Jesus Makes Us More

There is a line in a television show that caught my attention recently. The main character is describing his relational pursuit of his true love despite the fact that the object of his affection has repeatedly declined his expressions of love. When asked why he persists he answers, “Because she makes me more.”

Because she makes me more. I get that, don’t you. My wife, Linda, makes me more. Her presence and interaction in my life makes me more patient, more kind, more thoughtful, more wise. She calls forth greater love, deeper feeling, better communication, enduring grace. I imagine there are people in your life that make you more as well.

We pursue Christ in faith and in faithfulness because He makes us more. More than we are. More than we can be on our own. More than we can be with any other source of help, or wisdom, or survival that exists in the universe. Yes, there are other sources of knowledge upon which we can build our lives and responses, but only Jesus makes us more!

Cornerstone, I want to set before you ways Jesus makes us more as a church, as a congregation, that loves and serves and worships and works together.

1. Jesus makes us more devoted.

a. Acts 2:43-47 (ESV) And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

b. Instead of being devoted to themselves they become, in Christ, given over to Someone and something greater than themselves

i. God becomes the priority in their lives

ii. Love becomes the priority of their effort

(1) Devoted to the teaching of the apostles

(a) The gospel of Jesus

(b) The teaching of Jesus

(2) Devoted themselves to the fellowship: believers gathered for encouragement, edification, education

(3) Devoted themselves to the breaking of bread

(a) Shared meals

(b) Shared communion

(4) Devoted themselves to prayer

c. As a result of their personal devotion and public commitment, God multiplied their numbers

i. He didn’t just build a mega church

ii. Saved people from their sins, and death, and hell through faith in Christ, in part on account of the devotion of the church

iii. Jesus makes us more and uses us to appeal to others

2. Jesus makes us more aware.

a. Jesus’ teaching about unity

i. Matthew 12:25 (ESV) Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

ii. Matthew 12:30 (ESV) Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

b. Jesus taught His disciples to be aware of the dividing, scattering, strategy of the evil one.

i. Jesus makes us more.

ii. He makes us more aware that our life here on earth is a battleground

(1) Our enemy is often subtle

(2) More interested in our complacent acceptance of life situations rather than any active discernment and action

3. Jesus makes us more connected.

a. 1 Corinthians 12:21-27 (ESV) 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

b. Jesus makes us more.

i. We are more than isolated individuals living our own lives in parallel with other isolated individuals.

ii. We are one Body under one Head with one Spirit and one Heart.

4. Jesus makes us more loving.

a. Mark 12:28-31 (ESV) 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

b. The commandment to love

i. The greatest commandment is love

ii. The newest commandment is love

(1) John 13:34-35 (ESV) 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

c. Now, because Jesus makes us more, we love God, we love Christ, we love one another, and we love the lost of the world around us.

i. Jesus makes us more.

ii. Now we love not just with the remnants of the image of God in us, sympathy, the occasional stirring of genuine empathy. Jesus makes us more. Now we love with the restored image of God in us. Now we love with real love, love that does not sacrifice the eternal good on the altar of convenience.

5. Jesus makes us more certain.

a. 1 Corinthians 15:19 (ESV) If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

b. Because Jesus makes us more certain of our resurrection, we live life differently

i. Fearlessly

ii. Intentionally

iii. Faithfully

Christian, Jesus makes us more personally and he makes us more as a congregation united in Him together. We come together in faith, in love, in obedience, and in strength because Jesus makes us more, because we love Him, and in Him we love one another, and through Him we demonstrate His love to the world. Jesus makes us more, and through our lives together as a church, Jesus invites the world to come and be made more with us through Him.

Related Media

Related Sermons