6 Oct 2019 He is Great!
3 weeks of being able to come in to share with you from God's word and I hope it's been a blessing to you. I don't know whether you've been blessed anymore than I have or not. But so thankful that Brother Don is doing so well. I know your prayers he has appreciated as he mentioned there earlier and he just going to continue to get stronger and the Lord's going to bless him and just give complete health and strength to him as as a progress has I was thinking about as we were standing shaking hands with everybody this morning made me think of a little story that I heard what your true story about Jack and Jack Hayford, you know, some of you are familiar with him. And anyway, he wrote the song Majesty in her he was going to do something different and his church on a Sunday morning. And so he was going to have all of his people to stand and greet each other. But before they greeted each other they were to greet this what hello. My name is Saint Croix. You would refer to yourself as a saint because in the scripture we've let the Catholics take that away from this because in the end the scripture you are a saint if you're a Christian. And so that's how they were to greet everybody. And so they were standing chicken hands. Hello I'm saying so and so and so forth in his wife Anna she was shaking hands and fellow behind her. She said hello. My name is Saint Anna. And he looked at her and smiled. She said my name is Saint Anna. A smile again, and he said man. He said you're not going to believe this season, but my name is Bernard.
Are going to show you some of you and I had to think about that little man. But anyway, it's good looking for the scripture in Mark chapter 4 very familiar passage of scripture Mark chapter for beginning readers with verse 35 on the same day when every evening had come he said to them let us cross over to the other side and when they had left the multitude they took him along in the boat as he was and other little boats were also with him and a great wind storm arose in the waves beat into the boat so that it was already feeling But he was in the stern asleep on a pillow and then I woke him and said to him teacher. Do you not care that we are perishing then he arose and rebuked the wind said to the Sea peace be still. And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But he said to them why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no face? And they feared exceedingly and said to one another who can this be that even the wind and the Sea obey him? And then what are the verse that I want to take note of in Luke's gospel chapter 1 verse 32 it is giving the the introduction the pronouncement of the birth of Christ and it simply says he will be great. And will be called the son of the of the highest and the Lord. God will give him the Throne of his father David. I want to this morning. Hopefully try to share with you a better picture than what you have had in the past about Jesus. I hope that you fall in love with the Lord Jesus this morning a new and a fresh. Get all in the churches in Revelation Jesus mention that one of them had lost their first love and you know what you and I ever now then we need to ask ourselves the question since I have become a Christian since I first give my heart a lot to the Lord Jesus Christ. Has there been a time when I love him more than I do right now. Has there ever been a time in my life that I love the Lord Jesus Christ than I do right. Now. There has been there's some growing that you and I need to do we need to love him more today than what we ever have another word. She needs to be the priority of our life. And so I want to submit to you this morning Jesus. And looking at him we find that in Jesus nother word. He had no servants. But yet they called him Master. He had no degree and yet they called him teacher. He had no medicine and they called him a Healer. He had no armies but yet Kings feared him he want no military bottles battles, but yet he conquered the world. He committed no crime and yet they crucified him. He was buried in a tomb but yet he lives today. He's very much alive you and I cannot see him visibly with a naked eye this morning, but I can assure you that his presents through the power of the holy spirit is here with us this morning. And when we recognize that it causes us then more than anything else to start looking at him and about him in a different way. You see Jesus is greater than any ruler is mightier than any Warrior. No better than any King wiser than any philosopher bigger than any Kingdom better than any Crown Lovelier than any name worthy of our worship and deserving of our prayers a man and we need to do that with all of our heart and soul. And so what we think about Jesus, What we think about him determines our Salvation right now, but also our security eternally, even after this life is all over you say is the central character of all history think about that our destiny folks your destiny and my destiny is wrapped up in what we think and what we do with Jesus Christ. It's not something that we can just take our leave but we recognize that that Jesus Christ is God's everything for your total need whatever you're stranded need of this morning. He is he is every God's everything for our total need and everything that happens. You see whenever you look at crashed no matter how you look at it. He is always great. He will be great. The most he's always great from every angle from every illustration that you would look at UC personal bedside. He has no bad side now you and I do or we think we do and if you don't think to you, do you just get a camera and start to take your picture? You'll say wait a minute. You'll either turn this way or you'll turn this way. Are you look straight ahead you feel like that. You have a best side. Well, Jesus had no best side every way that you look at it. Is always beautiful always powerful always able to take care of our every need regardless of what it maybe it may be like the lady who went to the photographer and she got her picture made and she got your pictures back and she went into the photographer and she said look here at these pictures. You said they don't do me Justice? A look at the pictures and he said man. He said you don't need Justice. You need Mercy.
