Do You REALLY Know Jesus?

INTRO: Relationships. Understanding relationships can be a very lucrative business. Most of us are rookies, especially us men!

WORDS (A Woman’s Perspective) A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men... The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

WIFE VS. HUSBAND A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs , the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

Let’s talk for a moment about relationships. The word relationship has several meanings:

Relationship (noun) 1 : the state of being related or interrelated 2 : the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship: as a : KINSHIP b : a specific instance or type of kinship 3 a : a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings b : a romantic or passionate attachment

For our purposes today, I guess, we should be talking not about the different definitions, but rather the different levels that human beings reach in their relationships to one another, and more importantly, their God.

o We can live only in relationships.

o We need each other.

Without interpersonal relationships we cannot live, much less thrive in this life.

o Human beings generally don’t have a problem identifying people in terms of their relationship to others (i.e.: sons, daughters, husbands, wives, etc.), but when it comes to intimate relationships, that’s where we sometimes falter.

o Explain: Who am I?

§ Susan’s husband

§ Isaac and Zoe’s dad

§ Larry and Faye’s son

§ Greg, Gary, Jeff and Mindy’s brother

· But, none of that tells you who I am as a person.

· My likes and dislikes

· My personality

· My wants and needs

o In order for you to know some or all of those things we would have to have an intimate relationship to one degree or another.

Intimate (adjective) 1 a : INTRINSIC, ESSENTIAL b : belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature 2 : marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity <intimate knowledge of the law> 3 a : marked by a warm friendship developing through long association <intimate friends> b : suggesting informal warmth or privacy 4: of a very personal or private nature <intimate secrets>

o EVERYONE has a relationship to Jesus Christ;

o He died for them!

o But, not everyone has a relationship with Him, the intimate kind.

o And, if the word relationship signifies how we are connected to one another, or to Jesus, then adding the adjective intimate brings us closer to the real issue where Christians and Jesus are concerned.

o In your relationship with Jesus can you even appropriately use the term intimate?

Luke 19:1–10 NIV

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

What was lost?

Where God and man are concerned, what was lost? Some translations make this say something that it never said; namely they change it to say “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the people who are lost.” But, let’s go back to the beginning.

Genesis 3:23–24 NIV

23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

What was lost in Genesis 3 was the close intimate relationship that God had with His creation. It was lost because Adam and Eve decided to separate themselves from God through their disobedience.

o The destruction of the relationship was Adam’s doing.

o Some would say it was God’s doing.

If a spouse cheats on their husband or wife and the marriage ends because of it, who is at fault? The cheating spouse! The faithful one may very well have filed for a divorce but the fault lies with the cheating souse. Adam cheated on God! Adam had a one on one intimate relationship with his creator. Then he decided to take company with Satan, the evil one.

Does anyone else see the irony here?

Satan (in one version of who Satan is) had a very similar situation as Adam in that he was given great consideration by his creator. In charge. Created as a beautiful angel. But decided he knew better than God. Even that he could defeat God and be ruler of himself.

Those who insist on defying God and ruling their own lives will try to drag as many as possible along with them. WHY?

Because if others can see it their way it justifies them in their own minds. And, to get back to relationships and our desire/need to be involved with one another, without support they would likely rethink their position.

Satan (again, in one version of his story) took a third of the angels when he rebelled against God.

He felt justified because he had support. Support does not make anything right!

This is the one with whom Adam and Eve cheated on God!

Adam and Eve listened to the author of lies instead of the Author of Life!

Back to relationships;

In Luke 19 Zaccheus did his part to restore a relationship to his creator that was lost in the Garden of Eden. Zaccheus climbed that tree because it was his desire that the relationship be restored as well. That’s what Jesus saw in him, an effort to have an intimate relationship that was perhaps more of an effort than anyone else put forth that day.

But, getting to know Jesus is different than your average relationship!

In most of our relationships we get to know people and we incorporate them into our lives.We learn to overlook or deal with their faults.We find ourselves liking them in spite of some things in them we disagree with.But, Jesus is different.He was/is perfect.Our intention in getting to know Jesus is different than other relationships because it should be our desire not only to know Him, but to become like Him.

Who was/is Jesus?

...(was because He lived a human life, is because He still lives)

Jesus’ human life

We should spend time studying the human life of Jesus because it provides a view of how we should act in our lives.

But, there are those who would have you believe that Jesus was someone He was not.

o Jesus would have a white-side-walled haircut

o He probably had longer, curly hair.

o Jesus wouldn’t be caught dead without a suit and tie in church.

o He probably wore a robe.

o Jesus wouldn’t stand for women wearing pants in church, they must wear a dress.

o Never mentioned.

And what He wore was probably closer to a dress than anything guys wear today.

o Jesus wouldn’t be caught dead talking to, or associating with the wrong people.

o He hung-out with those no one else would.

o Jesus would tell you that before you get saved you’d better quit your smoking or drinking or anything else that “ain’t right”!

o He just says come as you are.

o Jesus had no sense of humor.

o “…board in your eye…” “…camel through the eye of a needle…”

o And on and on the lists go.

What was he really like, though?

o Isaiah 53:2-3 says He was a humble, suffering servant.

o Hebrews 2:18 says he endured temptation as a human so that He could aid us when we face temptation.

o In Matt. 4:1-11, when, as a human, he was tempted by Satan, He handled it the same way we should handle it; by knowing and understanding scripture (context and application).

o How often are we deceived by slick-talkers who pervert the word for their own gain?

o In Matt. 8:20 (…the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.) we see He has little regard for material things.

o In Matt 9:9-13 (eating with the tax collectors and the sinners at Matthew’s house) we see that He associates Himself with people other religious folks thought should be cast aside.

o How much time do we spend preaching to the choir?

o Are we associating with people who need the message?

§ Even the world knows that what is inside our churches rarely comes out!

§ They have us pegged!

o Jesus WENT TO the hurting. He didn’t wait for them to come to Him and ask.

In our quest to know Jesus, are we simply learning of His lineage, His earthly life, seeing Him as an unapproachable deity, or are we trying to make Him an intimate part of our lives?

What if we all suddenly began to act just like Him?

o That’s our goal, you know.

o We should be seeking to live a life that mimics Him in every way.

What could be accomplished by a church full of people who sought to be like Jesus in every way?

o Mountains moved

o sickness healed

o raise the dead

“What’s Your Name” (from JC Press 1/30/00)

o In October of 1999, a man showed-up in Hazelton, Pa., a struggling former coal town.

o He walked into town and began to preach the gospel.

o If he was given money he gave it to the local churches.

o He accepted lodging, only because it became too cold to sleep outside.

o He accepted a pair of sandals

o He simply preached Jesus.

o But, more than that, he acted like Jesus.

o People began going to church that hadn’t attended in years.

o People began treating each other with kindness, and a true revival toward God was had.

o He pleaded for them not to abandon their faith.

o Law enforcement and the religious community had a problem with him, but no one else.

o He refused to give information on himself or his background because he sad It would detract from the message.

o Law enforcement found out his name was Carl Joseph, but found nothing to be alarmed about in his background.

o Then, one day, he simply moved on.

o But, he certainly left an impact.

What if…

o we knew Jesus so well that we simply wanted to spread His message, like “What’s Your name”?

o our relationship with Him were the most important thing to us? It is to Him!

How much does He love us, and desire an intimate relationship with us?

o You were and are His passion.

o When will He become yours?

o You were on His mind as He endured unspeakable pain and injustice.

o When will He be on your mind?

o He knows you with a depth and knowledge that no one else does or can.

o When will you seek Him with the same fervency and intention?

Let us pray...