Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Lift Jesus higher Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA April 6, 2003 Main Scripture text: John 12:20-33. Jesus says that by being "lifted up" on the cross, all people will be drawn to him. In other words, there is something about his death on the cross that will attract people. Have you ever wondered why? I once read the testimony of someone who had come to Christian faith through the writings and the witness of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Before becoming a medical doctor, Schweitzer already had an international reputation an author, theologian, organist-musician, and authority on the life and work of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He walked away from all that to become a medical missionary in Africa. The man giving the testimony decided, "If Albert Schweitzer would walk away from fame and fortune for his religion, it must be real." Jesus said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." That means you and I are called to live lives of sacrifice -- loving people and serving them, even when we have absolutely nothing to gain from it. Every day, we need to be looking for ways to take up our cross, so the world can see Jesus in us -- lifted up, through the sacrificial giving of ourselves for the sole purpose of bringing glory of Jesus and His Kingdom. Supporting texts: John 11:49-52 | John 12:19 | John 16:7 | Numbers 21:4-9 | Romans 5:8 | Luke 9:23 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here. (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 030406a: Lift Jesus Higher. © 2003 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us