Living Incarnationally
Notes
Transcript
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This morning I will talk about the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Incarnation
What is the Incarnation?
A story is told of a father...
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2692 Father with Son in Attic
A father had told his son he would send him to sleep in the attic, with only bread and water for his supper, if he broke the laws of the home once more. The child disobeyed again and was sent to the attic: The father could not eat. He had the boy on his mind and his heart. His wife said: “I know what you are thinking. But you must not bring the boy from the attic. It would cause him to disobey again. He would have no respect for your word. You must not cheapen your relation as his father by failing to keep your promise.”
To which her husband replied: “You are right. I will not break my word. To do so would cause my son to lose his respect for my word. But he is so lonely up there.” He kissed his wife good-night, entered the attic, ate bread and water with the boy, and when the child went to sleep on the hard boards, his father’s arm was his pillow.
He who knew no sin suffered for the sinner.
This story illustrates what the Incarnation of Jesus is all about.
Incarnation is simply the doctrine of the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, becoming human like us.
Just like the father in the story I told,.. Jesus came as God in the flesh to be with us people..
God did not love us from a distance
I believe however that the Incarnation is not just a doctrine that we should study, it must become our way of living.
Incarnational should be our way of life as individuals and our way of ministry as a church.
We live in a dark world. I always say from the Bible that we live in “perilous times”, these times are also demonic, Satan has a firm grip on the lives of millions of people.. how do we this as a church?
There are around 400,000 churches in America today yet we do not see a true transformation of society..
Let me submit to you this morning that we as a church should be an incarnational church - this is the way of Jesus.
What is the Incarnational Way of Christ?
Let us imagine what will happen if Jesus came to the world today.
The world would not recognize Him.
When a high official from a foreign land (a president or a monarch or the pope visits), where do you think he will reside?
Jesus did not demand a kingly welcome.
“He dwelt among us”, He tabernacled with us — he pitched a lowly tent where we dwelt.
It is not the way of the world.
The traditional church would reject His methods
Jesus was misunderstood and judged by the religious leaders of His time.
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
Jesus was a friend of sinners but He did not sin like them.. rather He loved on them by being with them..
He did not camp with the religious leaders in the temple or the political leaders in their palaces although He has every right to royalty..
Jesus went to where the lost were and served them!
Story of missions approach, Dr. Kalland, Dr. Michael Fast
I was in a seminar — grassroots approach
Hudson Taylor - China inland mission.. wore Chinese robes and the manchu-style pigtail.
“I will become like them”
This is the Paradigm of the Incarnation
As a church we must be:
Become missional and not stay attractional.
Being in this isolated place, having a mortgage..
We are taking the church where the people are
We must penetrate the community with our presence.
We will help the community through tangible ways of engaging them.
As a church we must be:
2. Be separated but not segregated
Dualistic or segregated view
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
We are not of the world.
Jesus did not pray that we be taken out of the world...
“that you keep them from the evil one” - God’s protection.
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Separated but not segregated.
As a Church we must be:
3. All about the glory of God
“we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14b)
Jesus has a world to transform!
Story of the woman and the young man high on drugs.
The Devil does not want us there. He does not want a church in that area.
But God does.
Be an incarnation of Jesus wherever we are.
We don’t give them the answers, we don’t only help the, we give them Jesus, WHO is the answer and Who is their deliverance --- full of grace and truth.
We will be an incarnation of Jesus to that community. Amen!
We will fulfill the Great Commission of the Lord to go and make disciples..
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let us not forget the last part..
Jesus is incarnational, He is also our Immanuel.
Immanuel
The end of the age — means that Jesus is coming soon, the rapture is at hand.. and while...