John #26 The Supremacy of Christ

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That You May Believe and Have Life#26

John 8:38-59

The 3rd week in January represents two historic remembrances one positive and one negative … one we seem to be making slow progress and one that I’m afraid we may be moving backwards

This week represents the remembrance of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born 79 years ago, January 15, 1929; and remembering the decision by the U.S. Supreme court effectually legalizing abortion on demand, 35 years ago, January 22, 1973.

Word came out this week that in the last year there were fewer abortions than in the last 29 years.  While there are still thousands a day, and it is still legal, it would seem that progress is being made. 

But I have to say that as I look around, and as I remember the words of Dr. King’s Dream, I have to wonder if we are not moving backwards in many ways in regards to racial reconciliation.

We hear cries about justice and injustice

We see people turn away from injustice in regards to the unborn and say “I am more important” …. Either in word or in deed

We see people turn away from injustice in regards to elderly and say “I am more important”

Injustice in regards to racial concerns and people say “I am more important” …

You see I realized something this week

That often injustice is only injustice if it happens to me

We lose our sight of injustice when we lose our ability to see things from someone else’s perspective and when we lose sight of what really is supreme.

Injustice happens when I think that I am Supreme

Injustice happens when I think that I COME FIRST

In Dr. King’s message “Just about Midnight”, he gives examples of “midnight” and he says

“some are tempted to revise Jesus’ command to read ‘Go ye into all the world, keep your blood pressure down, and lo, I will make you a well-adjusted personality.’”  

And then he points out that at midnight everything “…loses distinctiveness and becomes a sullen shade of gray.  Moral principles have lost their distinctiveness.  For modern man, absolute right and wrong are a matter of what the majority is doing … we have unconsciously applied Einstein’s theory of relativity, which properly described the physical universe, to the moral and ethical realm.”

It’s amazing to me that we can talk about the right to choose, but give that baby in the womb no right to choose.

Women say “it is my body” but what about the child’s body.

Why is it a fetus if we don’t want to keep it and a baby if we want it?

We take the life by choice and it’s legal, but if we are expecting a baby and a injury or assault takes the life of the child, then we then call it murder. 

How can this be?

It comes back to who’s supreme.

Supremacism is a belief that a particular race, religion, gender, belief system or culture is superior to others and those who hold that view seek to dominate or control those who are NOT in their group. 

The word “supremacist” today makes us think of those who follow Hitler.  The nazi party had fundamental principles that believed that the European or Aryan race was superior to every other. 

But, they are by far NOT the ONLY supremacists

Some Former Confederates formed a secret society called the ku klux klan.  They grossly misused scripture and taught an anglo protestant supremacy.

But don’t think for a minute that this is simply an anglo problem.

Japan’s military leaders in World War II told their population that they were a superior race, destined to rule the East.

Rastafarianism coming out of Jamaica preaches a supremacy of the African race and a return in Exodus form to Africa, Ethiopia in particular.

Nation of Islam teachings stem from the Yakub doctrine that Allah is the original supreme black man and that all black men are part of this God-race; and that the race is divine and superior to all other races

There are Radical Muslims that teach supremacy as well as radical Judaism and on and on.

There are scientific supremacists and educational supremacists who believe that their way of thinking is the ONLY way to think and all others pale in comparison

Generally those with a supremacist mentality have a Triumphalism.  That is a belief that a certain culture, doctrine, social system should triumph over every other.

But Romanism didn’t triumph forever over all things

Marxism didn’t triumph over everyone for all times

Nazism and Klanism didn’t survive in grand scale didn’t triumph and now is left to only the ignorant few filled with hate and extremist views

Science and Education will not be the Triumph of humanity because we ultimately can’t know everything

Geneticist Francois Jacob wrote, “science cannot answer all questions, it can, give some indications, exclude certain hypotheses.  Engaging in the pursuit of science may help us make fewer mistakes”

I don’t even believe in Christian Triumphalism in regards to saying that those who call themselves Christians are superior and will triumph politically …

I DO however believe in the Triumphalism of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ WILL Triumph, his CHURCH, a TRUE Church, His Bride WILL reign WITH, but NOT here in this life, but for a millennium and for eternity with him in a New Heaven and New Earth

Because I believe in the Supremacy of Jesus Christ

The way to defeat racism, classism, elitism, educationalism, evolutionism, the abortionist, racist, and on and on is to understand the Supremacy of Jesus Christ

Remember in last week’s text Jesus said “if you are Abraham’s children, you would do as Abraham did …” and “…If God were your Father, you would love me for I came from the Father”

 

So we pick up in John 8:48 in this 26th message from the gospel of John

These may not be popular words today, but as Dr. King said in that famous message I quoted earlier “if the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

READ John 8:48-59

Are you greater than our Father Abraham?