Well, Jesus is always his good side all the way shows and everything that he does and dealing with the people. He is great. He's great with a little children the leash the down-and-out the blind the death of every individual that Jesus came in contact with he is always great and I think about that. He was great in his death great in his resurrection. Great as a high Priestly priest who is seated at the right hand of the father making intercession for you and I and he will be great in his coming again and folks he is coming again.
And so whenever Jesus Mark tells us in verse 41 after Jesus gets up and he calms the storm the winds in the ways. The disciples says what manner of man is this? Who is this man? that even the wind and the way
they will be here. Let me submit to you this morning that he is the incomparable Christ. Here's the incomparable Christ incomparable cipollinis Beyond comparison. He is incomparable. He is unmatched unequal to anybody who has ever lived or ever will live. And so here's the incomparable Christ three things that I want to point out rather rather quickly. He is incomparable as to his person. I think about that. He stands alone. What about you no place to compare Christ and you look back through history and you see a lot of great individuals who have stood out in history. There might be another Alexander the Great there may be another Shakespeare. There may be another Henry Ford are there may be another Einstein but folks. There'll never be another Jesus. There never be another Jesus. He stands alone as the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. Secondly, he is incomparable as to his performance. Weather worksheets unchallenged he's unmatched and you look at a world that we live in today. There's all kinds of cult groups that are out there and it was touched upon in Sunday school this morning as I slipped in the back and sit down and so we live in a day and time when there are so many who are trying to get the attention of individuals like you But Jesus is incomparable as to his performance. You see a lot of these cult leaders are able to go ahead and to predict their death. You have a Leica a David koresh at Waco, Texas. And I look this morning. And if you want to look it up, all you got to do is just type in as a Google search Jim Jones. Who took part in who instigated? The largest mass murder suicide in American history over 900 people along with himself. Predicted his death.
But they've got a big problem with a resurrection not Jesus. He predicted when he would suffer when he would die, but he also predicted that he would rise again and God brought him forth out of the Grave. He is incomparable as to his pronouncements. These disciples had seen many storms. But they're never seen anything like this. Numbers they realized that Caesar was able to give an order and because he gave an order people recognize that that was power and they responded to that but Jesus speaks and they recognize that this is a different kind of power. DeShaun Jenny looks at the winds and the waves and he says hush. Literally from the Greek peace be steel. It literally means hush. another word for be quiet I can imagine in so many words. Jesus said you disturbed my disciples long enough that you behave yourself. Calm down. And they call. They were quite. And because of who he is folks and demands on attention. Peter man's are thinking and he Demands a decision upon her part to recognize who he really is and you go back in scripture and you bring it all the way through your look at his credential. You see he is our Salvation are only salvation. He said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me. Not a David koresh. You're not a Jim Jones not any kind of a cult leader that has ever lived or ever will live. Jesus is the human Race's only hope. And so he is our Salvation. He is Eden's tree of life. He was Abel's sacrifice. He was Noah's Ark for the storm in the flood. That was come. He was Abraham's round of sacrifice to take the place of Isaac. He was Israel's Passover Lamb to take away their sins temporarily but to take ours away. Eternally, he was Rahab scarlet cord. It was Gideon sort of the Lord. He was David's sling and Stones. He was Daniel's angel in the lions den. It was the three Hebrew children's Fourth Man. in the furnace of Fire people's Isaiah's wonderful counselor, Mighty God Everlasting father and Prince of Peace. He was Malachi of sun of righteousness with healing in his wings. We can say as we look to the scripture. He is our bread of life the bride groom the bride in the Morning Star he is the captain of our Salvation is the chief Shepherd and he's the Chief Cornerstone. He's the first and the last he's the foundation The Fountain the 4Runner and the Friend of Sinners. He's the head of the church are of all things the high priest the Holy One are hope and the Horn of Salvation according to the scripture. All you got to do is get a concordant and you follow it through you find that he's the Lamb of God the lawgiver the later the life and the light of the world. He's the living bread the living Stone the Lord of righteousness the Lord of both the dead and the living. He's the prophet priest and King. He's the rock. He's the rose of Sharon. He's our salvation sanctification, and he's our savior. And the thing about it is I know him. And you know it. And we need to get to know him better and better every day. And so I asked you the question this morning. Just what and who? Is Jesus Christ to you?
