Conversations with Jesus

Have you ever had a deep personal honest conversation with a friend that changed your life? One of those moments when they had just the right words or asked just the right questions?

Over the years I have had time at different points in my life to sit down and speak to mentors about my life, my ministry, and even my family life. Sometimes those conversations were mostly me talking and venting, other times, I listened and received their wisdom as a blessing for my life.

Words have Power

Words have Power, power to change us! Everyone remembered Abraham’s Gettysburg Address. But his speech was not even the keynote address that day. Instead the crowd had gathered to hear, “Edward Everett, a former congressman and Harvard president who was probably the nation’s most celebrated orator in 1863. Everett gave a two-hour long speech which was probably well received at the moment, but which is now almost totally ignored.” (https://michaelhyatt.com/words-changed-history/) Instead it was a two minute speech of the 16th president that changed the direction of our nation at the conclusion of the Civil War. As Thomas Kidd says,

“Apt, passionate words, delivered at the right moment, sometimes changes the course of history.” THOMAS KIDD

(https://michaelhyatt.com/words-changed-history/)

Conversations with Jesus

My hope today is that we would each be able to put ourselves at the table with Jesus and have one of these Life Changing, History Changing, conversations. I want you, in your heart, to sit down across the table from Jesus and ask him whatever is on your heart. More than that, I want us to hear what Jesus has to say to us. I want to hear what Jesus wants to ask of me. I need his words more than life itself.

At Cookson Hills the break through moments never come in the time and place we expect. They come on a schedule only God knows and understands. We know God is whispering and moving in the hearts of our kids every day, and when they open their hearts to him they find a God who hears and a God who answers.

The key to any relationship is communication. Even with Jesus. So what would you talk about if you could sit down across a cup of coffee with Jesus? What questions would you ask Jesus?

Just as important, how does one really have a conversation with Jesus? Will Jesus even answer my questions? Will talking to Jesus really make a difference in my life?

Take a moment and write down a real question you would want to talk to Jesus about.

(No one will read your card)

Conversations with Jesus

One of the ways you can begin exploring the questions we have is going to the scriptures and looking at some of the conversations Jesus did have with real people while he was still here on planet earth. Obviously we don’t have a record of every conversation Jesus ever had, but we have enough. We know what he said to the religious and the sinners. We know what he said to those seeking him and those who wanted to murder him. We know how he responded to the poor and the wealthy.

Much of the Gospel is simply Jesus’ words as he responds to the people he met.

The gospels are records of conversations. Some were started by people like you and me, and some by Jesus himself. And the words were so revolutionary, so apt, so passionate, so history changing and life changing that the people who heard Jesus the most wrote it down so we could come to the table and sit and hear these conversations.

One of those converstation we will look at together, happens in the early part of Jesus ministry. After changing water to wine, after the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem, after performing miraculous sings in the famous city, and preaching about God’s Kingdom, a religious teacher comes to Jesus for a private conversation. The Gospel of John says this:

John 2:23–3:2 (NLT)

Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him.

But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people.

No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.

I need you to remember something as we enter into conversation with Jesus:

Jesus knows us in a way so intimate that he knows us better than we know ourselves.

God Says:

Deuteronomy 31:21 (ESV)

For I know what they are inclined to do...

The Psalmist writes:

Psalm 139:2 ESV

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.