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A Conceptual Interpretation

Today’s Text

John 12:24 (ESV) ²⁴  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Today’s Lesson

1.                   What is the conceptual interpretation of this text?

John 12:24 (ESV) ²⁴  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV) ³¹ I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Luke 9:23 (KJV) ²³  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) ¹  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 John 3:16 (KJV) ¹⁶  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 (ESV) ²²  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. ²³  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 10:33 (ESV) ³³  just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

1.      We must die to our fears.

Philippians 1:27-28 (ESV)
²⁷  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
²⁸  and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

2 Timothy 1:7-8 (ESV) ⁷  for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ⁸  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

Matthew 10:26-33 (ESV)
²⁶  “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
²⁷  What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
²⁸  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
²⁹  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
³⁰  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
³²  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
³³  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

a.      Fear of rejection.

Luke 10:16 (ESV) ¹⁶  “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Acts 13:44-52 (ESV)

b.      Fear of inadequacy.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (ESV) ⁵  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶  who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Luke 21:15 (KJV) ¹⁵  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Matthew 10:20 (KJV) ²⁰  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

c.       Fear of failure.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (KJV) ⁶  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

John 16:7-8 (ESV) ⁷  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV) ²⁴  And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵  Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶  and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

d.      Fear of embarrassment.

Philippians 2:5-7 (KJV)
⁵   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
⁶  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
⁷  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:   

2.      We must die to our freedom.

Galatians 5:13 (NLT2) ¹³  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV) ¹⁹  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

3.      We must die to our folks.

Acts 26:16-17 (ESV) ¹⁶  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷  delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you.

What must we do?

Psalm 126:5-6 (KJV) ⁵  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. ⁶  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Zechariah 10:1 (HCSB) ¹  Ask the LORD for rain in the season of spring rain. The LORD makes the rain clouds, and He will give them showers of rain and crops in the field for everyone.