Introduction:

We have been blessed with really great kids, but they aren't perfect, and neither are their parents. In our little 'nuclear family' sometimes I'd have to reach for the nuclear weapon- the 'three count.' I remember many, many instances of "I going to count to three..." That was my version of threatening nuclear interchange. "OK, I've said that twice; if I get to three..." "If you kids don't quit wrestling around and settle down back there..." -and that was last week!

Now, the reason parents say things like that is not to feel important. It's not to be the big boss. It's to stop someone from getting hurt. Sometimes a loving parent has to step in and make things the way they need to be.

Even God in his patience, finally reached a point of exasperation with his people. That's what the Flood was all about; that's what Babylon was all about, and that's what our text is about: not threats of punishment, but a warning that the day of grace is almost over.

I) Jesus Tries One Last Time

To keep this sermon short, Jesus has been preaching for three years. In our text, he's hours away from his death. He's in his last session of public preaching. He's trying, with heart ablaze with love, to reach the people of Jerusalem with his message.

Theologians would speak of this as 'the day of grace.' There are certain times when God seems to call more loudly or more clearly to an individual or even a nation. Perhaps God always calls the same, but at times we are more open to hear. But there are times when God's call comes, and we may not hear that call again.

In our text, Jesus has just hours left on the planet, and the passion of his plea is very clear. But they will not listen. Jesus preaches, then John gives commentary, and Jesus speaks again. So many of the things he's said over and over are recapitulated here- repeated again for them to hear and believe. Jesus uses words like "lifted up" and "son of Man" and "Light." Finally, it says he went and hid from them. The ballgame was over. The day of grace has passed.

Think about it. Those folks stood right there, right in the face of the God who created the Universe. Just think, they heard Jesus' very own words, looked in his eyes... and rejected him! I can't imagine that. But so it is when our hearts get hard.

II) The Hardening of Hearts

John wrestles with this mystery of why some hear and reject Jesus. He says that the prophet foretold this; that indeed, some would reject: "[12:39] For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: [40] "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."

Their hearts had become hardened and blind, and so the message of the Light of the World had been something they couldn't see.

There's a mystery here- sometimes people, even people who start out in faith, fall away. God's call remains the same, perhaps sometimes it is even louder. But as we turn away from God- cover our ears and begin to make noises to drown out God's voice, so we can do our own thing- at that point, God's voice may be drowned out. God didn't change; God didn't stop calling- but we got better and better at rejecting him.

As we turn our back on his call, the bad stuff becomes fun stuff, one thing leads to another, and pretty soon, we're in deep trouble, but we don't know how to come home.

I remember during the crack wars in 1997, I sat down on the north steps of this building with a man who was selling crack. He was a handsome man, and he began to tell me his story. He had a college education; his mother was as nurse in East St. Louis. He had been married, had a family and a good job. Then he started using crack. Pretty soon he had lost his job, lost his family, was HIV positive and was selling crack cocaine on 19^th Street in Minneapolis so he could get his next hit. One thing leads to another, and that's how life goes downhill. He never decided one big decision to throw his life away- he made many, many bad decisions that finally cost him everything he had. And he was convinced that he was too far away from God for even God to reach him. We talked about that, and prayed about that that day. His heart had become pretty hard. He had a hard time hearing his Father's welcome anymore.

III) The Effects & Cure

Beyond that, as we turn away from Christ, we feel guiltier, we feel dirty; we feel we can't come home. In the parable of the Prodigal Son the son seems all but certain that his Father wouldn't want him back. He spends a lot of time rehearsing his speech, and preparing to try to talk his father into allowing him to come back as a hired hand. Sometimes we feel so far away from God, but God hasn't moved.

Sometimes we can be bitter toward God. Sometimes another Christian has hurt us; and we may not admit it, but we can be bitter towards God because of something unjust that has happened. Our pain and bitterness can be a powerful force to wedge us away from the Father. Sometimes we think we've done so many bad things, we've been too bad for anyone to love us. We're just too far gone. We just can't hear.

I've told you the story of the old hermit who lived out in an abandoned store near my country church. Old Walt Stemple had lived by himself for many years. And he was stone deaf. Shouting did very little, but that was of no matter, because he liked things quiet. Then he went to the nursing home, and they discovered his ears were completely filled with gunk. It took several days to get Walt's ears cleaned out- but sure enough, once they did- he could hear!

That's what sin does- it gradually fills our ears up with deafness to the call of God. We turn our back on him, and the unthinkable becomes a habit; the stuff we'd never do becomes the norm. We get used to being spiritually deaf, and we like it!

All these things the Devil can take and use as a wedge to split us from God. The danger is that the little things add up- when we ignore our conscience; when we ignore it again; when the Holy Spirit's voice is calling us to repentance, but we just won't listen. That's when we start getting hard inside.

I think of a story of explorers who wanted to read some ancient inscriptions on the side of a sheer rock cliff. They needed to go hundreds of feet below the top to reach these writings. They were lowered down in a basket, and lowered further and further down, with more and more cable being added. Finally they got to the level they wanted, photographed the inscriptions, and signaled to be raised up again. The folks on the top tried to lift them up- but couldn't. They had gone so far, that the weight of the cable was greater than they could lift. The scientists had to lowered all the way to the ground and hike around the mountain. The they had gone so far that the weight of the cable was more than could be dealt with.

So it is with sin. The more you add, the deeper you go, the harder it gets. God's call remains the same or even gets louder- but our hearts get harder, our ears get more plugged, and we don't want to come back. That's the danger of sin.

That's why Jesus' call was so important that day. He was pleading for them to hear. It was the day of grace. He was pleading for them to hear, to repent and to believe. He was about to pour out his life for them- and they just couldn't and wouldn't hear.

The profound sadness of this passage comes to us this morning. That same Lord calls to you. [36] Trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." That's the call. That's the invitation. He loves you and he's died to prove it. Don't let the weight, the noise, the stuff in your ears keep you from hearing.

Summary

Jesus calls us this morning. Are you hearing that loving voice? Do you need to come home? Is today the day of grace for you? Do you need a second beginning? You've got a Lord who specializes in new beginnings. Invitation; Amen.

Isaiah 49:6-10 (The LORD) says:

"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

[7] This is what the LORD says--the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel--

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:

"Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down,

because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

[8] This is what the LORD says:

"In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

[9] to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'

"They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.

[10] They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

2 Cor. 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! [18] All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: [19] that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. [20] We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

John 12:30-50 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. [31] Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. [32] But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." [33] He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

[34] The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

[35] Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. [36] Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

[37] Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. [38] This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

"Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

[39] For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

[40] "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."

[41] Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

[42] Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. [44] Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. [46] I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

[47] "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. [49] For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."