The evening turned out to be quite unusual. First Jesus washed their feet and as the disciples hung out after supper, Jesus said something they thought they would never hear but something they would always remember. “I no longer call you servants… but I have called you my friends.. all that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.” John 15.15.

That was a lot to grasp for young Jewish men, who knew the only other friends of God were the great Abraham and the powerful Moses. God had revealed himself to them. The friends of God were people that He shared his secrets with. They even understood how God felt in some small way.

Where can God find a friend? God finds friends among men and women. Angels feel no pain and seraphim live in contented, unchanging bliss.  Only people, whose hearts feel love for their children and whose hearts can be broken, can understand the heart of the Father. Abraham, understood Gods pain as He walked up the long path to Mount Moriah to offer His Son.  Another servant of God who became Gods friend was Job who experienced great pain and loss.  Job lost property, his children and his dreams, just like God who lost His planet, His creation and His children, all in one day.  Who can understand the pain and hurt that God felt when His innocent Son, was riddled with putrid disease as He bore our sins?  Maybe people like Job as he suffered without a cause.

Friend, every painful, lonely, disappointing moment in our lives, reminds us of the privilege of friendship with God. He certainly understands us, and knows how we feel and because we understand His pain a little better (the fellowship of His sufferings), He reveals Himself to us further and invites us to become an even closer friend.

When you discover what God is asking you to accomplish in your voyage of life, don’t be surprised if it takes a little while.  Like a lifetime! If your dream is big and if it is from God it will not happen overnight. Some people leave a church because they think they should have “arrived” after 4 years. God chose Moses and prepared him for his task. It took God 80 years just to get Moses ready to start.  Some Christian soldiers lay down their arms after 15 years in the battle.

When Jesus was walking toward Jerusalem people left Him to Himself. “they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem” Luke 9:53 ). They would have entertained Jesus but they could see that Jesus had resolutely set His course. Stopping along the way, was not His priority. If you set your face toward something, wrong things and even good things won't distract you.

The reason Jesus, the Apostle Paul and even Columbus, achieved their life purpose was because they heard from God, counted the cost, charted their course and followed it.  They went the path less travelled. Columbus had done the easy things for 10 years. He had been east to the Mediterranean, south to Africa and around to India but now his compass was set west, out into the darkness of the Atlantic. To discover the hidden treasure of God we must first allow all the known country to slip away behind us.  Don’t live your whole life and never become who you are meant to become.  We cannot become an admiral from the arm chair. Hard winds will seek to drive you off course.   Fog may come in and night will fall but you must stay at the helm.  Don’t let people hijack the dream. Instead we have to learn to repel the negative “borders” that assail us and adjust the sails to stay on course. Don't run aground on the rocks of past and present failures. Don’t sink under the waves of ruined dreams and aborted goals. You must not let the past determine your future.   Walt Disney went bankrupt five times before he succeeded.  Though you fail you are  not a failure.  Failure is an event not a person.  Invariably we all fail- its part of being human but whenever we do it’s our only our beliefs that are failed us.  We thought wrongly that we could do life without God or we believed that somehow we would be able to pay for things later that we cant afford now . Mostly when we fail it is just time to change our beliefs and align the to God’s Word.  God’s dream for your life will take time and constant focus. And our Father knows exactly what spiritual successes and natural troubles are needed for us to develop the maturity we will need to arrive at our destiny.

Joseph sat on an imposing throne surrounded by the trappings of ancient royalty. The end of Joseph’s life looks easy. We would all like to be him; riding on golden chariots and banqueting for breakfast. He was on top of the world and people bowed low before him as he rode past. But the process God used to get him there, was not as easy. He was attacked, abused, and accused and his integrity was tested.

There are sure ways to enter the blessing of God and our destiny but there is no easy way. As it says on the wall of my gym “There is no elevator to success, you will have to take the stairs “

Sometimes we would like to be removed from the process which God is using to bring us into His promises. As someone once said, “There is no glory without a story”. There is also no degree without study. People learn nothing on graduation day apart from the fact that perseverance pays off. It is the journey that benefits us most, not arriving at the destination. It was not standing at the border of the Promised Land that prepared Israel for conquest, but their long journey there. Few people become “great” without going through great difficulties.

Every believer has troubles; they might be different from yours or they may even not appear to have them, but they do. We all live in a broken world. Living with Jesus in heaven will be easy, living for Jesus on earth is our challenge. David McCracken used to say, “God is more interested in our character than He is in our comfort”. So, He is the God of all comfort, but occasionally, He allows dis-comfort, to produce in us, something more valuable.

Friend, your journey may be difficult, it may even be a “mess” but as you travel onwards trusting, it is accomplishing more in you, than arriving at your desired destination, ever could.

My daughter and son in law recently tramped over the Tongariro crossing. It took them 6 and half hours to cross between the mountains. They said it was difficult to do but rewarding to have achieved it. The first hour was easy, and they enjoyed the ever-changing vistas along the way. It soon got harder, and exertion and effort replaced the easy stroll.

