2026 03 29 - From Whom Do You Seek Your Glory? - Popp

Grace, peace and mercy from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. This is not going to be a traditional Palm Sunday topic or sermon, but hopefully after 34 days of Lent, you've prepared for this, certainly part of this. John 12 right after the Rhine in Jerusalem. So we've continued this last couple weeks.

I asked the question, and you might have heard it in those readings. From whom do you seek your glory?

I looked at all the different Bible verses that come up, talking about how it is Satan tempts us, all of us, regardless of what your occupation, regardless of your status, regardless of your age.

Just like we saw Wednesday night with David, we could probably see it each and every day with us, Holy Week 2026 is finally here. No matter how many holy weeks you've been through in your life, every year we get this opportunity to walk alongside our fellow brothers, sisters in Christ, remember why Jesus did what he did, what his path to the cross and empty tomb means to us. We kick off Palm Sunday 2026 by looking at John 12 from Palm Sunday AD 33 or 30, depending on which theologian you want to follow. But before we get into this whole glory thing, I want to just take a quick, quick brief look what we saw in the opening processional gospel, right? Check out the disclaimer in verse 16.

It was again that idea of what are we seeing from this Jesus, this struggle in Zechariah 9. 9, right? The king is coming humble and riding on a donkey. That was planned. We've talked about this Old Testament prophecy and even after Jesus resurrection in Luke 24, right?

Just read you a quick part of this, O foolish ones and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures, the things that concerned concerning himself. We know a lot of that was not understood yet by even the apostles who followed him for all those years. But we know the Scripture all came true.

And in Acts 2, 1 4, we're going to have Pentecost certainly coming up. But it's this idea that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, right?

Then they understood all things that Jesus had said. They understood what that scripture was. And I want to talk about the Pharisees again in verse 19. We just had Caiaphas last week after Lazarus being raised from the dead, said, it is better for one man to die for the nation. Right?

We see that again, you know, as Caiaphas prophesied that every year On Christmas Day, when we go to that John 1, the word became flesh, we see this verse that the light shines in darkness, right? The darkness comprehendeth it not. I like that King James there. This is what was coming. They didn't understand yet.

And of course, let's not sleep on the importance of verse 20, the one that started out today's gospel about the Greeks. The Greeks had come to see Jesus. They believed it was the Gentiles who became proselytes and worshiped in Jerusalem for the major Jewish festivals. They were the ones coming. That's what we were coming into Jerusalem for.

They were seeking the Christ. So little was talked about that through Jesus ministry here and there. And of course, we know what happens with Paul. And when Peter is set straight. We also have that John 10:16 verse, right?

This idea of the sheep, I have other sheep too, that are not in the sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice. There will be one flock with one shepherd.

It's probably a whole other sermon. I would love to talk specifically about that. And we're gonna have to do that another time because I want to get into this idea of the hour that has come come. It. It really, when we think about that hour here, we're talking about his coming death and resurrection.

And yet we go back to before his first miracle, the wedding in Cana, when his mother comes. Do what they tell do. Do whatever he tells you to do. And he's like, my hour has not yet come. Well, here we are.

And his hour has come. It's come for the Son of Man to be glorified, right? This is his death, the act which starts our redemption. The whole idea of us being able to be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life with Him.

What does this mean about the Son of Man? It is that reminder sometimes where, how is he going to get glorified through his death. Now we'll come to that more here in Roman numeral 3. When we get to verse 28, let's just compare that us to grain. It is not about us.

So many people misunderstand when he talks about this idea of grain.

Jesus is the grain of wheat that must fall.

That's what he's talking about here in our esv. It says, truly, truly. I say to you, right? Well, in some of the verses and the way it's translated, it says, amen, Amen. We hear a lot of truly, truly before Jesus says something.

It's to show a point of emphasis. But think about as he was to say, amen Amen. Let it be so before he speaks.

Whoever hates his life.

I think a lot of people struggle with this because the idea of we live in a world now where everybody talks about how important is to love yourself. This idea of love of self. And was Jesus saying we should hate our lives?

We know certainly as we get to Reformation every year, how Luther had beat himself and never felt good enough until he got into the Scriptures. What did Jesus mean, whoever hates his life? This is referring to pride, the love of self, of what we have done. If you've ever been to one of my funerals, I want to warn you all now, those of you who are righteous, whose children and grandchildren have seen you serve the Lord, who have seen all the wonderful things you've done, the more talented you are, the more I got to tear you down at your funeral.

Because I don't want one single person at your funeral thinking you're in heaven because of anything you did. What a blessing it is that you use your gifts to serve the Lord. But I want to make sure every single person at your funeral knows you're in heaven because you believe in Jesus Christ. You're baptized and believed, and that's it. So anything you do, that's great, but we certainly don't want to count it as righteousness.

That is where we have to be careful of our glory. It really gets back to even this talk about the fruit in here. The fruit. This is not fruit about our works. Right.

It's about the people. It's about bearing fruit that people come to know Jesus again to be careful. Where does that credit go? Right. We got into that a little bit.

On Wednesday night, we're to follow and serve him. Why? Because he's called us that. Deuteronomy 6. Hear, O Israel, the Lord God, the Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. With all your might. Not. Love of self, love of God. These words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk to them when you sit in their house, when you walk by them, when you lie down, when you rise, you shall bind them as a sign in your hand. It shall be as frontless between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.

