Is He Worthy?
Notes
Transcript
Favorite Hymn Day
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! highest archangels in glory,
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children;
In His arms He carries them all day long.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heavn'ly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming, over the world victorious;
Pow'r and glory unto the Lord belong!
So give testimony to His greatness this morning! In the comments, list a scripture or quick encouragement about our Great God.
Of my TRUST? Can I trust Jesus?
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.
Author, founder, source and perfecter, finisher.
Amazing draw on the reader’s understanding: the giants of the faith are recalled. Not just to create appreciation and respect. Thankfulness toward God for what He did then. But to be the example. To duplicate what they did. HAVE FAITH! The writer believes those reading this letter can, will, should be talked about in the same breath as those mentioned before!
But he is pointing their faith to Jesus. 11:39 makes the point those who make up this cloud of witnesses did not receive the promise. Jesus was that promise. They had faith in what they could not see. What they had never really been able to grasp. But their faith was ultimately in the God they served.
Faith is hard for some people. Trusting people they actually know and have a relationship with is hard for some. Trusting Jesus might seem to be next to impossible for them. But God...
You know there’s actually a scripture for that!
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—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
So look at what God did through Jesus on Easter weekend:
Our text says He endured the cross and is seated at the right hand of the Father, the throne of God.
This text (Eph) tells us we have been made alive together with Christ. We are raised up with Him and even seated with Him in heavenly places.
So He not only accomplished all He was sent to do, He TOOK US WITH HIM!
Think we can trust Him?
Keeping My Eyes on Jesus
I tend to trust what I can see. What I know well. I trust my wife. I know her better than anyone else in my life. She knows me better than anyone in this world. I am myself with her. Let down all my guards and protections. Vulnerable.
Jesus desires to be just like that in your life! If He will be I must fix my eyes on Him.
Three things leading my eyes away from Him:
World
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
The spirit of this world drives the counsel of the wicked. It is the motivation behind the way of sinners. It is the chair that makes the seat of scoffers. Wicked. Sinners. Scoffers. So different from Jesus. Fix our eyes on Jesus!
Wants
My appetite for treasures of this life. Does our appetite ever get us in trouble? Ever been overweight and tried to lose? But when we store up treasures that have no eternal value we begin to work against God’s plan.
Worry
Yep, there is it. The hobby we have all taken up in the past month. But scripture is adamant, repetitive and clear: DO NOT WORRY. About anything.
Three things that will help me stay focused on Him:
Worship
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Let these things refocus our thinking. Gossip test: True? Good? Helpful?
Word
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
You
Tonight: Bible Study 5:30 on Zoom and Streaming
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