What Glory Are You Chasing? The Cross, the Crowd, and the Light

Have you ever felt the tension though between what you want and then what you must do? You you know what you want. You know what you might even need, but there's a tension between where you are and what you want. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Maybe if you're single and you see a cute girl and you know that's the girl you're supposed to marry, but now you got to do something about it. Now the rubber meets the road. You can't just say it in your heart. Now you got to muster up the courage. Come on, somebody. Now you got to actually take that step forward. Maybe we can go a little deeper. You you know you want some change in your life. You you you know you've been drinking too much or smoking too much or doing something in your life too much, maybe shopping too much and you know what you want, but now you got to go through the tension, the hardship of what needs to be done.

That's where we pick up in the story today. Jesus knows where he's going. He's heading to the cross and he knows it's not going to be easy. And there's a tension in between where you are and what needs to be done. And we're going to see that in Jesus, you have someone that knows what you're going through. He's a God you can trust in. Where we pick up is if you got a Bible, you could turn to John 12. Jesus has come into Jerusalem. They've been waving palm branches saying hosana, which means save us. There was an expectation that they could crown Jesus as a new king who who would come and take over the the Roman Empire. And as they shouted hosana, he came not into Jerusalem to receive a crown. He had the cross on his mind. And we we have to recognize that

as Jesus saw the cross in front of him and he's in the shadow of the cross before he goes and willingly lays down his life, there's a tension of the in between. We are living in a time where the world is wondering what's next. There is a weight that's happening in our world right now. The world has been shaken with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And wherever you are, whether you agreed with the way he did what he did or not, you've got to at a minimum if you are a human being and if you are a believer in God the creator, say he was a a husband, he was a father and as the Bible teaches us, he was made in the image of the creator and his life was taken from him.

That is not

I was sleeping, but then I woke up. Yeah, God's trying to get your attention because he loves you. But if you're like me and you've got some flesh inside of you that still needs to be crucified, meaning you can't fully have God and still have some of yourself in there. Here's what I often do, and I'm just hoping somebody won't leave me hanging here. When I go to God, like often it'll be on a run. I get by myself. I turn off my music. I will say things like this in my vulnerability. This is what my prayer looks like. Lord, just speak to me audibly, please. I I live out in the country and there's a lot of brush and I'll say just like a burning bush moment. Just come on, light that bush on fire, but let it not be consumed. I will take off my shoes if you tell me. Come on, Lord. Speak to me. Anybody else ever asked God to do that before? Well, here's what I got from this text.

The voice did not speak to the people. It was confirming Jesus. So the voice, if God was going to speak to me, he probably wouldn't be like, "Hey, Keith, it's about time. Here we go. Like, let's let's talk." It would always come back to Jesus. Because this world does not revolve around me. I don't know what you expected to hear today, but it does not revolve around you. It's all about Jesus. So therefore, whatever I'm going through, if I want to hear from God, I've got to quit saying, "Hey, God, could you meet my needs? God, could you speak to me the way I want you to hear?" And maybe I've got to actually be in tune to what he's doing and not miss the fact that he might be speaking and I

might be missing it right in front of me. The thunder is meant to capture your attention. And God's voice is reminiscent of thunder. So, every time you hear thunder, just remember it's all about Jesus. I don't want you to miss what's happening here. Jesus is troubled in his soul and and he wants to glorify the father. And the father says, "I'm going to glorify you." And Jesus answered in verse 30, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine." What Jesus is simply saying is, "The father and I are good, but you and the father, you got to listen a little better." Sometimes he's going to get that bellowing, baritone, thunderous voice. This this is for you. And then Jesus clarifies what's happening in this moment. Look at verse 31 and 32. This is lifealtering church. If we get this now

is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out? Be not be not mistaken. Jesus is talking about Satan here. There is a ruler of this world that you cannot see that in God's sovereignty he's allowed to rule this world. He's called many different things. Some translations call him the prince of this world. And Jesus says, "What I'm about to do is dethrone that prince. I'm going to defeat him. I'm going to overcome him. I'm going to loosen the grip of the enemy by what I'm about to do." In Jesus, there is victory over the enemy of this world. That's what we have in Jesus. That's why John would later write in first John, greater is he that is in you than he that is in this world. Now, how will Jesus overcome the enemy? Notice this. In his final

hours, his last days, in his final crisis, he says this. Here's how I'm going to do this. And I, Jesus says, I be not mistaken. No one else. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. Now, I just want to explain this a little and then I'll preach it a little. Jesus says, I am lifted up. Some translations say exalted. because it's the exact same word. You ever notice the English language doesn't do justice sometimes compared to other languages? This is the same word that that James uses when he says if you want to be lifted up by God, the way up is down. So James says this, if you humble yourself before God, he will exalt you. That's the word exalt.