Is she somebody who has it a historical figure that stepped out on the stage of time over 2000 years ago and done his thing and all of a sudden disappeared.
Is there some historical figure to you? Is he a myth? Is he a legend? Obviously someone who is alive within your heart and within your life and your recognize more than anything else because of that he has given you not only the Abundant Life here, but he'll also has promised eternal life Hereafter and show folks. Jesus is the joy of every converted Center. and the hope of the world Is the Saints Everlasting rest you find rest in him? He said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. The word she became something. That he never watched before and yet did not cease being what he was for all eternity. Think about that for a moment. He deserves our washer and our praise a man. the disciples wrestled wither storm What do you do with yours? We all go through storms. We all face difficulties. We all go through stores Buckman. What do you do with your store? Do you try to handle them yourself? Do you recognize that perhaps maybe you need to do this or do that rather than to call upon the one who is able to come to store? He's wanting you and I to call upon him to acknowledge to recognize you say when you look at Jesus. He doesn't have to carve his name on the mountains because he created the mountains. It doesn't have to get copyright a little songs that the bird sing because he created them. The Bible says he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. I've always said to he owns the oil under the Hills. And when you look at Christ. He will be great why he is incomparable because he is God think about that. Jesus said if you seen me you have seen the father. How much does a one Paul tells Timothy in 1st Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness was manifest In the Flesh justified in the spirit sing by Angels preached among the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up in the glory. There's a whole lot in that verse a whole lot John punch it this way and chapter 1 verse 14. He said the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Jesus was born of a virgin.
Christ Jesus is God Books, he left all of the glory and the beauty and the wealth in the Splendor of Heaven. And took on human flesh and came down on this Earth and become poor. Because you and I were poor in poverty. And he done that so that we might be rich. Inhale Minotaur walking in our relationship with him. You see in Christ. The the infinites became the little infant.
The father of Eternity became a Child of Time. The creator of the universe becomes a little creation. It's called Incarnation the doctrine of incarnation simply means becoming flesh. The doctrine that the Eternal Son of God became human and that he did so without any manner or degree diminishing of his divine nature. He was able to do he became something that he was not before. And yet it did not see he did not see a being who he was for all eternity and didn't diminish that another word for he knew what needed to be done and he done it because of his love and his concern for you and I and where we're going to spend eternity. And so when you look in Christ uuc in Jesus as a man Distributor of Satan after 40 days in the wilderness But as God, he says to Satan it is written that you shall not tempt the Lord your God. As a man, he goes to the Canaan the little wedding at Cana of Galilee. But it's God. It turns the water into why think about that as a man. He touches her poor leper. Define the very laws of Moses, but because of his love and his compassion as a man. He touches this leopard but as a God heals the leper and the leopard skin becomes pure and and and white as pure as the Flesh of a little baby.
As a man, he joins 5,000 other men with women and children. But as God he takes a little boys bread and fish and he thinks them all With over 12 basketball is left over. As a man who falls asleep in the back of Peter's boat But as God he arises from his sleep and he comes to store.
As a man, he stands at the tomb of Lazarus and Weeps. But as God he shifts the Machinery of death in the reverse and it calls Lazarus back to life again As a man who prays In The Garden of Gethsemane, what has it God he answers yours and my prayers.
