Praise Craze John 12:27-50 Who Do You Want to Please?

1. Reflecting the Father a. Reflect His Will 12:27-28 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Glorify  To esteem or magnify  Do your actions reflect how huge your Father’s name is?  Are you willing to look small so that others see His true size?

1. Reflecting the Father b. Reflect His Witness 12:44,45 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  How much do you look like your Father?

1. Reflecting the Father c. Reflect His Words 12:49,50 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Choice Words  How much do you talk about Him?  How do you talk about Him?  What do you talk about that you should not be talking about?  What are you not talking about that you should be talking about?

2. Rejecting the Father a. Reject His Person 12:42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

Confess  To say the same thing as “I believe Jesus is the Son of God”  To proclaim openly “I want others to know what I believe!”

2. Rejecting the Father b. Reject His Provision 12:42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

Fear  What can others take from you?  What will God not provide?  Who then should we fear?

2. Rejecting the Father c. Reject His Praise 12:43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Praise = same root as “glorify” (v. 27) Opinion or estimate

Who are you impressing?  God’s Reflection / World’s Rejection  God’s Rejection / World’s Reflection