So Jesus says there's about to be an exaltation. you're you're going to see me exalted. But we know very clearly because of what the next verse is about to tell us. Jesus is talking about the cross. So the cross is the exaltation of the glory of God. You want to see how great God is, just look to the cross. Jesus spoke this last week in John 12 that a seed must die before it bears fruit. Because if the seed does not die, it's just a seed. But if it goes down into the dirt, if it goes down into the darkness, it's destined for so much more. And Jesus says, "What he's about to do, being exalted or lifted high, the cross is about to do is to draw all

people to myself." And the ruler of this world, Satan, he's not going to be able to stop this. He's not going to be able to have the final say. In just a few chapters, Jesus will be sharing his final words with his disciples. And he says this in John 14:30. John 14:30. Jesus is speaking. He says, "I will no longer talk much with you." We know he's going to die. We know he's going to defeat death and he's going to ascend into heaven. Looking back in history now, but then he says, "For the ruler," that's he's talking about Satan again. "For the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me." So, you're going to see him work. You're going to feel him work. And it's not going to be an easy road. But as Jesus also says in the book of John, he says, "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the

world." So, you too will be troubled, but don't worry, he's greater. When Paul is speaking of the spiritual battles we're in, in Ephesians 6:12, it's so important that you understand there's a physical world and there's a spiritual world. The devil wants to deceive you to just be focused on the physical. Focus on your fitness. Focus on your finances. Focus on things, things, things, things, your next vacation. Focus on your work. Focus on being stressed with your bills. And don't even think that there's a spiritual world that's waring right around you. And Ephesians 6:12, this is how the author Paul says this. He says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood." Oh friends, that's got to be preached to your own hearts every day. Your enemy is not somebody else, political or not. Your enemy is not the person that cut you off on the Parkway.

Your enemy is not your parents or your ex or any other. Your enemy, he says, is against the rulers. There's that same line. There are rulers that are here on earth until the book of Revelation says they're locked up forever. But until then, they're ruling in a spiritual realm that you can't see. We we wrestle. We fight with them against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil and the heavenly places. So the cross, come on, you need to get this. The cross is Jesus victory over Satan. It's to show us the dividing difference between the god of this world, which is Satan, and the great eternal God.

Satan's will is self-will. It's all about me. So, we've got to check our hearts. When I feel like the world needs to do more for me, am I being more motivated by Satan or Jesus was all about the father's will? submitting unto him even unto obedience that even if I have to go to the cross, I know that it's for something greater than what I'm going to presently go through. Even Paul talks about this to the Corinthians that this momentary affliction is nothing compared to the eternal glory. So there's a perspective shift when we start to have a pity party and we all have these pity parties.

Nobody likes them. You send the invitation, nobody comes. You start having that pity party. The devil's like, "I love it. Keep throwing that party again and again. Let's do it again tomorrow." Because you think this is the end of your story. But Jesus says, "When I am lifted up from the earth," look at verse 32 again. "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself." So when I go down, this is the way up. And so we see Jesus is about to do something that needs to be done that's never been done that no one else can do that he who is without sin is going to take our sin on the cross for who? All people. Someone shout all. All people. That means all. Now now to clarify here the cross of Jesus Christ does not mean that all people are saved because Jesus died on the cross. It means all people

can be saved by believing in the Jesus that died on the cross. We see this with the curiosity of the Greeks just a few verses early that that Jesus is not just for the Jews. He's for the Gentile and the Jew. He's not just for the men. He's also for the women. He's not just for the rich. He's also for the poor. We see he's not just for the old. He's for the young. He's come for all people. And if we understand how revolutionary this is, it changes everything because we have that authority in our hearts when we believe in Jesus. This is for your life. This is for your family. This is for your friends. This is for your neighbors. This is for our city. This is for Oregon. Oh, come on, somebody. This is for our nation.