Jesus said  “Before Abraham was I AM”

Oh many of the Jews of that day were supremacists for sure.  They believed they were the greatest, the only ones acceptable to God.

But they missed their calling

Yes! They were chosen especially by God for his purposes

Yes! They were loved by God

But it was NOT for the exclusion of the rest of the world but to REVEAL God to the world

Isaiah 49 shows us that God would work through Israel to redeem the world to be a light to draw and reveal.

And they say “you aren’t as great as our Father Abraham”

And Jesus says …

1. Before Abraham

Now Abraham was a great man.

But Abraham was a great man because his faith was in God Almighty

Abraham was a great man but Jesus was BEFORE him

Even more so, we need to know today that before the Racist … Jesus was here

Before the Abortionist Jesus was here

Before the Supremacist, Jesus was here

Before the White Supremacist

Before the Black Supremacist

Before the Asian Supremacist

Before the Legal Supremacist

The national Supremacist

The Scientific Supremacist

Jesus says … I was here long before they were

Lloyd Benson got off one of the best political one liners ever when Dan Quayle was referring to Jack Kennedy and Lloyd Benson said “I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine, and you are NO Jack Kennedy”  … what was he saying … he was saying … I was here long before you were.

Well Jesus was saying a similar thing here

He was saying, I knew Abraham, Abraham was a Friend of Mine, and you my friends are no child of Abraham

Jesus was Before Abraham

In the Beginning God … created the Heavens and the Earth

In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 

Jesus could have said “I had lunch with Abraham as recorded in Genesis 18 … before I destroyed Sodom …”

Oh I believe we should fight against the abortionist, the supremacists, but I am not afraid of them because

Jesus was here before

Jesus has seen it before

Jesus has heard it before

Which delivers the second thing …

2. Abraham Was

Abraham was a great man … But Abraham was

The Covenant and the Law given by God through Abraham were great things … but

JESUS IS HERE …

Oh, the Good Old Days …

The Jews in Jesus day were longing for the good old days before Roman Rule, holding to the Law, … but Jesus is here

Ever heard anyone long for the “good old days” …

Let me tell you something that ALL the “Good Old Days” have in common … they have Passed …

They WERE …

Abraham WAS …

Life moves on

I think of the racist, I think of the abortionist, the evolutionist, the hatemonger, the radical atheist, the dictator, oh they may have their moment, but their day will pass.

What happened to Nebuchadnezzar?

He WAS

What happened to Caesar?

He WAS

What happened to Napoleon?

What happened to Stalin?

What happened to Chiang Kai-shek?

What happened to Hitler?

What happened to Idi Amin?

What happened to Ceausescu?

One day we will say what happened to that Racist?

He was

What happened to that Abortionist?

She Was

We need not fear any man, as Psalm 56 says … What can mortal man do to me?

How can I say with such certainty … that their time will pass?

Look at our text


Before Abraham was BORN … 

Abraham WAS because Abraham was BORN …

It is appointed for man ONCE to DIE

Everything that is BORN will have it’s death

The Abortionist

The Supremacist

The Atheist

The Racist

They will all die because they all were born …

And that evolutionist can try discuss science with Jesus … But Jesus will say … “you have rejected my hand, rejected that you were made in my image, rejected that you were responsible to me … now you would not come to me so depart from me I never knew you”

The racist and the abortionist share one thing in common … they reject that certain parts of God’s creation are equally created in God’s image and have equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness …

But their time will pass because just like Abraham they were born and they will die …

Jesus said that UNLIKE Abraham who was Born

Jesus said BEFORE Abraham was BORN …

3. I AM

Jesus does not use words flippantly or by accident

He says I AM … notice the difference as he says “Abraham was born”

In Greek, Abraham ginomai /ghin-om-ahee/ - to become, to come into existence, to begin, receive being

But about himself he says “I Am” eimi – to be, to exist, to happen, to be present”

When Abraham became, I already existed

When Abraham received his being, I happened to  be present

Abraham was BORN at a fixed moment in the past

I AM, Have Been, Will Be, forever

Oh but it goes deeper …

In Exodus 3:14 … in response to Moses’ request for a name by which to know God … God calls himself … “I am who I am”

