Sermon Nuggets Mon Aug 11
Theme: REJECTING JESUS
Verses- John 12:37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. (NIV)
The Ignorance of Unbelief
I read a story of a Japanese seashore village which experienced an earthquake over a hundred years ago. Being accustomed to small earthquakes the villagers soon went back to their activities. Above the village on a high plain, an old farmer was watching from his house. He noticed the signs of tidal waves. He called for his grandson to bring a torch, and though he had great crop of rice piled high for market, he set them ablaze. The big bell pealed from the temple alerting folks of fire. The people came running up the side of the cliff to assist, or watch the fire. When they saw him torching his crop they thought the man was crazy until they looked behind them. They watched the thundering waves several times strike the shore with weight that tore their homes to matchsticks.
They watched with stunned silence until the old man said, "That is why I set fire to the rice." He stood among them almost as poor as the poorest, for his wealth of crops was gone but he saved 400 lives by the sacrifice.
People were blinded by ignorance to the effects of earthquake, they didn't seek safety. The man thought of a way to bring them up from pending destruction at personal sacrifice and loss.
People are dying in sin and do not know it. At great personal love and sacrifice God sent His Son to the world in order to save them from sin's damage. What happened to the people who did not come up the cliff? They all perished. But as Jesus calls people to spiritual safety against the damaging effects of sin, it is more confusing as to why people reject God and fail to listen to the warning.
As we discussed last week, Greeks were being challenged to commit themselves to Jesus. This message was for the Jews as well. There have been many people who saw miraculous signs, who heard Jesus words, who have seen the light and knew they should become believers in him but did not. Many are ignorant of the truth, but many have had ample warnings.
The subject of unbelief is an awful truth revealed in Scriptures. Without faith in Jesus Christ there is no salvation.
Even though people knew the signs of the earthquake they were ignorant as to how bad it would be. Is that any different today?
Pastor Dale
