The Great I Am
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Intro:
Intro:
Good morning.
I want you to transport yourself in your mind this morning back to one of the most famous mountains in the Bible — Mt. Horeb. (Which most Bible scholars believe that this name of the mountain is synonymous with … Mt. Sinai)
(Regardless, I want you to think about the man involved on on the mountain of God, and that’s Moses!)
I want you to put yourself in the shoes of Moses, if you can, but you know what? You’re actually going to have to take those shoes off, because the place you’re standing on is holy ground! :)
Turn with me to the book of Exodus.
We’re going to begin this morning in Exodus chapter 3.
We’re going to read Exo. 3:1-14 (Read in Bible).
This morning, we’re going to discuss “The Great I Am!”
We serve a God Who is “The Great I Am!”
What does that mean?
First of all, this morning …
When God said “I Am,” He Essentially Said This …
When God said “I Am,” He Essentially Said This …
When God said, “I am that I am,” what did He mean?
What He means is that He EXISTS.
Not just that He exists, however, but that He has ALWAYS existed — In other words, He’s the eternal God!
Just thinking about it logically, by the way, this HAS to be the case!
Everything that we see around us, everything that currently exists had a starting point!
We know that intuitively.
You and I had a starting point.
This building had a starting point.
This town had a starting point.
This country had a starting point.
The world had a starting point!
Of course, you and I know that this world was created!
But what does that imply?
And what does Scripture reveal?!
It reveals that in order to have a creation, you have to have a Creator! (Romans chapter 1)
“In the beginning GOD” (Gen. 1:1)
Genesis 1:1 more fully says … “In the beginning (of Time), God (the Creative force, the One putting things into action), created (the action OF putting those things into motion) the heavens (space) and the earth (matter).”
Everything necessary to have physical existence is found in the opening verse of God’s Word!
And ONE of those things (GOD) we know is necessary to be ETERNAL, in order for the rest to take place!
Our eternal Creator — GOD!
Back to His title — “I AM!”
That signifies this very thing! His eternal nature! His eternal power and Godhead (Rom. 1:20)!
And I’ll try to illustrate it with a question:
Can you say, “I AM?”
Can you say like Popeye the sailor man apparently (had to look it up) - “I am what I am, and that’s ALL that I am!”
Can you say something like that about yourself?
Well, sure! You can say that … ...
… … But not in the same way that GOD says it!
Because when God says, “I am,” He means He has ALWAYS existed!
When YOU say “I am,” you mean, “I CURRENTLY exist!”
Do you see the difference?!
Let’s notice the difference by looking at …
A STATEMENT OF JESUS:
A STATEMENT OF JESUS:
(Read John 8:48-59).
So the Jews are trying to accuse Jesus here.
They’re blaspheming Jesus by insulting Him and accusing Him of having a demon!
And the discussion turns to Abraham …
The Jews trusted in Abraham — The fact that they were children of Abraham meant everything to them!
To the point that it became only ABOUT that!
“We’re children of Abraham, therefore we’re good to go!”
Jesus offers the promise of eternal life, but they (Sadducees evidently because of their non-belief in the resurrection of the dead), aren’t believing it, and that’s why they mention that even Abraham … is dead!
Hone in now on verses 56-58. (Read again)
“Before Abraham WAS” (past tense), Jesus says, “I AM!” (present tense)
That’s amazing!
How can it be?! Can WE say that?!
Could I say “Before Tim (my dad) WAS (past tense), Chase AM (or Chase IS) (present tense)!”
NO WAY!
But Jesus said, “Before Abraham WAS, I AM!”
That’s amazing! And it’s because Jesus is the Great I am!”
Jesus essentially says, “I am the eternally existent God!”
Well, I want to finish our study of “the Great I am” this morning by briefly looking at each of …
The Seven I Am Statements of Christ:
The Seven I Am Statements of Christ:
These are all found in the book of John.
We’re just going to do brief run-throughs of these verses; really, we could do a whole SERIES of sermons on these “seven I Am’s.” (Maybe we’ll do that sometime)
“I am the Bread of life.”
John 6:35
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:41
The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”
John 6:48
I am the bread of life.
John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Short answer — Jesus is the provider of spiritual sustenance (bread), that nourishes us up in His Word, spiritually! Manna from heaven! (And I’ll let you study that type from the O.T. if you want!)
“I am the Light of the world.”
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 9:5
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
In short, the darkness is sin — This world is full of darkness — But Jesus shines the Light on it!
“I am the Door.”
John 10:7
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Short answer here is that Jesus is the One Who grants entrance into heaven — He’s the Keeper of the door — He is the WAY, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6)!
Next …
“I am the good Shepherd.”
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
John 10:14
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
This shows the pastoral care of Jesus — He keeps watch over His flock — He loves His flock — He gave His LIFE for the flock, shedding His blood for the sheep, as He is the Lamb of God!
1 Peter 5:4 says that Jesus is the CHIEF Shepherd, and when He appears, we will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away!
Our minds could also go to Psalm 23, that great Psalm that says, “The Lord is my … SHEPHERD, I shall not want!”
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Jesus makes possible the resurrection and the life through HIS resurrection from the dead!
Of course, Jesus demonstrated His power over death by resurrecting others (such as Lazarus) from the dead as well!
And again, remember the unbelieving Jews we looked at in John chapter 8 who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, which prompted Jesus to teach them, “Before Abraham WAS, I AM!”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 14:6.
We already expounded upon that one!
“No man comes to the Father except through Me,” Jesus says!
And finally, “I am the true Vine.”
John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
One cannot have eternal life apart from the life-giving Vine, which is Jesus Christ!
If we are not in the Vine to begin with (“in Christ,” where all spiritual blessings are located, Eph. 1:3), or if we try to remain on the Vine without bearing fruit, Jesus says we will be cast forth as a branch and withered, gathered up and thrown into the fire! (verse 6)
Very serious business we’re talking about here!
The Seven I Am Statements of Christ!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
“I am that I am!”
The eternally existing God!
Moses met Him at a burning bush like we talked about at the beginning!
What about you?
Have you met Him?
And have you accepted what He did for you in sacrificing His only begotten Son so that you may live?!