5th message

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 therefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

How did the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face the furnace or Daniel the lions den but Peter deny Jesus that night? John 12 holds some of the answers. If we love any part of this life more than following Jesus we will end up as Peter before the Cross. If we have need to please men , hear or use flattering words , seek glory from humans or hide the truth of what this is all about , we will be Peter before the Cross. Those in Daniel had no desire to please men and longed to see Jesus.
We can not escape if we neglect what the Cross did for us. Sin comes at a higher cost now , Jesus says we can not even think it because of what He went through for us.
“Hebrews 12: let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire.”
Those in Daniel had Godly fear. It is going to get really scary before Jesus comes and we had to be as those in Daniel and have only Godly fear. Heaven and earth is going to shake and we had to hate this life to not be moved in faith...