As a man, he stands condemned before Pilate. But as God he says that there is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus There's a man he falls beneath the load of the Cross But as God, he Bears the whole weight of the sins of the whole world upon his shoulders. Usher man, he died on the cross of calvary But as God he secures eternal life for every man woman boy and girl who will believe in him and will put our faith in him as Lord and savior of their life As a man, he was laid in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. But as God and demolished the structure of this he rises from the tomb and he says I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for Evermore can I have the keys to hell and to death as a man but as of God Asha man, they saw him Ascend back to Glory but Ash God folks, he will come again as the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. What a man. What a man. Couldn't kill him Satan couldn't just seducing death. Couldn't hold him and time. Can I destroy it? They took him down from the cross. But while Jesus was lying in that tune the world could not see what was going on. You and I could not see what was going on. But Jesus was working. Something was happening. Something was taking place. It's not real clear even in the scripture, but it's called The Mystery of the two. But we know the outcome of it is true and it's scripture. So imagine with me if you will for just a moment. They're on that particular day after he had died and they had took him down from the cross and laid him in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. There is a restlessness in hell. sheytoon is restless Canoes are those that Jesus had raised from the dead? And there's some nervousness in a restlessness that is going on. You see it first Satan at all of the in s'appelle felt like if we can get rid of Jesus then we've got an open Highway we can do what we want to do.
What's Titan is restless and what he does he sends up a message and it sends that message up and he says keep him there. Keep him there. Keep him there in Jerusalem. And the message goes back down to Satan. In the messages, we can't keep him there. He's already gone, and it's coming in your direction. all of a sudden I can just imagine all of a sudden there he stood and all of his power and all of his glory and all of his majesty has the king of kings and Lord of lords and standing there. Satan has to fall to his knees.
From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He is he is strip place from one side to the other is nervous. He cannot contain himself and Jesus simply looks and Shake themselves one do you want Jesus says, you know what I want. You kept it long enough. I've come after the keys to death hell and the grave give them to me and Satan has to relinquish them and give them to Christ. And because he getting some to Christ folks, that was the hope that you and I have a prior to that time. Everybody had lived. with a fear of death and dying but now the fear of death can be just finished because of what Christ did up on Calvary where she becomes our counselor the king of king and the Lord Of Glory and he simply says that if you'll give me your life. I'll make something out of it.
You look in the scripture you find things like this.
The officers were commissioned by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They said going arrested. How would you like to have that job to go into rest Jesus and bring him in how you just say? I'm trying to go and put some kind of handcuffs or tie his hands behind his back or whatever. And so they said you were going to rush him and you bring him back here to us.
And I went they was gone for a while and they came back.
And the chief priests in the Pharisee. So where is he?
Play John's gospel chapter 7 verse 46.
He just said they just simply said never a man spoke like this, man.
Never a man spoke like this, man. That's what they were saying. We moved in to arrest him. and he arrested US with his love and his his concern. Never a man spoke like this, man.
You see Jesus? Told us that he would rise again and send back to heaven. Be there is the high priest seated at the right hand of the father and would come again is King of Kings. He said all power not part of it, but it said all power is given to me in heaven and in Earth. Think about that for a moment. The Bible says that greater love hath no man than he that would lay down his life. for friend you say Jesus died for his friends, but you know what he died for his enemies to
he died for the thief. He died for the murderer. He died for the whoremonger for the port for every individual that has lived in sin. He died for the homosexual. A dog for you and for me and the sins that were prevalent in our life.
You said you said the cross was the reason that I can? His death was different from everybody else that had ever died. Think about that for a moment. He had a Redemptive body. Which was not found in anybody else? And shall I submit to you that on that cross? That day that Jesus was suffering bleeding and died for your sins and for mine. He took one nail pierced hand and it reaches up to Father God and it gets hold of the hand of God. And then with the other hand, he looks down to a sinking dime sinful world. And he puts his other hand on that sinful world and he pulls them both together and as she pulls them both together, he slips the hand of almighty God into the hands of Allah by Saviour dying for a single world and he cries out in a triumphant boys. It is finished. The highway has been open. The Redemption is now available for everyone that will call up on hand and he says come. Come let us reason together. Saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet white as snow. That's what he'll do for you. That's what he'll do for you and he won't be able to take your life and he's takes my life and he makes it into being what we never could do. Because of who he is. I wonder this morning. Where and what is Jesus Christ to you?
What has you allow and what have you allowed him to do within your life?
