would be much easier to die and go to heaven than bear the label of mindless fool for Christ. It can be so hard to testify of Jesus. It can be so hard to glorify Jesus in our life. I tell you often it is harder to glorify Christ by living than by dying. If even a man as inherently brave and dedicated and devoted as Peter found it hard to live for Christ to testify of Him to glorify Him no wonder we find it hard to witness! We have to battle the world, the flesh and the devil. At times the task seems beyond us. Brothers and sisters, it is not easy to glorify God, to be a witness of Jesus in this world. I have been in conversations when golden opportunities to share Christ have come up and embarrassment or fear or man has shut my mouth. There have been friends and neighbours who have not heard the gospel from my lips because I was worried what they might think of me. I have days where my sin seems an impossible battle. There are days where I just want to close my eyes and wake up in heaven. But, Jesus didn t leave me here to sit with my mouth closed. He left me to proclaim the glories of Christ and the cross in my life. And He will enable me to do what I cannot. Again and again in this section Jesus says Ask Me and I will empower you. I delight to use the weak and helpless so that I get the glory. Interestingly enough, Peter s story does not end here. Turn with me over to John 21. There are a lot of people who wonder why this chapter is in the Bible. They feel John s Gospel should have ended at the end of John 20. But there is a very good reason for this chapter. 8

Jesus has died. Jesus has risen. And what should Peter be doing? He should be devoting himself to declaring the glories of Jesus and the cross? Is He allowing the power of God to be displayed through Him? No, look at John 21:3. Peter says, I am going fishing. Ever feel like that? It s too hard. I just want to get on with everyday life. Peter was fishing three years earlier when Jesus called him and said, Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men. Jesus trained him and commissioned him. But now Jesus is dead. But instead of devoting themselves to the task of making disciples, Peter and six of the other disciples go fishing not fishing for the hearts and souls of men but back to their old profession of fishing. And Jesus appears and tells them that He called them to be fruitful and He will enable them to be fruitful. In verse 15, Jesus says this, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? There is a charcoal fire and people sitting around. Somewhat similar to the charcoal fire with people around it in the court of the high priest where Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter has another opportunity. There Peter was asked three times if he was a disciple of Jesus. Three times he denied it. Now, three times he is asked by Jesus do you love Me? And somewhat indignantly Peter responds, Yes Lord; You know that I love You. But, in John 14:15 Jesus said: If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Love is not a matter of what we say it is what we do. Are we obedient? Are we devoting ourselves to glorifying God. So Jesus says, Tend My lambs. What I believe is going on here is this. Jesus passed a legacy onto the church to declare the glory of God. 9

And Jesus appointed His disciples as the shepherds, the leaders, the foundation of the church. They were to evangelise, teach and build up the church. They were to make disciples by baptising them and teaching them. They were to show the flock that they had a task to do declaring the glories of God. But here was Peter, the one willing to lay down his life for Jesus and he was fishing. He had gone back to his old livelihood. In a sense he was denying Jesus again. He was failing to testify of Jesus again. He was not glorifying God in his life. He was not carrying out the commission Jesus gave on the final night of His life. Jesus had gone and it was almost as if Peter said Well that is sad it was great while it lasted OK men back to reality. I am going fishing who is with me? But Jesus left Peter with a task. Tending His lambs. Where were the lambs? Who was he reaching with the gospel? Who was he discipling? You say you love Me then where is the obedience? I left you to tend My lambs not catch fish. So Jesus asked again: Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. Then Shepherd My sheep. Don t just say you love Me show it in your life. Just as Peter denied Him three times instead of declaring His love and devotion for Christ and testifying of Him so three times he had to publicly declare his love. [Jesus] said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Tend My sheep. Don t just say you love Me obey Me make disciples declare My glory reach the lost tend My sheep. And just in case Peter still didn t get it look at verse 19 Follow Me! And in verse 22 You follow Me! 10

Years earlier Jesus had called Peter to follow Him. That was to be the passion of his life. Peter was to commit his life to following Christ and declaring the glory of God through evangelism and discipleship through tending to the sheep. Peter loved Jesus but in His own strength even His passionate love was not enough to enable Him to obey. He went back to fishing. Now, look at verses 18 and 19: Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go. Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. In chapter 13 Peter wanted to lay down his life for Jesus there and then. Jesus now says that one day you will die and in your death you will glorify God but not until you are old. Peter you have a lot of years left and in that time your task is to tend My lambs and follow Me. If the story of Peter ended here his life would have been a failure. But what Peter had to learn was that not only was His task to glorify God in His life. But, he had to learn that in his own strength he couldn t do it. We are all like Peter in our own strength we fail. But, Peter changed. The man who denied Christ three times. The man who returned to fishing changed. Acts 2 who boldly proclaims Christ on the day of Pentecost? Peter. Acts 3 who heals the lame man at the Temple and boldly proclaims Christ? Peter. Acts 4 who stands before the leaders of the nations proclaims Christ and refuses to be silent? Peter. In 1 Peter 5 who exhorts the elders to shepherd the flock of God among you? Peter. And who is it that tends the sheep, follows Christ, glorifies the Lord and as an old man full of years glorifies God in his death? Peter. So what happened? How did the Peter of John 18 who denied the Lord three times and the Peter of John 21 who went fishing turn into the Peter who boldly proclaimed Christ and tended the lambs? How? John 14:16 I will send the Enabler the Holy Spirit. 11

