2014.11.3 礼拝

Kids Message
Last week’s message talked about peer pressure. Even in the church there is peer pressure.
People are just geared toward pressuring others in bad ways or to do bad things.
It is so important to choose the right way. It is OK to be pressured by God. We need to choose God even if it is against the pressure of others.
In today’s passage we see where Jesus stops being popular with the leaders of Israel. Those leaders start pressuring everyone to move away from Jesus. Christians during that time had to choose to follow God or the peer pressure of the leaders.
Let’s choose to follow Jesus even if it is against others.
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Last week Mark preached about prayer walking. In it, we were challenged to pray on sight with insight.
Going through the neighborhood behind the church we were able to see a couple fighting. Reminded that no matter what kind of neighborhood we live in (rich or poor) people are hurting. Actually praying for people while walking, opens our eyes to the needs of the people around us.
John 11:47-48 – ” So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.””
In movies there are usually Heroes and Villains. Even in our lives we come across someone who in our workplace or lives plays the part of the villain.
In the Gospels, often the Pharisees are seen as the villain. What was their goal? What were they trying to accomplish, Were they really villains? Were they only thinking selfishly?
Look at verse 48. – ” If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.””
Actually, they were trying to protect what they had built. They thought they were working for all the people by getting rid of a troublesome Jesus.
1. We need to know our limits in understanding and implementing Righteousness.
John 11:50 – ” Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.””
2. God put His plan into play among a very messed up human race. He knew exactly what He was doing in sending His Son to be born and live among an imperfect human race.
John 11:51-52 – ” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”
Even when we think we know exactly what we should do, sometimes we are wrong.
3 Practical Points
1. We need to question our own motives and righteousness.
2. Constantly seek after God’s righteousness Seek God’s will. Not our will.
3. Don’t worry about what is directly in front of us but the fact that God is in control of it all.