Jesus died for all people. And we cannot shrink back and believe that somehow well maybe Buddhism is another way. Buddhism does not lead to eternal life. There are many that have a universalist mindset that says there are many different ways that can lead to God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." There is no other man by which we can be saved but the man Jesus Christ. It cannot be found in the teachings of Muhammad. You cannot be saved by traveling to Mecca. You can only be saved because of the cross of Jesus Christ. And this is so huge that Jesus tells us this is not for some people, but we ought to be bold because this is for all people.

So when we say at Journey Church, there's hope for everyone. We're pointing people to the cross of Jesus Christ. hope. It's all about Jesus. So, we must ask for the nations because Jesus said, "This is the mission that we're going to do together." As you're going in this life, wherever you are, as you're going, go make disciples in your schools, in your city, in your home. This is no time to shrink back and think, "Well, you've got your way and I've got my way." If you're interested in Jesus, maybe come to church on Sundays. No, Jesus says the cross of Jesus Christ is to point to who he is that he's overcome the enemy. What he did is is when you go face a judge one day and that judge knows everything you've ever thought, everything you've ever said, everything you've ever done in your life and you face that judge and says, "What are you going to do for all that you've done?" And when you call out

on the name of Jesus, that very judge that's looking down at you, who's just and could send you to an eternal hell, actually gets off of his throne and he's come and he's taken your place. He's taken upon every single thing that you could be judged on. The judge, not the lawyer. The judge stepped into your place so that you would know how great he is. This he said, verse 33, we know it's the cross. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. The cross is the exaltation of God. The cross is the judgment of our sins so that we can be saved. The cross is taking all of the world's rebellion when we've turned against a loving God and said, "I'm going to worship a false god." It's God's love saying, "On the cross, I will take all of these things and loosen the

chains of the enemies." The devil's grip has been broken because of the cross of Jesus Christ. so that we can say it's never too late with God. He will draw all people to himself. And by the way, I want to just state the obvious. I know there's very smart and intelligent people in this room. This is awesome. But if you pass over this too quickly, or you're a Christian and say, "I understand the cross." You don't understand the weight of what Jesus is saying. He's troubled in this story. It should trouble you that people could be going to hell. It it should trouble you that you would do things that are contrary to God and it should awaken your soul to worship when you see who Jesus is and what he's done.

So the crowds, verse 34, oh the crowds, come on somebody. He's talking about social media and every comment that you'll ever read. He's talking about your family members. Okay, truth be told, Jesus here. He gave the news. And so many of us who even sit and read this, we miss it. Look at what they do. Hey Jesus, we heard that the law from the law that the Christ remains forever, but you're saying he's going to be lifted up. How can you say the son of man be lifted? By the way, who is this son of man that you're referring to? My friends, Jesus could be speaking so crystal clear and you might still miss it. You could be debating about

something foolish. Okay, I know it's probably not you, but how many know a friend that does that sometimes? You just want to shake them and say like we are arguing about the wrong things. e even people who have been voted into power. I won't name names, but even our own governors or, you know, uh our own congressmen and women, they I'm just going to say it and then ask the Lord to forgive me. They will debate about dumb things that don't matter. That's right. And you know what I love about Jesus? He doesn't get lost in the debate. He gives an urgent call to action instead of saying, "Fine, fine, fine. Let's open the Torah and argue about this all day long. This is what he says. While you have the light, verse 36, believe in the light that you may become sons of light.

This is a call not just to believe in the light, but be the light. You're made for more than just believing in Jesus. You're made to represent Jesus. You're you're made at this hour and in this time. Faith is not understanding all who Jesus is. It's simply saying, "I believe and then doing something with it." That's it. Jesus says, "Believe in the light and go be the sons of the light. Go be children of the light." But we have a tragedy in this story that still exists today. Here's the tragedy. Hard hearts. Though he had done so many signs, that word signs simply means miracles. He did so many miracles before all of them, but they still did not believe in him. Miracles will not make believers.