Why do we serve? It's the love of God. I probably have fallen to this more than any. And Wednesday night, when David allowed pride to get to him and it cost him the lives of 70,000 of his men and I brought up Elijah, Gideon, Jehoshaphat, where we want to make clear God is in control, even David. When you go to David and Goliath, what was the purpose of David being the one to slew Goliath?

Because all the power goes to God, all the credit goes to the Lord. And that is why I tell you, even on your deathbed, we make very clear to everybody, you are going to heaven because your belief in faith and your baptism, not because of what we do. We're getting ready for VBS again. And that was always that reminder to all our VBS helpers. Help the kids have a safe, fun time.

But if they leave here talking more about you than Jesus, we have failed. Your job is to point them to Jesus. So I will glorify it again. This is a big section, a lot going on, right? Again, our head, Elder Dan, remind us certainly in Philippians, where it talks about this idea.

We certainly see it in. Sorry, I didn't turn that page. This idea. For therefore God has highly exalted them, bestowed them every name above the earth. So every name, every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

It's that idea here. I will glorify him. God certainly glorified Jesus. Earthly ministry, right? We saw that in his incarnation, coming down to earth.

We saw it in the transfiguration. We saw it. We saw it when God's voice came in his baptism, through his signs, through his miracles. But it's going to glorify again. Glorify him again as he goes to the cross.

That was the whole purpose all along. And this idea of Son of Man and sons of Light that we hear in that part, I want to be very careful here. Again, those whose lives show God who are the sons of light living in the light, right? Walking by the light. We hear a lot about the light.

It's a great start, right? The Sermon of the Mount. God is that light that we follow. We follow the Son of Man. We follow what Jesus did.

We praise our God because we are sons of light.

So I want to get a little personal here. I know. Know your why everybody eye roll. Anybody that's ever been in one of these things, you know, these secular books. And I love Simon Sinek.

I think he's great. I think what he teaches in the. In the executive world is a lot of fun stuff, but it's really a question for us. You know, try that in a staff meeting, right? All the teachers are like, yeah, we know our why.

We're here to serve God. But Is that reminder, why do you do what you do? Is it for our glory or for God's? How can we remind ourselves each and every day why we do what we do? It starts with a foundation, a firm foundation in Jesus Christ.

A foundation that says, because of who I am as a child of God baptizing him and what he has given me to do. Praise be to God. Have any of you had those experiences where when you think you have something under control that goes really, really bad? Boy, do we get humble quickly. We trust in the Lord and these God given spiritual gifts.

How easy it is for us to want to take credit for what we have done when people come up and they thank.

I thought about the Old Testament reading that Dan read from Isaiah 50 Again, this idea. Right, sorry. Toward the end of Isaiah 50. Right.

Behold the Lord God helps me, who will declare me guilty. Where do we allow the credit to go?

I am in a wonderful position here at Grace as I get to know all of you. To see all the different spiritual gifts, the way God brings it all together for wonders, for his glory, for his purpose, for our mutual walk in growth in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And let's be honest, there are times we might get called out by our brothers and sisters in Christ. God uses them to help us. It's never easy and yet it is for our glory and for his glory, for our growth and his glory.

I've done this before. I did it as a teachers conference sectional. If you ever come into my office, you're going to see these street signs above my desk. And it's my constant reminder. Every single time I walk in my office, I'm exactly where God wants me to be.

The intersection of his purpose and our passion. I have it above my desk because I always want to remind it. Am I doing what God has called me to do? That intersection that is so important.

To what our purpose is? God bringing us, using us and helping us. So from whom do you seek your glory? Right. That was the final question I asked the beginning from you all as we walk through this, as we saw what was happening here after this great parade, Jesus comes in.

He's talking to everybody. He's talking to his apostles, certainly. From whom do you seek your glory? If anybody's ever heard me talking this before, I apologize. I'm going to do it again.

I hate Jeremiah 29:11 by itself.

I've seen it misused at more high school graduations. I've seen it misused in more people's lives. It seems like that card I can do whatever I want because Jesus has got me taken care of. I want to remind you of 12 and 13 this day. Yes does say, for I know the plans after you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil.

To give you a hope in a future. That's great, but listen to these next two verses. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Parents, don't assume when your children are struggling and failing to seek the Lord that it's okay. God's got to take care of Jeremiah 29.

Our job to help them go to the Lord, to pray to the Lord, to be in his word, to grow in that relationship.

It's NCAA tournament time and we see a lot of interviews, and I love it when a coach says, well, first off, let me give God all the glory. Great. You're absolutely right. Absolutely should. Win or lose, we give God the glory for what we have or what we do.

But let's be very careful.

Just as I am a sinner saint, you are sinner saint. They are sinner saints. Let's be careful how we watch as we give God the glory. That's about what he did and not what we have accomplished or what we have done. As we get to this final week, in our walk to the cross and the empty tomb, we are reminded everything we have, including our gifts, are from God.

We should be deflecting any glory that comes our way to him, the Creator Redeemer, and sanctify the one we are about to profess our faith to in the Apostles Creed. To God be the glory. Amen. Amen. With.