Receiving the Cup of Life
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How do we receive the “Cup of Life”?
How do we receive the “Cup of Life”?
Jesus answered this question when asked by Nicodemus…
1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”
Do you hear what Nicodemus is asking?
He didn’t want to know if Jesus was a prophet… He wanted to know if Jesus could tell him how to receive the “Cup of Life” — eternal life… Nicodemus was thinking about the age old question, “How can I ensure that I make it to Heaven?”
Jesus knew this is what he was searching for… look at His response:
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Being born again means — restarting… from a new place… in a new direction… Amen?
Nicodemus did not understand this.
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
What a perfect way to start the New Year! Amen!
I think something deep within us draws us to that idea every year as we look back at the previous year, and plan for the next.... Something deep within us tells us that we need to begin again… that a “new beginning” is needed…
And that is what Christ calls us to, amen!
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
The Christian Life is a call to a new beginning.
Look at the disciples… They were each called to a New Beginning…
2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.
7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”
11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Simon Peter and Andrew didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus into a new beginning...
19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
James and John, left their father… their family… their business… for a new beginning with Christ…
And let’s not forget Levi — the evil, vile, “Tax Collector” — I kind of like the way the series “The Chosen” portrayed this part.... You see the other disciples weren’t happy with Jesus, but Levi gives us a powerful image of a New Beginning…
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.”
28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them.
Each of these characters got to experience a reboot… a restart… a new beginning in their life....
That is what New Years is all about!
I remember as a child, I loved Peanuts! Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, and the whole gang!
I’d watch all the Peanuts specials — Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas,… I remember the comic strips.... I didn’t want to miss them!
I would steal my grandmother’s newspaper, just so I could read them....
Every year was the same, Charlie Brown would proclaim that “this year is going to be different! It’s going to be better! This is the year… that I’m going to kick that football!”
But, what would happen?
The same as the year before, Charlie Brown would come running down that hill, and at the last minute.... Lucy would move the ball!
We cannot experience a New Beginning by repeating the same old same old!
We can only experience a New Beginning through faithfulness in God!
That’s what Moses experienced on that mountain so long ago, when he saw that “burning bush.”
16 Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.
17 I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
When God spoke to him that day… when God whispered Moses’s name… He called him to a New Beginning… One that led him into an adventure that changed the entire rest of his life!
But, long before Moses, there was another person who was called to a New Beginning, and the result was… that he became the father of what would eventually become Christ’s Church — Christ’s Bride!
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
There is no doubt that Abraham was called to a New Beginning, amen?
God… a god whom we don’t even know he knew… spoke to him… and told him to go… “To where?” “A place I’ll show you later…” And Abraham went!!!!
How many of us would do that?
Yet, that is exactly what God tells us to do....
We are called to a New Beginning.
To become Children of God.
3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
Let me tell you a little secret — God does not call us to get all the answers first!
God didn’t say to you… or to me… “Let me tell you everything, so you can believe.”
NO!
God said, “Believe! Place your faith in me! and then I’ll show you where you are going!”
“Follow Me.”
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
It’s all about faith! Just like Abraham, we are called to “Go!” and God will show us to where later....
But… What does that mean? How does that work?
If we are going to find the answer to that, then we are going to have to step out in faith… We are going to have to trust Christ… and commit to being discipled by Him.
That means FOLLOWING Him!
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them,
26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?
29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
34 “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”
Do you hear what Jesus is saying?!
It’s not about giving up possessions, it’s about commitment… total commitment… 100% … no holding back, and no looking back!
It is about making a New Beginning! One that says, “This world has failed me, but God will not!”
It’s about trusting… following… being discipled by the only One who can truly show us how to live the Christian Life!
Let me tell you — There is no person… no pastor… no book writer… no theologian… professor… or politician… who can teach you to live the Life Christ provides for you…
Only Jesus Can!
So, that is what our focus is going to be this year.... Being Discipled by Christ!
But, I want you to see something else here… This is important!
Abraham’s story reveals the commitment he made… He left home, just because God told him to… He trusted God’s promise that he would become a great nation… That meant children! Even though his wife was barren!
And after receiving Isaac… the fulfillment of God’s promise… he was willing to still sacrifice it for the sake of God!
That’s commitment! Amen?
But, here’s the interesting part Abraham’s story also reveals another person’s story of faith…
Isaac…
1 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
There is something vitally important here.
Isaac willingly went to the altar!
Think about this....
Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. This incident did not happen right after he was born.
Scripture tells us that it was after he was weened… that would be at least 2-3 years old…
Scripture also tells us that Isaac was old enough to travel alone with his father, therefore he had to be able to help take care of things…
He also carried the wood for the sacrifice…
6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
This means that Isaac had to be older and stronger than a toddler…
It is estimated that Isaac was between 17 and 25 years old at this point.
That means that Abraham was somewhere between 117 and 125 years old!
Now, how many of you think that Isaac couldn’t have “taken” pops on?!
I don’t think it would have been much of an issue for Isaac to have overpowered his dad, and removed himself from that altar!
Think about that for a minute…
Abraham and Isaac were there alone… they left the servants behind… that means that, not only did Isaac carry the wood, but he probably also helped his father build the altar, where he would be sacrificed!
Isaac willingly went to that altar, for his dad and for God!
Just as Christ willingly went to the Cross for you… and for me…
Isaac trusted that…
8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
And He did!!!
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Do we?!
Because… He Did! Christ was the sacrifice for us!
Are we willing to go to the altar ourselves?
Are we willing to give ourselves totally and completely to God? Trusting in the One who gave himself for us?
Are we willing to lay ourselves on the altar — no holding back, no looking back, no questions asked — trusting, that God has provided the sacrifice?
Because that is what it takes to gain the Cup of Life!
7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels.
God promises us a New Beginning… a New Life… a Life filled with Hope… with Peace… with Love… all we have to do is receive it!
Receive the Cup of Life
Are you living the New Life Christ has invited you to?
All you have to do is place your faith completely in Him…
Are you ready for that New Beginning? For a New Start?
Maybe you’re sitting there today, and you realize that your life is not what you want it to be… that you are not experiencing a life filled with Hope, with Love, with Peace…
Don’t wait! Come and meet the One who can give you that life!
Maybe you’re sitting here today, listening to what God is saying, and you realize that your life is not where God wants it to be… that you have drifted a little bit… that you’re just not quite where you should be in your faith…
Today is the day… don’t wait? Come to the Altar!
Ask Him to come into your heart… into your life… Come and receive the sacrifice He already made for you!
Pray this prayer with me:
God, Father,
I know that you made me and want me to obey you with all my heart. I know that, too often, I have disobeyed… I’ve wanted to be my own boss. I have thought and done things against your direction for my life. That I am a sinner, deserving only death.
But Lord, I lay myself on Your Altar…
Forgive me, and come into my heart.
Father, I need you. I am humbly calling out to you, I’m tired of doing things my way. Help me to start doing things Your way, I invite You into my life to be my Lord and Savior…
Lord, fill the emptiness in me with Your Holy Spirit and make me whole.
Help me to trust You, help me to love You, help me to live for You, help me to understand Your grace, Your mercy, and Your peace.
Amen