John 15:26 When the Enabler comes you will bear witness of Me. Then. Acts 2:4 [The disciples including Peter] were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:8 Peter filled with the Holy Spirit spoke to the rulers. Peter learned the great lesson. To testify of Christ to live for Christ is a hard, hard task and humanly speaking we will turn aside, we will fear men, we will choke with embarrassment, we will fear persecution and we will fail. But in John 15 Jesus said Abide in Me and you will bear much fruit. Brothers and sisters. In our own strength we cannot do it. You might be sitting there saying the task is too hard. And by yourself it is too hard. But what Jesus says is this I will send the Enabler the Holy Spirit and in My strength you will bear much fruit. If we are going to fulfil the mandate of our lives to declare the glory of God in a dark world to declare Christ in our words and display Him in our lives He must empower us. He must make us bold. He must give us the words to say. He must satisfy us. He must help us overcome sin. He must fill us with love. Again and again in these chapters we will see that Jesus says Ask Me. If you are asking for the Father to be glorified in the Son ask and I delight to answer your prayer. Jesus gave you the great gift of life. Life Your opportunity to declare God s Glory You are here for a purpose. God gave you the gift of life in this world so that you might declare His glory. Jesus said this in so many ways. You can t miss this in the gospels. He is concerned that we don t waste our lives. One of the most powerful statements on this subject is the parable of the talents. God entrusted each one of us with talents and time to use them. He gave us these gifts to live in this world and to serve Him. We are to glorify Him moment by moment. We are here for a reason one reason. To declare God s glory. The day will come when the Lord will take us to heaven but now is not that time. And Jesus will empower us and enable us to glorify Him. 12

Brothers and sisters, I look at my coins. Thirty-four coins isn t much. Soon it will be thirty-three. I started university more than a quarter of a century ago. I started seminary almost sixteen years ago. I can t fathom how fast those years have gone. I am spending my coins fast. My time to fulfil my call is short. I may not get to spend all my coins. A bad heart, a wayward car they might send me to glory early. If God wills I may get more years than seventy-six years. But the one thing I know for certain is that when the day comes when I give an account for how I spent my coins I want to hear well done good and faithful servant. He gave me this gift for a purpose to glorify Him and by glorifying Him to glorify God the Father. He empowers My life to glorify Him. If I don t call on Him to fill my life then I waste so much of that precious time. How many times am I like Peter wanting to give up go back to fishing just focus on me? But that is not what God calls me to. I assume that I have just over thirty-three years left to glorify God in this world. God willing with His strength for twenty years I can work flat out. Then thirteen years to burn out. I may not have quite the health and mental faculties in my last years but I will have time my kids will be out of the home I will have experience I will be able to live off superannuation and just serve the Lord in the church or on the missionfield. With His strength, I want my life to count for the kingdom. I don t want to enter glory with worldly riches and acclaim. I don t want to coast through life. I want to glorify Him with all I have. But that means taking action now! Men on average you will live to seventy-six. Ladies you must live healthier lives on average you get to live to eighty-two. Seventy-six and eighty-two. Hold those numbers for a moment and think. How many coins do you have left? Some of you will have a lot. Some not so many. Some are already adding coins back into the bowl God has gifted you with extra years but your time is short. 13

Now comes the harder question. How are you spending your coins? God gave you those coins those years for one reason to glorify Him. God sent His spirit so you can use those years to glorify Him. Not to make money. Not to make a name for yourself. Not to save for retirement. Not to waste them on TV and internet and sport and self. You are to glorify God in your life, in your love, in your marriage, in your job, in your neighbourhood. You are to make Him known, to prize Him, to be satisfied in Him. You are to shine His light into a dark world. That is why you are here. There is no other reason you are still in this world. He gave you these years to make His glory known in this world. This week I decided that on their birthdays this year, I am going to give Dena, Heather, Stephanie, Lisa and Peter a bowl with one dollar coins in it. And the bowl will say what mine says The Gift Of Life. Year by year I want them to know that the reason they are here is to glorify God. Education, job, family they are important but secondary. They are here to glorify God. And I want them to watch their coins disappear one by one and know each coin is a gift to declare the glory of God. Brethren, how are you spending your coins? In our own strength we can t do it but ask Him and He delights to empower us to use the gift of life wisely. 14