The Book of John: Message Sixty
Six
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
I was
surprised to hear that the seeds of a yellow birch
don't grow in the ground but in the shallow soil of a
decaying log. The old log crumbles, but the new
yellow birch rises to life. Now the Lord informed us
that out of His dying, multitudes would rise to
eternal life. And "as He is, so are we."
Living for self is the way we lose everything. Dying
to self is the way to gain a rich harvest.
Listen to the
paradox. The Lord Jesus said in John 12:25, "He
that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal." The word "life" in this
verse is expressed by two terms that have different
meanings. One is translated "soul." It
stands for the lower, or the soulish, or the self
life. The other refers to the higher, or the divine
life. If you love the lower life, you'll lose the
higher life. You can't have both at the same time.
You can't have what the world calls life and what the
Lord calls life. And what does the world call life?
Indulgence and iniquity. And those who live by the
lower life love only themselves and their money.
Should you love that life and not the Lord, you'll
find at last that you've lost everything.
Look at the
passion. Two boys were having a lot of fun at play,
and one of the fathers asked, "What are you
playing?" "War," they answered.
"But," he protested, "I don't hear any
firing of guns!" "No," answered the
boys, "we're generals." I'm afraid we have
too many "generals" in the church. But the
Lord said in John 12:26, "If any man serve Me,
let Him follow Me." There are many who say,
"I serve Him." But saying it isn't proof
that you're serving Him. What is? Following Him.
"But," you question, "how does one
follow Him?" As a servant follows his master, as
a scholar follows his teacher, as a soldier follows
his general, as a sheep follows his shepherd, so you
should follow the Lord. "But," you say,
"that will cost me something!" Indeed! But
the service that costs you nothing counts for
nothing.
"How far
in service must I go, what sacrifice bring
To God, Whose
loving hands bestow each good and perfect thing?
How much of
time and thought should I devote to Him who died?
What is my
debt to Him, and why, and how, may I decide?
"A
measured service bound would be, a service mean and
small:
He did not
ask: 'How much?' from me: He gave Himself, His all.
He did not ask
how far to go. How far was not to say,
What bound?
How far? I only know That He went all the way."
Grasp the
prize. The Lord Jesus said, "If any man serve
Me, him will My Father honor." One day there was
a Christian who served Him by letting Him use his
boat for a pulpit. Was he honored? He was! The Lord
Jesus filled two boats full of fish. Oh, there may be
times when you'll lose some earthly riches, but
you'll gain a heavenly reward. The world may reject
you, but the Lord will receive you. You may be cast
out of your group, but you'll be caught up to His
glory. The Lord Jesus promised, "Where I am,
there shall also My servant be." Years ago,
during a bloody battle, a soldier lost his hand in
the service of his country. There was the distress
and the despair. But his grief was changed to
gladness, for the king that he served so faithfully
sent him a golden hand. Just so, as you serve the
Lord there may be the heartache, but there'll be the
honor. And great will be the rejoicing that will come
to your heart.
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
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to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on
the book of John.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