Are you falling in love with him every day over and over and over again? If not, you should be whatever storm you're going through this morning. He can take and he can take care of it. I want to close with it with a true story. Matter fact it's of by the fellow by the name of Bill writing house. He was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi number of years ago. I don't know brother. You may have heard of him or you may annoy me. But anyway, this story came out about him that in one summer that he and his family were driving on the turnpike between Kansas City and Topeka, Kansas. Coming toward them on the other side of the interstate was a station wagon at about the time that station wagon got to where they were the suitcase on top of it fellow. He said so I pulled over and he said I ran across the highway and he said the car kept going but he said I picked up the suitcase brought it back and put it in our vehicle and he said he said I in Topeka we open the suitcase and whenever we got to Topeka. He said we looked in it and he said it was just normal things that you would take if you was on a vacation of some of the clothes items and so forth, but they said there was one little faint clue as to the identity of the baggage said there was one little white box with a rubber band around it and inside that white box was a $20 gold piece.
And all that gold piece was inscribed these words. 20 years of faithful service and on the other side presented to Otis Samson by Northwestern State Portland cement company Well after after Bill. Returned home. He said I mail letters to Portland cement companies in 75 cities in the northwest. And he said that one office wrote me back and responded. And says Mr. Otis Sampson has been an employee of ours, but he has recently retired and they gave him his address. So he wrote him and immediately Otis went ahead and responded back and he said yes. He said that's my suitcase. He said you can do anything with all of the contents of the suitcase. You can just throw them away if you want to but he mentioned he said I want my most prized possession that $20 gold piece. Any mention that in the letter a number of times that that $20 gold piece that he received upon his retirement was his most prized possession. So he said I got it all back boxed up and he said I but I wrote him a letter. And in the letter he said I told him about my most prized possession. Jesus Christ and how the Lord had changed my life and my wife's life. And how that even though I was a prisoner of war in World War II how that God brought me home and hear establish me with with my family.
and since then and even today he is my most prized possession. He told him about Jesus. Well, he went ahead and mailed it. Send it off to him a year later. You'll get there. So you're later. Bill Wright in the house received a box at Christmas time. And inside that box was the same gold piece with this letter attached to it. Listen to what he said last Sunday. He said my wife and I were baptized into a little church in Colorado. We want you to know that the gold piece we want you to have the gold piece to carry with you at all times. We are to older individuals now. He said I'm 74 in my wife is 70. You know what that's just a kid in it. Anyway, you said I'm 74. My wife is 70 and I guess she said no one ever told us about Jesus. Nobody's ever told us about Jesus. We were talking about evangelism this morning in Sunday School.
He said nobody ever told us about Jesus. He says but now he is our most prized possession. in a wonderful folks if he's not your most prized possession he can be and what he wants to be. Why don't you like what you stand with me this morning and bow your heads please as we think of the invitation. And whenever we think of the invitation if God is speaking to your heart and you would like to come in you you would like to pray and you would like to make a commitment of your life to the Lord Jesus new in affresh. You want to make sure that you love him more today than you ever have? Just feel free to step out into cut. Would you do that?
those of you like to come feel free to come come quickly. Come quickly some have come God speaking to your heart. He may be knocking at your heart's door. You come would you do that? Say yes to him this morning.
Say yes to him this morning. while she plays one more verse if you have a need you would like to come you come would you do that?
Are you going to come if you'd like to come bring that money to the Lord would you do that? There's still time before we dismiss and prayer.
I'm going to ask you if you would to remain with your heads bowed and somehow come and we're going to have a prayer for these commitments that have come that have brought to the Lord if there's a need in your life this morning and you didn't respond. I encourage you to call your pastor and let him know later on. Let him know that you need a closer walk with the Lord Jesus. You'll be glad to pray with you and it leads you in that direction. Mesh pouch for prayer father. Thank you so much for the Lord Jesus. We thank you for your presence in our life this morning. Love father for those that I have stepped out by faith in common made a commitment of their life openly and in your presence and in the presence of the church Lord, you said if we're ashamed to confess you before man that you would be ashamed to confess us before Our Father who is in heaven father, but if there are needs that are here this morning, Maybe they they made a commitment right there in the Pew. Maybe they've accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour right there standing in the pew. Lourdes I have have them to share it with their pastor. Father meet every need every come in but that has come forth that has said Lord Jesus take first place in my heart and life because I want you to be my most prized possession in the name of Jesus. We pray and all of God's people said, amen. Amen.