A Full Translation of that phrase in the Hebrew means “I Exist as Whoever, Whichever, Whatever, as an indefinite Entity, in an indefinite state, whenever, wherever, because of myself”

I AM who I AM

And as Jews began to speak Greek, they came to use this Word

“Eimi” to define God as he defined himself in Hebrew to Moses

Jesus Said

Before Abraham was Born

I was and will be GOD

Before Abraham was Chosen

I was and will be God

Before Abraham Settled in Canaan

I was and will be God

Before Abraham Became the Father of Isaac, Grandfather of Jacob, Patriarch of Israel

I was and will be God

Before the Racist was born, before his mind formed that hatred birthed in the heart of Satan, before he ever acted on that hatred

Jesus was, is and will be God long after he is GONE

Before the Abortionist learned to abuse his God given call to heal abandoned the best interest of ALL his patients,

Jesus was, is and will be God

It’s a threefold proclamation in the original that means was, is, and will be

The Greek rendering of WAS in John 1:1 is the same was, is and will be

And that idea is in Revelation when those in Heaven worship the one “who was, and is and is to come”

Jesus is The I AM

The ONLY thing that will defeat Racism

Will be to Realize the Supremacy of Jesus

The ONLY thing that will cause people to care for every human, born or unborn, young or old will be to realize the Supremacy of Jesus Christ

We become and we Die

HE is the I AM

In John 6:35 Jesus said I AM the Bread of Life – no need to be hungry

In John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the Light of the World” … no need to walk in darkness

In John 8:58 – Jesus says before Abraham was I am … that means every man is born and dies, every way of being starts and finishes but I am

In John 10:7 – Jesus says I Am the Gate for the Sheep – the only way to enter in to God’s fold is through Jesus

In John 10:11 – he says I Am the Good Shepherd – he will guide and protect his sheep

In John 11:25 – he says I Am the Resurrection and the Life – he who believes in me will never die

In John 14:6 – he says I AM the way, the truth, and the life … I have been … I am now, and I always will be … that means he still is today in 2008

In John 15:1 he says I Am the True Vine – we can’t produce fruit, good fruit, lasting fruit, anywhere else but from him

In John 18:6 he says “I Am He” …

What are you looking For?

Jesus says “I AM HE” …

What are you going to do with that?

What you do with that truth determines everything

You can’t take Jesus statement of I AM, lightly.  Eternity rests on what you believe about Jesus

John 8:24 – I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins

Before Abraham was born I Am

There is no other name like Jesus

There is no other man like Jeus

There is no other god like Jesus

Oh there have been great generals and conquerors … name one and I’ll name another, name another and so will I

Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Pershing, Eisenhower, Schwartzkoff.

Oh there have been great artists, name one and I will name another, and another, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Picasso, Monet, or Rockwell

Oh there are great musicians name one and I will name another and another, from Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, or Berstein, Gershwin, Nat King Cole, Smokey Robinson,

Oh there have been great athletes, name one and I will name another and another … Eric Liddell, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Joe Dimaggio, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James.

Geniuses name one we can name another Einstein or Edison if there’s Jobs then there’s Gates

Oh But there is a Name …

A name that is above every name

Oh Jesus stands alone in history …

You list the great teachers and none can stand up against Jesus …

Oh Buddha was a great teacher, you might say, but Jesus was taught ABOUT in hundreds of prophesies hundreds and thousands of years before he came

Before Buddha was Jesus says I AM

Oh Mohammed born lived and died for his beliefs

Confucius born lived and died for his teachings

Gandhi born lived and died for his cause

But JESUS lived was born lived died, and came back to life and LIVES TODAY …

Before Mohammed was Jesus says I AM

Before Confucius was Jesus says I AM

Before Gandhi was Jesus says I AM

He is the Supreme being to ever walk the face of this earth!

Abraham was born – he had a beginning … he will have an ending

But Jesus …

Oh, you were born, you will have an ending … but because of Christ, you can change your destination …

Isaiah 45:22-24

Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23 … before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. 24 they will say of me, ‘in the LORD alone are righteousness and strength’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame

So what will you do?

Jesus IS Lord

When we bow to Christ

No Hatred can exist

We will love everyone

We will respect every life

Jesus is Lord

Bow before him

Or be shamed by him

There is none like him

He alone is worthy

There is None Like You

No One else can touch my Heart

like you do

I could search for all eternity long

and find there is none like you

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