It was great that they could have a break from the children and do something together. It is also a great metaphor for the marriage journey.

Have you ever noticed that falling in love is easy but walking in love is more challenging? Well the science is in. Apparently falling in love or feeling in love, is because a chemical called dopamine is released in our brain when we first attracted to someone. But after 24 months this chemical is produced way less and when the feeling of love subsides somewhat, we have to choose to love or begin to actually love. This is the reason for the old saying “Love is blind, but marriage is an eye opener.” This refers to the fact that in the falling in love stage, the character flaws or imperfections of the other party are not able to be seen for the brightness of the sun shining out of them. The rest of the saying “Marriage is an eye opener” is not true for it is time that is the eye opener. After every couple has lived together for 2 or 3 years, and the dopamine has dwindled, peoples eyes are opened to see all the things they never saw when they were “in love”.

This explains why so many couples who were head over heels in love 2 years ago, when breaking up today say, "It’s amazing, they just changed" or "They didn't turn out to be as captivating or charming as I thought” or " I found out things about him which annoy me and I don't like" Well, welcome to reality. Your chemical drug has worn off and now you're seeing them without your rose-tinted glasses. They’re not unusually bad, they are just ordinary people.

We can't say we truly love someone; until the dopamine has waned and we are choosing to walk in love for 15 years maybe 50; until we have fallen out of love and choose to keep on loving.

The true lover is not someone who can feel in love with 15 different people for 2 years but someone who can love just one person for 30 years.

Of course, chemicals don't completely leave our brain after a few years, and other chemicals like oxytocin flood our bodies for a few days after physical intimacy. This is a blessing which remains throughout the rest of our lives together. It helps us to feel bonded and helps us get past the idiosyncrasies, habits, personality quirks and annoyances we and they, have to live with every day.

Falling in love is like falling from a high mountain. Because of gravity it's inevitable, effortless, exhilarating, heart pounding stuff but learning to love and choosing to love is like climbing up a mountain. It's hard work that also gets the heart rate up but when a couple climb the mountain of love everyday over decades, they prove their love for their mate and create a refuge of the stability for their family. They actually produce in their lives, the very character qualities they should have been looking for at the start, if they weren’t so "blinded by love". Qualities like commitment, patience, putting the other first, being considerate, etc, and these qualities can produce a feeling similar to being "in love" but for the total length of relationship. Their love begins to reflect the love of Jesus who continues to love us even when we are unloving or unlovable.

As it turns out, He is the divine provider of short-term chemicals and the producer of lifelong character.

Friends, we don't need to fall off the mountain with someone new we need to climb the mountain of love today, with the one we can truly love.

The Easter event had many players in various scenes as they unfolded over three days, and all of the roles but One, can be played by us.

 First scene was Judas who loved a deal. He had already followed his heart, a kiss of betrayal a small price to pay for a bigger bank account.

Caiaphas appeared but had religious considerations and didn’t want to lose the respect of his community.

 Next was Pilate who knew that Jesus was innocent but was too afraid to stand with Him. How many years did we do that? He asked the question that all the other actors were to answer. “Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Mat 27:22 

Peter is there too. Peter who had spent so much time with Jesus the perfect man, but who denied he even knew Him, as he stood by the evening fire. Fortunately, Jesus new Peter and us better than we know ourselves. The rooster crowed over Peter’s feelings of failure but all of us need to feel like that, before we feel the need for a Saviour.

The crowd gathering in Pilate’s courtyard, started shouting their decision. “Crucify Him”!

 Next came Barabbas. He was offstage in a jail waiting for his execution. His name means “Son of an earthly father” and he was a murderer.  In the jail he heard cheering out on the streets and heard footsteps coming his way. The door was opened, and the jailer said “The crowd has decided to kill Jesus Christ instead of you!  You are free to go. He also represents us - sons and daughter of earthy fathers, set free by the only Son of the Heavenly Father.

 Next the soldiers at the cross. They took Jesus robes off Him, now covered with blood and hung him naked on the cross. As Jesus hung in shame, they divided His righteous robes among themselves. The crucifiers like ourselves, can walk away wearing the holy garments of Jesus.

 Of course, Jesus was on the cross. He began His lonely journey in the garden where He went with His twelve disciples. There in Gethsemane, He went a little further with just three men. But only two disciples followed him to Gabbatha and only John is standing at Golgotha near the cross. Finally, Jesus is on the cross alone for no one else could share His pain.  He was very alone, then absolutely alone, as He realised that even God had forsaken him. “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? “Mark 15:34 

He was alienated and abandoned by His Father as He became sin.  The One who is holy and “of purer eyes than to behold evil,” turned away from Sin of the world, including yours and mine.

