Part 2 - 04/06/2025 - I Am A Christian / Discovering What It Means to Follow Jesus Together with Fellow Believers!

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes I Am A Christian Series April 6, 2025 I Am A Christian Discovering What It Means to Follow Jesus Together with Fellow Believers! Exodus 3:13-15 New King James Version Last week we cracked open a teaching series that I have deemed critical learning for the GP Family and every Believer in these last and evil days. The series is entitled “I Am a Christian”. And why is it important? Because the times we live in are growing more and more convoluted with distractions and deceptions that not only play down the value of Christianity but also cause Believers to marginalize the importance of what it means to be a Christian and to say with conviction and “blood evidence on their hands” I AM A CHRISTIAN. So, I am convinced that a reminding refresher of who we are and WHOSE we are in order. Today, the focus of the message is on the first two words in the phrase I AM A CHRISTIAN – that is, I AM. Say it with me . . . I AM. The application of this “I AM” is twofold. First, it centers on Jesus and secondly, on those who belong to Him - Christians. Now, before I unpack the significance of the “I AM”, I want to take you to where the truth of “I AM” originated. Turn with me to Exodus 3:13-15 New King James Version. There we’ll find Moses in a meeting with God during his encounter with the burning bush on the backside of the desert. The encounter was about Moses receiving his divine commission from God to lead the Children of Israel out of Pharaohs house. Listen to what it says: 13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Here, when God said, I AM WHO I AM, He was declaring His eternal, unchanging, uncreated self-existence. Now, Jesus, in the NT, as God incarnate, that is - God in the flesh, is declaring the same thing but in a way expressive of His saving relationship toward us (His Followers) and the world. In other words, Jesus is presenting Himself as the I AM, but with a twist. That twist is that He, Jesus is the I AM in SEVEN ways and each of the SEVEN ways directly benefit only Christians! It’s a blessing to be a Christian! We are the beneficiaries of SEVEN divine blessings. So, for his morning’s message, I want to minister around the title: THE SEVEN “I AM” STATEMENTS OF JESUS p.8. Did you know that in John’s Gospel, Jesus says 23 times that He is the I AM? But of the 23 times, He takes SEVEN of the “I AM Statements” and specifically connects them to His children as a benefit to their/our salvation and walk with Him, as well as to a dying world who would believe on Him and be saved. The seven chapters from our book, “I AM A CHRISTIAN” will cover seven “I AM” statements that are part and parcel of what it means to declare, “I am a Christian.” Before I turn this over to our group of teachers who will go deeper into content, as a way of introduction, I want to take a brief introductory look at the Seven “I am” statements that Jesus used. I believe, each one is a clear echo of the decisive statement God the Son used to reveal himself to Moses centuries earlier: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) – and Jesus used to proclaim His identity and affirm that He is God and to identify us with Him. Here’s I AM Statement #1 “I Am the Bread of Life” John 6: 35-40; 41, 48, 51. John 6:35-40 NLT Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” 35 When the crowds around Jesus insisted that he perform a miracle like the manna that fell in the wilderness to feed the people of Israel, Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to ME will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). Of course, Jesus was speaking of something greater than physical and temporal sustenance. The “bread” He spoke of provided eternal spiritual nourishment. No one who accepts him as their bread of life will ever be spiritually lacking again. Because of this I AM, that is, I Am the Bread of Life . . . I now can declare that I Am a Christian and that because of the Great I AM -- I am never going to hunger or thirst again spiritually. Those who come to Jesus will find enough in Him to satisfy their spiritual hunger forever. Those who believe on Him find their thirst forever quenched. . . I Am Statement Number 2 “I Am the Light of the World” John 8:12. NLT Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 12 This passage follows Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery. In it we find these powerful words: “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’” (John 8:12). Light is a metaphor commonly used to describe the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus was emphatic that He and God the Father are one. As God the Father is light, so is Jesus. He provides a way in the darkness that no one else can provide. Given that, as a Christian, I can declare that I AM in the light as He is in the light and no darkness can overtake me at all. I Am living in a new world and way of life that is lit by Christ the Great I AM. I am never lost as He is Lamp unto my path and a Light unto my path. I Am Statement Number 3 “I Am the Gate for the Sheep” I Am the Door of the Sheep ~ John 10: 1-9 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” 1 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 6 The metaphor of a shepherd with his sheep is one that Jesus used often. He described himself as one who watched over and protected his sheep sacrificially. He always put his sheep before himself. He told the crowd in John 10:7, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” This verse has two powerful meanings. First, those who come to God through the gate (Jesus) will be his sheep. They will be saved. Second, as a shepherd, Jesus guards the gate of the fold where his sheep are resting. No one will get to them or take them away. They will be safe. This statement gives me the right to declare that I Am Legit. I Am a Legal Citizen of Heaven. Regardless of a certain country’s rules on citizenship, by accepting Christ as my Savior and Lord, I Am a Child of the King and His Kingdom. Secondly, I Am protected because He is the Door. The Gate that keeps the enemy in check. I Am Statement Number 4 “I Am the Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18 (11,14) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. 11 [Jesus declared:] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 14 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” 17 Here, Jesus referring to the Pharisees and other religious leaders, taught His followers what bad shepherding looks like. A good shepherd sacrificially protects his sheep. “A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock” (John 10:12). But the good shepherd does more. “The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Though few understood the true meaning of Jesus’ words before he went to the cross, those who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion saw how the Good Shepherd sacrificed his life for his sheep. His immeasurable love for us is completely sacrificial. This gives us the right to proclaim: I am known of the Shepherd. He knows my name. I Am His and He is mine. David said in Psalms 23:1: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. NLT says: The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Another version says: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack. I Am Statement Number 5 “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” John 11:17-27 17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 25 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him. 27 Jesus conquered death. Think about that statement. Without the Resurrection, we would be without hope. Speaking to his friend Martha, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25). Jesus then emphasized this truth to Martha: “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord” (John 11:26-27). How about you? Do you believe this? I Am delivered from death, hell, and the grave and have been given everlasting life, not when I die, but the very day I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. I Am Statement Number 6 “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” John 14: 1-6 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 1 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 5 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 6 There is only one way of salvation. Look at Jesus’ words in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” We refer to this truth as the doctrine of exclusivity. It simply means that there is no other way to salvation except through faith in Jesus. Jesus was clear and unequivocal on this point. Because of this “I Am” . . . I Am Saved through and by the only Way, Truth, and Life declared by God the Son as acceptable for salvation and soothing of a troubled heart. I Am Statement Number 7 “I Am the True Vine” John 15: 1-7 John 15 New Living Translation Jesus, the True Vine “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 1 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 5 Those who follow Christ are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). And those who truly put their faith in Christ will bear fruit (Ephesians 2:10). Good works are not what save us; but if we have truly placed our faith in Christ, we will do the works God has called us to do. Jesus used the metaphor of the vine and the gardener to explain this truth in John 15:1-2: “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” I Am connected to the VINE as a branch. I Am guaranteed to bear and produce fruit. And because I Am a producer of much fruit, that makes me a True Disciple . . . and that brings great glory to Jesus, the Great I AM’s Father. CONCLUSION . . . Jesus’ seven “I am” statements are succinct but powerful. They make it clear who Jesus is and what his life, death, and resurrection mean. For the remainder of this book, we will turn our attention to seven “I am” statements essential to being a Christian.