Jesus Focus
Notes
Transcript
// INTRO
// INTRO
Welcome Visitors
Vision, Mission, Values
Vision, Mission, Values
Vision
Vision
Fellowship of Believers is a Revival House and Jesus is our Revival.
Mission
Mission
It is our conviction that we gather people in God’s presence, grow in the way of Jesus, and go in the power of the Holy Spirit impacting Sarasota and the nations.
We are a Revival House that gathers, grows, and goes!
Values
Values
Today we’ve come to our final and central value: Jesus Focus
Righteous Living
Honor
Servant Leadership
Jesus Focus
Hospitality Communion
Rest
Kingdom Impact
Jesus Focus
Jesus Focus
We center everything on Jesus—the One we worship, the Word we follow, and the reason we live.
CHRISTOLOGY
CHRISTOLOGY
As we gather on this annual day of remembrance called Resurrection Sunday, Easter, Passover - it revolves around one being – Jesus the Christ
Christology is the study of the Christ. Today, I want to look into this man, whose very existence and actions demands a response from our lives.
Questions We Must Answer
Questions We Must Answer
Who is the Christ?
What must I do in response to him?
Jesus is his name, Christ is his identity.
Christ = anointed one
Anointed = A title used for individuals consecrated with oil for a specific role, often a king, priest, or prophet. In a Christian context, it primarily refers to Jesus as the Messiah, the one divinely appointed and empowered to fulfill God's redemptive plan.
What was he anointed to do?
What was he anointed to do?
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
When we examine the full text found in Isaiah 61, we see the fullness of the Christ.
Jesus, the Anointed One, came to bring good news, heal what is broken, set people free, transform their identity, and restore what sin had destroyed.
Jesus came to proclaim, restore, exchange, and rebuild!
WHO IS THE CHRIST?
WHO IS THE CHRIST?
Born To Be King
Born To Be King
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
We see that before he was conceived in the womb, he was destined to reign as King forever!
Born As A Lamb
Born As A Lamb
The birthplace of Jesus ends up being Bethlehem - the place where shepherds would raise the sacrificial lambs for the atonement of the nation.
It’s no mistake that these same shepherds visit Jesus on the night of his birth.
Fast forward to the start of his minsitry…
He begins with an introduction by his cousin John.
29 The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
NOTE: something different is happening.
The other lambs atoned or covered up the sin of the world.
This lamb takes away the sin of the world.
If we are taking away, I must ask this question…
What are you Carrying?
What are you Carrying?
In the garden, Adam and Eve (the fist humans) were made perfect and God said they were “very good.”
They chose a path they believed would make them equal with God. In turn is brought separation. In that moment they picked up something they had never carried before: shame.
That shame is in a greater bucket of characteristics we call sin.
Sin is the collective result of our rebellion against the righteous law and moral standard of God.
God established was right is. We deviated.
Our deviation causes us to pick up unnecessary baggage.
22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Jesus said about himself:
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Today, if you are carrying the weight of sin in your life, Jesus wants to take away the sin.
Jesus’ lead follower, Peter, had this to say about him:
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Catch a Revelation of Jesus
Catch a Revelation of Jesus
In fact, let’s talk about Peter for a moment.
Jesus took his 12 disciples (key students, followers) to a significant religious place in the ancient world: Caesarea Philippi
A temple for all kinds of gods. It’s with these temples in the backdrop, Jesus has the following interaction.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Understand the World’s (They) Perspective
Understand the World’s (They) Perspective
They don’t know who Jesus is - they speculate, he’s this or that.
This is all based on their logical perception and ideas - not revelation.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
Who do you say that Jesus is?
You must face this question head on.
It cannot be my thoughts here today.
It cannot be based off what your parents have said.
You must catch a personal revelation of who Jesus is.
WHY?
Unlike the dead, manmade, gods at Caesarea Philippi - Jesus is the real, living, and personal God.
We see this is Simon’s response - “you are the Christ, son of the living God.”
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, whether is was healing the sick, the lame, the blind, raising the dead, or calming storms - the people around ask this question – “who is this man?” - we must do the same.
Identity Given
Identity Given
Out of this revelation, Jesus bestows a new identity on Simon - “you are Peter”
His name was, Simon - in heb. “hearing”
Jesus now calls him, Peter - in gk. “(a piece of) rock”
In other words - You have gone from being one that just hears, to one that is solid and foundational.
With the question in mind of “who is the Christ,” we must now turn to our second question…
WHAT MUST I DO IN RESPONSE TO THE CHRIST?
WHAT MUST I DO IN RESPONSE TO THE CHRIST?
We Must Respond
We Must Respond
Firstly, there is no option to ignore the Christ.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
There is a choice to believe or not believe - there’s no option to ignore.
Once we know that the Christ exists, in our case, that he has come and accomplished what was set before him - we cannot help but respond.
Jesus’ Prompt
Jesus’ Prompt
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Two Camps
Two Camps
Those that worship
Those that doubt (lack faith)
Faith = the knowledge, trust, and commitment to Jesus
The Commission
The Commission
Co-mission - a directive with partnership
Notice Jesus gives the same commission to the mixed audience. Those that worship & those that doubt he directs the same.
Jesus has all authority in Heaven and Earth therefore go and make disciples.
Our Response
Our Response
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Confess Jesus is Lord (Rom 10:9)
Confess Jesus is Lord (Rom 10:9)
This is a public declaration that Jesus is the Lord of your life.
Lord = master and controller
This means my life is not my own, I serve at the pleasure of the King. By nature he is good, just, righteous, generous.
God’s character is Merciful, Gracious, Slow to Anger, Abounding in Steadfast Love & Faithfulness, Does NOT forsake, Relents from Disaster *taken from Exodus 34:5-7.
Believe that God Raised Him From the Dead (Rom 10.9)
Believe that God Raised Him From the Dead (Rom 10.9)
Up to this point, I’ve mentioned so much about the goodness of Jesus the Christ, except for the joy of this very day we are celebrating.
Recall the beginning of our journey today. There is a burden that humans have picked up at one time or another. The burden of sin.
The original method for lighting this burden of sin was to offer an animal as sacrifice for the atonement (covering).
I’ve left some breadcrumbs along the way, however I want to make it very clear now.
God’s love for you was greater than any sin you have committed and are choosing to continue carrying. From the simplest to the greatest act of unrighteousness. God’s love is greater.
We could spend days, if not weeks, allowing each person in this room to share what their life was life before they confessed Jesus as lord.
As Jesus sat with his beloved disciples the night before he went to the cross, he made it abundantly clear the love that he and His heavenly father had for humanity.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Before you think that these friends were the best humans ever and worthy of such a sacrifice, please consider the following.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
And before you think that you can earn or perform your way into salvation, consider this.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
The riches that you have, don’t compare to the richness of God’s love for you.
Worship team
You Will Be Saved (Rom 10.9)
You Will Be Saved (Rom 10.9)
So we confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised him from the dead…
YOU WILL BE SAVED!
Saved from what? Who? Where?
You will be saved from the consequences of sin.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death – as described throughout the scriptures, the eternal death carries these characteristics.
Torment & Suffering
Fire, yet Utter Darkness
Weeping & Gnashing of Teeth
Destruction
Judgement
Eternal (never ending, no rest day or night)
Separation *mention Alone
This is a place referred to by the following names:
Hell, Hades, Lake of Fire
What does this mean to us?
Jesus, the Christ (anointed one) loved you so much, that He willingly laid aside his glory as God, humbly became the flesh of humanity, took on the sin of humanity and paid the price in full, once for all.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Closing
Closing
Who is the Christ?
What Must I Do In Response To Him?
