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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Siegfried Roeske

Abraham’s Seed

We moved to Loma Linda 2 years ago from the Midwest.

I spent 30 years teaching at Union College And actually I spent my entire ministry in the Midwest.

So the setting for our message this morning is kind of Midwestern comes from John 12 And of course Jesus lived in an area where they had also grain fields and used many lessons from the farming setting.

So 1 day some time back my wife and I were traveling from Lincoln Nebraska to Topeka Kansas to preach on Saturday morning.

We went Friday afternoon so we'd be there in good time in the morning.

And we're driving through the beautiful farmland on each side of the road near the town of Mercer Nebraska, we passed a farmer's fine farmyard.

I don't know if he had any Jewish background.

This man was not only a good farmer, but also a good businessman.

Near the road was a neat Quonset building set along the frontage of the farm and in huge bold letters about 6 foot tall, it advertised as Seed in front of the building it read Abraham Seed.

The Jewish people back in Jesus day were also proud to be Abraham Seed.

The question developed whether they really were but they claim to be.

Now you and I also have a right to claim to be Abraham seed.

In Galatians 3 29 it's a discussion about Jew and Gentile and so on and then Jesus concludes by saying if ye be Christ then are ye Abraham's seed.

Now the Bible teaches some powerful spiritual lessons regarding the farmer and the seed and we read about it in John 12 and I'd like to pick up there and read the passage and then talk about it.

John 12 beginning with verse 20 through 26.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast.

The same came therefore to Philip which was a Bethsaida of Galilee desired him saying sir we would see Jesus.

What a wonderful encouragement that was to him.

Being rejected by the Jews, the Jewish leaders and and the whole community to have somebody in the end from the Gentile world come and say we would see Jesus.

Do you remember at his birth they came from the east, at his death they came from the west to bring hope to the son of God.

It's a strange place to get hope from at a time like that.

Jesus answered them saying The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, accept a corn of wheat.

Now a corn of wheat we could say a grain of wheat.

Fall into the ground and die, it abides alone.

But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.

He that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life or life eternal.

If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servants be.

If any man serve me, him will my father honor.

Now it's Tuesday morning of Passion Week.

The Greek worshipers came to the temple and said we would see Jesus.

Philip and Andrew arranged the interview.

Too bad we don't have the details of the discussion.

You know we have Jesus answer to their questions.

You get the answers and the question is We're not quite sure.

Whatever it was Jesus answered by saying except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone.

But if it die, it brings forth much fruit.

Here Jesus proclaimed 1 of the most profound mysteries of Calvary, the cross, and his mission, and you in my life, the Christians life illustrated by the grain of wheat, Abraham seed, am I Abraham seed.

Now the first mystery concerns the identity question and the question of commitment.

It says if ye be Christ's it implies commitment.

Now many people today struggle with identity tremendously across the world in a Sabbath school lesson.

Because of his lack of commitment he lost his commitment first and today in the world there is so much bewilderment as to why we're here what is our purpose in life there is bewilderment who are we I had the privilege of going to prison ministry in Nebraska for 20 years and 1 particular time had an interesting gentleman there, his name was Jack.

The way Jesus answers the Greeks made clear that Jesus had no identity problem.

He understood who he was and why he was here he said except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die and then he said father save me from this hour he knew what it meant But for this cause came I under this hour, implying I am a grain of wheat.

Yes the seed of the woman that would be bruised at his heel but would crush the serpent's head.

Our first question this morning, identity.

Just another church trying to be just a little bit nicer than our competition down the street?

Satan had tempted Christ in the wilderness regarding his identity.

If you are the Son of God and for us it's very important to be clear regarding our identity.

Now again at the temple and Satan comes to you and me with the same temptation in our personal lives and he brings up our mistakes and our failures and makes them large before us And he says you if you are and he tries to build doubt into our lives.

Are you really a member of God's remnant church?

It will be But if there's a strong commitment to Christ and his mission, and the mission is the core of my identity, then it will not be arrogant.

It will be a humble statement of faith in Jesus, not in me.

Why is it so important to know who we are?

It's because our identity determines our mission and our destiny.

If you think yourself a worm you will have the tendency to act like 1.

If you know yourself to be a son and daughter of God, you will have a tendency to act like 1.

I happened to be sick that particular time when I had the radio on.

It said something like, I'm nothing but a speck of dust in the wind.

I'm nothing but a drop of water in endless oceans.

And I see a little puppy dog coming and licking it up and I'm gone.

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Abraham’s Seed

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