If miracles made believers, Central Oregon would already be saved because the greatest miracle all is salvation. Anybody ever experienced that miracle? That's enough that it should save everybody because I've been saved from hell, rescued with the hope of heaven. That's enough. But over the last several months alone, we have testimonies of cancer being healed at Journey Church. Doctors saying it's gone. We have diabetes disappearing, not because of prescriptions here at Journey Church. We have so many miracles happening here, but that's not what makes believers Somebody's still going to say, "I don't know." Because that's what the Isa prophet Isaiah said. And when Isaiah the prophet met the Lord, it says, look, look at verse 41. Isaiah John 12:41 says, "Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him." If you're unfamiliar with this text, he's referring to Isaiah 6. When King Uzziah

died, Isaiah was troubled in his heart because Isa Uzziah was a good king who did many good things. Does this sound familiar? The when someone good dies, it troubles your heart because you wonder what's going to happen next. Or the number one question that happens when someone we love dies, we ask this question, why? And and Isaiah says, "The year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne." And John now tells us in 12:41, guess who's sitting on the throne? Jesus. He's still sitting on the throne today, my friends. He's supreme over all. Even if it looks like the rule of this world is working, let me just tell you the cross of Jesus Christ was his plan to overcome the enemy. So here's our call to action that Jesus sits upon the throne and just

like he asked Isaiah in chapter 6, who might ascend? That's the same question God's asking each and every one of our hearts today. Who will be the children of the light? Not just call yourselves Christians, but live like it. Isaiah chapter 6, you ought to study it. You can call yourself a Christian, but nevertheless, verse 42, many believed in Jesus, but for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. I I believe in Jesus, but I I don't want to lose my job. I believe in Jesus, but I want I don't want to be judged. I believe in Jesus, but I don't want my family to be divided. For they loved verse 43, they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. This is the dividing line that will change the world or not. Will you be unashamed of Jesus Christ or will you

be afraid of what man thinks of you? And I'll tell you, if there was ever a time to be bold, now is the time to raise up in love to let the world know that Jesus is the answer. Now, I know this world has been so divided and I've fallen into this so much. that pandemic. Remember that pandemic? Yeah, that sucked. And it seemed like there was no right way to live during that time. But the conviction of the Holy Spirit through the word of God is to keep coming back to Jesus, not argue, not just debate, but take Jesus so seriously that even if I lose this, I still gain because I have Jesus. A few years ago, I talked to a doctor who came to Journey Church and uh this doctor said that he was so in love with Jesus. The Holy Spirit was giving him

revelation medically speaking. His his patients would come into his the room and he could see that what they needed was Jesus that there was unforgiveness or that there was bitterness or there was something in their lives that if they just released it, they would be healed. It wasn't by popping a pill and it wasn't by surgery. All of the natural ways or means of medicine today in modern science. and and he was so bold. He would he'd tell people, "Hey, do you know Jesus? Can I pray with you?" And most of his patients were actually set free without any prescriptions. But there were those one or two that went to the medical board and said, "This doctor proitized me. He he tried to sell me his religion and he made me uncomfortable and he said something that I don't believe in." And so so the board and it

was actually the medical board of Oregon investigated him. And this is the warning and it felt very New Testament. It was stop talking about Jesus and keep practicing medicine. And he says, "I will practice medicine because God gave me that ability to do that, but I cannot stop talking Jesus." Because God was even revealing things above people's heads. He saw images and he had impressions in the spirit that were totally true. Long story even longer, he got fired from that job and now he's practicing medicine over an hour away from where he lives. I know someone in this room who's in the same position who's a family practitioner who's called in the same position saying, "I can't help but say what these people need, not what they want to hear." So, you've got a choice to make. Will you fear man or will you fear God?

Because the wisdom of Proverbs says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Listen, that's still true today. The only one you ought to fear is God because he's great. And the only accolades you ought to ever go after is God. Because one day you will face that judge. And how great would it be for that judge to come around the throne and just say, "Well done. Come on, give me a hug. Come into my kingdom. You get that section right over there. Just go ahead and dance on the streets of gold on the way over to your house." That's what we should be living for. So I say, "What glory are you chasing?" Because the glory of God might just be the cross. And Jesus says, "Pick up your cross and follow me." And in a culture that I know very well, and I've experienced it the last two weeks. We live in a cancer culture.

