Impress God, Not Others!

For Sunday, August 10, 2025:

John 12:42-43 NLT: “Many people did believe in Jesus, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”

Think back to high school. Were certain kids ‘cool,’ standing out from the others? It’s like there was a ‘cool clique!’ They were usually involved in sports or cheerleading. (Scholastic achievement didn’t make you cool.) They knew each other from their parents’ Country Clubs. Their families were successful in business, and had more money than many of our parents. Growing up, I really wanted to be accepted as one of the ‘cool’ kids. But I now know that none of that mattered. Impressing other humans isn’t where God wants us to direct our efforts. We should be doing the right things for the right reasons, and God’s OK with that.

Many Jewish leaders were caught up in a similar predicament. They wanted to appear to be one of the ‘in’ group that could hang out with the Pharisees. They had seen Jesus’ miracles and healings, and had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But that belief was incongruous with the Pharisee’s beliefs. Regrettably, their desire to ‘fit in’ overrode their desire to worship the Messiah!

 The lesson here is to always honor God. It matters not what others think. They’re ‘circumstances,’ part of the circus going on all around you. You want to concentrate on things of ‘substance,’ things that matter in your relationship with God Almighty.

Do the right things for the right reasons and please the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship