Why Obey God in Uncertain Times? | John 19:28-42 | Darien Gabriel

Series: Signs & GloryTitle: Why Obey God in Uncertain Times?Scripture: 📖 John 19:28-42Preacher: Darien Roger GabrielBottom Line: Obedience doesn't depend on knowing the future. Obedience depends on knowing the One who knows the future.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXT📖 SERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS🎥 YOUTUBE DESCRIPTIONMAIN REFERENCES USEDOpening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONA graduated from college with a civil engineering degree in December of 1987. I began working with a civil engineering consulting firm (KHA) and immediately realized I was on an All-Star team--but I was only a bench warmer in ability. I graduated with a BS in civil engineering with a C average--the players on this team, in this company, were A students with masters degrees in civil engineering or business. I struggled for the first 3 to 4 years. Many times I would go home to Anita and say I don't know that I can hack this or if this is what I really wanna do. I was always wrestling with the temptation of "the grass is greener over there" syndrome so each time I would say, "Well I guess I'll give it another year" and I would. Around year four several good things-positive things-happened to me. First, I passed the PE exam. Second I was transferred interoffice to work for a friend of mine who was a great mentor to me. I began to thrive under his leadership. The third thing, I was asked to help pursue a project in the Tampa area of Florida and we won the project. As a result of winning the project, I got my first project to lead. Long story short things were coming together finally. Ironically, about that time, I got a nudge to reconsider my career choice. But this time it was when things were going good. In response to a companywide memo sent to every employee in the company from the new president of the company, we were each asked to answer the question, "What do we have a burning desire to do or what is my passion." Assuming he wanted a company man answer I gave him one. But God used that memo to provoke me to answer that question more honestly. That day I went home and said to Anita that I don't think I'm supposed to do this long-term. It was the first time I was saying that when things were going well. It was also the first time she said, "OK I'm ready." The rest is history. We worked a one year plan and 13 months later we were at seminary beginning my schooling for a new career in full-time ministry. The reason I share that story with you is because I got to a place--a fork in the road, if you will,--where I had to make a decision to obey, trust and follow...or not. You see, I believe God was calling me into the full-time ministry at that point. I had a choice, obey and change careers and walk away from all the schooling and experience (and money)I had in any civil engineering. Or disobey. I didn't know the future. I didn't know how it was gonna play out. There were lots of questions and fears and doubts. But I didn't base my obedience based on what I knew about what. I did or didn't know about the future. I based my obedience on the One I know, knows the future, because I trust Him. This is the point I want to make today. This is what the sermon is all about. We're going see two men who didn't know the future either but chose to trust and obey anyway. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus both were secret Christians who came out of the dark into the light in the wake of the cross of Christ. When they had the most to lose, they stood willfully in the light and revealed themselves as followers of Jesus. They stand as great examples of those who will obey God, even though we don't know the future or even if it seems risky.CONTEXTIt's the day Christ dies on the cross. We pick it up with Jesus dying and then being buried. It's a dark time in the history of the world.SERMON OUTLINE I. "It is finished" 19:28-30Here we see Jesus say it's finished. Not just he's dead but it's completed. The debt of sin has been paid in full. It's what we want to see stamped on our mortgage paperwork so we never have to make another house payment again.So what?God keeps his word down to the littlest details. Fulfilled prophecy shows up again right here. "I am thirsty." (Ps 69:21)The work is finished. Sin is paid forJudgment satisfiedScripture fulfilledRedemption completeChristianity isn't about what must be done for God. It's about what has already been done by Christ for us.II. More scripture fulfilled 19:31-37"Not one of his bones will be broken" cf. Exodus 12:46 which says that the Passover lamb must not have any broken bones. Jesus is the lamb that the Passover lambs were pointing to."They will look upon the one they have pierced." Zechariah 12:10 mentions this.So what?God is in control even in the smallest details even when it seems like he isn'tJesus is the true Passover lambSalvation is finished--but our response is still ...