I took a picture of a Starbucks cup and I had a religious person. I'm not even going to call her a Christian. How could you support Starbucks that funds abortions? I'm like, "Y'all, I can't even get coffee without getting cancelled." And it's not from the pagan world. It's it's from those that that think that they've got this figured out when the thunder comes. I think that's a voice of an angel. Let's debate the word of God instead of live the word of God. And our world has been shaken. And I'll just close with this. Stop living for the crowd. Stop waiting for tomorrow. Let's look to the cross of Jesus. And let's be children of light. This is our time. This is our hour. This is our day. And if you feel like you don't have it figured out, welcome to the club.

Iron sharpens iron here. Let's just do it one day at a time. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, "Don't worry about tomorrow." Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. And I know I've run out of time, but Lord, as we leave here, you take over, Holy Spirit. You take over and light the hearts on fire that wherever we go, you go, Jesus. That we don't go to church to be the church. It's you working through the church. So I'm asking today that there would continually be a shift that we turn our hearts to you, Jesus. That the world would look to you, Jesus. That we would long for you, Jesus. That we would want to hear the voice of the father. That we would allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives in a tangible way. All for the glory of you, Jesus. What you did on the cross. We thank you that you died and you were buried, but on the third day, you rose from the grave. This changes everything.

We're set free from our sins, set free from the strongholds of the enemy. And that accuser that accuses day and night. We just testify today that we've got the blood of the lamb. It's by our testimony that we tell the world. It wasn't by our good works. It wasn't by being born into the right family. It was by being born again, believing in Jesus. So, we love you, Lord. It's in this moment as we're praying and eyes are closed and heads are bowed. I want to ask you, do you need Jesus today? If you've never believed in Jesus, the Bible makes it really easy and it's the greatest decision you could ever make to say yes to Jesus. But from this day forward, you've got to follow him. And I want to give you that opportunity right now. Please don't wait for another day. You don't know if you have it. I don't want to scare you. I just want to point you to the person who loved you so much. He

died for your sins so that you would leave here forgiven today. If you want the hope of salvation, the hope of heaven forever and ever being with God, the Bible says you don't actually die when you believe in Jesus, you just change your address. You've got a heavenly home. If that's you today, would you slip your hand up nice and high? I want to give you a next step so that you know what's next in your life. Eyes are closed. This is between you and God. Throw your hand up high. Be bold. If your heart is racing right now and your stomach's got some butterflies, I'm This is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Throw up your hand. Let me see you be bold starting from this day forward. Be done with your old life. Accept a new life in Jesus. Come on, throw throw that up. Praise God. Yes. Amen. I see you.

That's a boldness that God's going to honor. He loves you. He made you. And this is not the end of your story. Praise be to God. Anyone else today, just throw your hand up high. Be bold because your best days are not behind you. They're in front of you. You get the power of God himself, the Holy Spirit, by believing in Jesus. Anybody else? I don't want to lose this time. Is it somebody else over here? Praise God. We're right over here. Oh, praise God. Amen. Amen. Best decision ever. I love it when young people say yes. I said yes at 15. My life has been forever changed and I keep falling more in love with Jesus. Anybody else want to just say I I do. I love you, Jesus. I want to respond. Anybody else? Praise be to God.

It's never too late. Thank you for saying yes to Jesus. Thank you. God is with you. He is for you. And this is just the beginning of what God's going to do. You got great fruit inside of you that God's going to reveal. Just die to yourself. Die to yourself. Praise be to God. So proud of you over here. Praise God. Praise God. Amen. Just saying yes is the easiest decision, but you just started the hardest journey. God's going to give you everything you need on this journey. Would you just pray after me? And all those who have believed in Jesus, let's join them. Prayer is talking to God. So, let's just talk together. Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I believe in you. Forgive me of my sins. Forgive me of my s. I receive the gift of grace. I receive the Holy Spirit.

Help me to follow you and be a child of God. A child of God. Help me to be a light in a dark world. This is possible. Because of who you are in Jesus name. Come on, someone shout amen with me. Amen. That means let it be so be it. And it's true. Praise be to God.