Sermon | John 12:20-33 | DEPTHS OF LOVE: "Whoever Serves" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana

Sermon | John 12:20-33 | DEPTHS OF LOVE - "Whoever Serves Me" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana Where do we see “the world” and it’s system today? Where do we find redemptive violence exalted in the form of honor? Where do we find systems that are NOT centered on love, forgiveness, mercy, and truth? Where do we see its effect in our own hearts? We see it in how we view people we encounter from day to day? We see it in how we respond to people whom we don’t understand or agree with? Are we quick to label people as evil or crazy because they think differently? Are we supportive of efforts to force people to act as we do? Have we made a habit of dismissing people’s value because of something they do or say? Is being judgmental the Kingdom way? Is lording over others the Kingdom way? Is viewing someone as an object of a particular stance the Kingdom way? How can we start to detach ourselves from other systems? How are we called to push it so far away that it looks like we HATE the system and what it brings? And understand, worldly systems will be attractive, appealing, and inviting. Evil doesn’t always look evil to the one trapped in it. Evil doesn’t always feel evil to the one caught up in that system. We may not even realize how we are de-humanizing people we encounter because we’ve gotten so used to judgment. But, make no mistake, when you judge someone… you are placing yourself above them—putting yourself in God’s seat as if YOU possess the full knowledge of good and evil. 1. We must first seek to detach ourselves. allow the Holy Spirit to then start to show us what we don’t already see 2. We must seek for the Spirit to renew our vision so that we can see ourselves truly… so that we can see where it is we still need to grow And where it is we still need to detach And so we can ask ourselves if we are as committed as Jesus to embrace the KOG 3. Serve Jesus, but following Him into the new system your whole life long Jesus recognizing his hour had come stemmed from encountering people from the “outside” world looking to find their way “IN.” Jesus never even spoke with them… He didn’t vet them to see if they believed the right things… He didn’t have the disciples see who they vote for or the nature of their relationships… Jesus didn’t size them up to see if they could make the cut. BECAUSE they were human beings who were taking that first precious step—desiring to grow and learn from him. —that’s all it takes for Jesus. These outsiders showed up…and he knew the hour of the ancient promise had come. He knew it was time…and nothing would stand in his way… Nothing would keep him from freeing humanity from the systems in which they were trapped. May we be like Jesus. - May we serve him by following in his footsteps. May we lay aside the lives we have been building in the other systems and ways. may we be willing to let our life go May we see be willing to see each other differently AND see ourselves differently May we come to see the love of God and the length it went—and still goes—to help us live into this Kingdom life here and now.