Many listening to, or reading, this sermon are probably followers of Jesus.  We have seen that He is the risen Son of God who came to take away the sin of the world.  We have made a verbal, mental and emotional commitment to Him.  What lies ahead for us?

Is it many more years of just hanging on?  Do we hope that the promises of God and our questionable level of obedience produces some measure of blessing?  Perhaps a better job because we have been obedient to Jesus?  All these and other rewards we hope for are a poor substitute for the real treasure the Holy Spirit is trying to cultivate in us.  Robin Mark, the Irish worship leader, wrote a song called "My souls desire".

Once we have glimpsed the glory of God in the face of Jesus we have little option but to reach for a closer, deeper life in Christ.  All other things will fail to deliver our hearts desire.  Paul shows us his hearts desire.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11)

Unless we keep Jesus as the prize, the hungers of the flesh will rise again and start taking over.
 

WHAT DID HE DO AND WHAT WAS HE LIKE?

To have Jesus as our soul's desire we need a clear vision of who He is and what he stand for.

 1)  Jesus gave himself away from the first day to the last.  He laid aside his power and glory.  He deferred to the Father.  He served humanity.  In the end He said , "This is my body broken for you".

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:2)

Because Jesus could see the great reward of the Kingdom returned to His Father, he could make the ultimate sacrifice.  When we see something of the promised Kingdom of God we will also start to make sacrifices.

 2)  He was without sin and therefore His relationship with the Father was uninterrupted - until the sin of the world was placed upon Him and he shouted out "My God, why have you forsaken me?"

The good news is that we are not called to be our own righteousness.  The Father knows we are not (from birth), nor can we live a life without sin.  The Spirit however does a purifying work in us if we will listen to Him and stay close.  As the Spirit purifies we will heal and see more clearly and grow in understanding.

 3)  The Word of God is living and powerful in the life of Jesus.  Paul tells us that we become new through the transformation of our minds with a work of the Spirit and the Word. (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18)

 4)  Obedience is more that sinlessness - it is following the Father.  Jesus had a great desire to be obedient to the Father no matter what the cost.  He says, "Father take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done".

 5)  With Jesus, the Father gets the glory.  John the Baptist had that same understanding and Spirit. He says, "He must increase and I must decrease".

 6)  Love for the Father.  "The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now; let us leave." (John 14:31)

 7)  Get over ourselves - Paul loses all things for Christ's sake.  We will get to the point when we know that we are only pilgrims passing through and that our lives are found and lost in Christ.  We should live in a state of constant realization of our spiritual need, and His provision of grace and righteousness.