Knowing Jesus

Galatians 4:4–7 NKJV

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Coming of Jesus was a new thing

Jesus came at an appointed time, in a chosen way for a divine purpose.

He came

++To redeem a covenant people

++To bring a Spirit of Adoption to everyone

++To restore a broken relationship

Isaiah 43:18–19 NKJV

18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Life is full of Choices

My granddaughter came over one day. A typical day with grandpa. we would cook, eat sit on the couch, eat popcorn and watch a movie or read a book. this day I said, lets play a game. She suggested “the story of LIFE.”

Do you remember this game? It was a game filled with choices. After setting up the board, we realized that some pieces of the game was missing, no pets, no children, no houses.

Have you ever felt like in your life there are some things missing?

It all looked so complete

It wasn’t the pieces that were present that delayed the game. It was the missing pieces

These missing pieces made it impossible to play the game.

When we are faced with a challenge in life, it is easy to focus on the problem, what is missing, what is broken.

Christians are not immune to difficult times.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 NKJV

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

They were

++Hard-pressed on every side

++Perplexed

++Persecuted

++Struck down

It is said that “behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining”

They were are not

++crushed

++in despair

++Forsaken

++Destroyed

I am still here!

Not because of who I am but because of who He is

The Sun is still shining

John 8:12 NKJV

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

The light is still on

John 1:1–4 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John called Jesus the true light.

John 1:9 NKJV

9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

In Him was life

His life

++Was the Light of _men_

++Give light to every _man_

This was his purpose

Philippians 2:5–11 NKJV

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5–7 NLT

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

Jesus Is God

The Word God means- one that must be worshipped as having supernatural abilities.

God is

++self existing, needing nothing to be

++eternal having no ending or beginning

++all knowing, powerful and everywhere present at the same time.

For God to be Jesus

++He did not cling to his divine attribute.

++He limited himself

++He had to be fully man

Philippians 2:8 NLT

8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Jesus did not come to be God, he came to be (man) human.

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was already God.

John 1:1–3 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 3:33–34 NKJV

33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

Have you recieved His testimony?

Have you testified that God is true?

This is not the work of the flesh

It is the work of God

1 Peter 1:22–23 NKJV

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

Jesus has always been God.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Revelation 1:8 NKJV

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

God showed himself in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NKJV

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

All we have to do is receive Him

John 1:11–12 NKJV

11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.