Who do you say I am?
Red Letters • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsExamining our lives as a testimony that answers the question of who Christ is in our lives
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The Red Letters
The Red Letters
So far we have seen:
Jesus gives warning (rebuke) and invitation (rest). Both of these point to our need for Him.
Jesus extends the invitation to you-”Follow Me”
We must die to self in order to find true abundant life in Christ
You can have what the world offers or you can have what will transform your life—Jesus
Jesus invites us to love God and love others
Jesus instructs us how to be disciples—One way we do is putting our trust in Him
Because you have been changed—Go and tell others about what God has done in your life.
Today we will answer Jesus’ question “Who do you say I am”
There is perhaps no more important time than now to answer this question. As we live in what is called a post modern society or age, which simply means our culture has largely abandon the notion of truth. Instead our culture values relativism above the truth. No longer do we have a shared moral code based on sound biblical principles.
The war is real and the war is on going for Christian’s in this world. That does not mean be militaristic, it does not mean be offensive in the name of God, but it means recognize that your testimony matters today more than ever.
Satan is working hard to defeat the church, he knows is going to lose in the end but every soul that represents the image of God on earth he can destroy he wants to.
2 Cor 11:3 He is a cunning deceiver
1 Peter 5:8 He is the adversary
John 8:44 He is the father of all lies
Rev 14:6 He is the slanderer
Matt 4:3 He is the tempter
Rev 9:11 He is the destroyer
John 10:10 He is the thief who comes to kill and destroy
John 8:44 He is a murderer
Gen 3:1 and Rev 12:9 He is a serpent
Rev 12:7 He is the dragon
Matt 13:19 He is the evil one
Rev 12:10 He is the accuser of the brothers
2 Cor 11:14 He masquerades as an angel of light
1 Peter 5:8 He roams the earth looking for someone to devour
2 Cor 2:11 He hatches clever schemes in order to outwit us
We know there is no truth in him, no goodness to be had in him. We have no reverence for him, he shows no kindness, there is no love or justice to be found in him. He is just evil in total.
Ray Pritchard a theologian and author said it this way “If the old Trinity was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the new trinity is tolerance, diversity, and pluralism. “All truth is relative.” We are to worship tolerance, we are to celebrate diversity, praise pluralism, equity not equality. And woe to the man or woman who dares to speak against the New Trinity.”
“Our Lord presupposes that his disciples would not have the same thoughts as ‘men’ had. They would not follow the spirit of the age, and shape their views by those of the ‘cultured’ persons of the period.” (Spurgeon)
Big Idea is “Jesus is asking us who we say He is. It is critical that we answer this question, especially given our current culture then.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Some significant things to understand.
First, the region they are in is a controversial region to be asking or answering this question. The region was renamed from Paneas to Caesarea Philippi as tribute to both Caesar and Philip the son of Herod the Great. If you remember Herod the great sought to have the infants (anyone under two) slaughtered in Bethlehem and surrounding areas to prevent the coming messiah.
Second, Peter answers clearly that not only is Jesus the Christ or Messiah, but that He is in fact the Son of the Living God, Yahweh is the only God who is living, the only God that can breathe life into the world.
Simply saying you are the Christ today is so much less than what we are called to do in answering this question.
We need to answer with out testimony that is supported by our witness of Godly behavior and thought.
Idea 1
Who do you say He is at work or in public?
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
How is our behavior reflected with co-workers, supervisors, customers, peers in general?
How do you respond to being cutoff in traffic?
What is your disposition when standing in a long line that seems to be going absolutely nowhere?
Are you showing the fleshly responses to the world or are you demonstrating the fruit of the spirit?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Are we acting with an attitude of gratitude?
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
Our Actions and Words are Testimony to who He is!
Idea 2
Who do you say He is in your relationships?
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
How do your actions in relationships reflect God? Does your marriage glorify God, sanctify each of you, and provide a stable base for raising your children?
Are your interactions with others tempered with Grace as Jesus has shown such amazing grace to you?
The song “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns warns that relationships do not fail in a day, they are slow to die when we do not work on them, and they warn the little eyes to be careful what they see. Your children take your marriage as a model, so do your friends and relatives, is it a model you think they should follow?
How we treat people in our lives tells those watching who He is?
Idea 3
Who do you say He is in times of crisis?
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Here are Paul and Silas, being punished for casting out a demon because of a financial loss to the owners of the slave who was a “conduit” to the other side. To be clear there is no conduit to the other side, what people would have spoken to were demons. They have been beaten, their clothes taken, shackled, and what did they do?
Or look at Lazarus’ death and how Jesus responded to the disciples:
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
How you respond in times of need or crisis will tell people who He is.
Idea 4
Who do you say He is in your finances?
Perhaps no more controversial issue to ask people or to preach on than finances and the tithe. I recognize that in fact the word tithe is not used but the idea of positioning your heart is clear. Jesus said give unto Caesar what is Caesars and unto God what is His. It is clear that in Jesus’ teaching then it is about the heart of giving less than the percentage, but the tithe is a good standard. So my challenge simply is whether your heart is positioned correctly on this topic.
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
and
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
Our stewardship tells the world who He is.
Action: Jesus is asking, who do you say I am? Make your life a testimony to your answer.