 In the penultimate scene there is the penitent thief about to receive the punishment he is due for sin in this life.  Through simple faith in Jesus’ kingship, he is offered eternal life in the next.  Before he had a chance to attend church, give an offering, learn some verses, or do one kind thing, he was offered glory and splendour that Caiaphas and Pilate for all their trying, would never know. Jesus’ offers forgiveness and eternal life is not based on performance or knowledge but faith in Him.  The thief’s story is one that ends well, and we can choose whether we will be him in the play.

 At the end of three days “the play” moves to the final scene. The tomb is opened, Jesus is alive and none of the old actors are there.  Instead, three women come to find the tomb filled with angels instead of the body of their Friend. This is our great hope and what sets Jesus apart from every special person in world history. Mohammed, Buddha, Swamis and Lamas have come and gone but Jesus is still alive.

Do you believe on Jesus this morning? Believing is not hard, for God planned something that would make it easy to believe - the resurrection. The resurrection is the greatest proof that Jesus is the sinless Son of God. Death could not hold Him, and He rose a victor, over death, hell and the grave.  This hope for all men, is what transformed the first disciples into a band of champions. They risked it all to tell the world the message of His love. Strangely they faced rejection and even the stake but continued to love their persecutors. As the centuries past, they exchanged horses for cars and worship styles changed and got louder. Today believers will tell the Easter story a thousand different ways, but it will always have the same message of hope, which is, Jesus Christ died for sinners and that every person gets to choose which person in “the play” they want to be.  Jesus has chosen the part of Saviour, but thief is still available. Be humble and choose that part.

One day while I was in prayer,  I saw a picture of the Lord sitting on the well.  When I got closer to it, I noticed it was dry, filled with rubble and rubbish.  That was not part of the familiar picture so when I asked Him I felt He said “The only time people throw rubbish into a well is when it’s empty.  When they come to a well expecting to find water and find that it never delivered, what it promised. No one rubbishes the church when it full of Living Water. People don’t come to find rules they don’t turn up hoping to get ten things to do before God will meet them; they come to find life giving, pure rivers of love, flowing into their heart. Every local church is a well of living water, where any sinner or Samaritan can come in their shame and rejection and meet the Lord.  He sits enthroned on the well.  The well was the throne of grace, were she came find mercy and help in her time of need.  We are to be a place where they can come thirsty and go away satisfied by Living Water.

Friend, all over the world I hear the sound of the wells filling up.  Are you ready for thirsty visitors?

This week a house in our town had all the windows broken by thugs and when our pastor heard of it, he took the opportunity to send some of our young people around to clean up the mess. The woman was blessed and thankful.

The apostle Paul also could see great opportunities hidden in the midst of great opposition and difficulties. “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1Corintians 16:9) We are tempted to think that if something is a God opportunity it will be easy.  Great people see a great opportunity, not because it will be plain sailing but because they have a plain word from God.  Caleb who was old but not withered said “Yes, there are giants in the land but we are not grasshoppers and God is bigger than any giant-sized adversary.  Paul could see trouble on both sides of the door but what we saw even clearer were opportunities to serve people and to serve God.  Before Paul was a great apostle, he had become a great servant.  Jesus modelled for us serving our way to greatness.  Mark 10:43   All human beings are wired for greatness. Most of us know inside us that our life was never meant to be ordinary.  Greatness is found in serving God and people. Kingdom people think about how they can serve, where they can serve and when they can serve. The greatness of serving is that it is the best way to enter doors of opportunity.  It is not always easy to serve your neighbours but when we did, our neighbours got saved.   Years ago I worked for the city council, I shared my hope in Jesus with one of the people there with no effect. One day I took the door of opportunity that opened for me to help them with a practical problem at their house, the next Sunday they were at church.

Friend, if you wondering where your next great door of opportunity is, look for some people to serve and do it even if is difficult. Great people find great opportunities and by the way, you will be great!

Jesus told a story of the king who was travelling into a far-off country. He gathered his three servants and distributed to them talents of gold. To the first man he gave five talents, to the next two, and then one.   Just one talent was worth about twenty years of wages. Two of them went and traded with them and doubled their talents and the master was very pleased and gave them an even greater opportunity.

But one took his gift and buried it to keep it safe and when he gave an account to the master, he was in trouble. Perhaps he was lazy or offended that he was given the least amount. Perhaps he was a socialist and could not celebrate his masters increasing wealth but out of his own mouth, he gives us his excuse. “ And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours”( Mat 25:25)   He was too scared to have a go. He thought if I do something with the talent, it might not work. He played it too safe.  We get the idea that if the servant had of come to the boss and said “Sorry Master, I invested your talents but it didn’t work and I lost it," the king would still have been happy.  The bottom line of this parable is: one thing the King can't stand is someone doing nothing with what they’ve been given.  Even the master took a risk by giving his talents to others.

Friend, the worst thing you can do is nothing. The greatest danger in life is not a failure but faithlessness.  You cannot change the talent or gift you have been given but you can increase it by using it. What gift, talent, passion, idea or desire from God have you hidden in the ground?  It’s not too late to dig it up and take a risk.