Who do YOU say Jesus is?

Luke 9:18–20 NKJV

18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” 20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

The things that people were saying about Jesus were not bad things.

John the Baptist:

• John the Baptist was the greatest man born of women, according to Jesus (Matthew 11:11)

• After the prophet Malachi died, God didn’t speak through another prophet for 400 years until John the Baptist was born & began to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus.

The Prophet Elijah

• Elijah was one of the most powerful Old Testament prophets who did tremendous miracles amongst God’s people

• Elijah never died, but was taken up from the earth in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2), so people assumed that since Jesus was doing miracles that He must have been Elijah come back to earth.

Even though these were flattering comparisons & assumptions, they fell incredibly short of who Jesus actually was - the Messiah, Emmanuel, The Savior of the World, The King of kings and Lord of lords, the Word become flesh.

Others might say all kinds of things about Jesus- BUT…who YOU say Jesus is really is the only thing that actually matters.

Have you ever mistaken someone as being someone else? If so, you may have responded to them in an incongruent way because of mistaken identity.

Story of Event in Kuala Lumpur where people were assuming we were Ministers of State (Like a Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc).

Matthew 10:41 NKJV

41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

If we receive Jesus under a wrong identity, we will miss out on who Jesus actually is!

Who do YOU say Jesus is in YOUR life?

The Healer (Luke 4:17-19) - or - The last-ditch effort

The Source (Acts 17:28) - or - A convenient accessory

The Savior (Philippians 3:20) - or - A good man & religious leader

The Lord (Acts 2:36) - or - “Wingman”

THE Way (John 14:6) - or - A Way

The Truth (John 14:6)- or - One of Many Truths

The One who loves you (Galatians 2:20) - or- The One who is disappointed in you

“Jesus Loves Me, This I know!”

Overall, do you think that God has a negative view or a positive view of you?

Do you feel like God is constantly disappointed in who you currently are & that He will only pleased with the perfect end product?

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

It is difficult to come to God when we incorrectly think He is looking to pick us apart and judge us harshly by our imperfections when He really wants to reward us.

Sometimes we are harder on ourself than God is on us.

Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV

17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

John 3:16–17 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn us.

Jesus came to offer us The Way out of the mess we were all in - to rescue us from certain and eternal death & torment!

Parents, are we offering our children condemnation & judgement, or are we offering them a better way of living?

Can our children come to us and find love, forgiveness AND help to change?

We are God’s Children through Being Born Again:

Romans 8:16–17 NKJV

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Are parents generally disappointed in the progress of their children?

They aren’t walking soon enough, they aren’t talking soon enough - Parents understand that maturity is a process.

-Of course, if there is a developmental issue, it will show up and should be lovingly addressed and helped.

God knows and understands our process of growth and maturity.

God is not disappointed in our growth.

Expect God to, lovingly and firmly, attend to the areas where we may be having a developmental issue in our growth.

Romans 8:26 NKJV

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Just One Thing:

Let’s commit to truly knowing the God of the Bible - the truth (of who He is) we know will make us free!

Discussion Questions:

What’s the most embarrassing story from your childhood?

What has been your view of who Jesus is in your life? How did this sermon change or reinforce your view of Jesus in your life?

Please read: Hebrews 3:10 and Psalm 103:7 and share why you think that knowing God’s ways is more important than just knowing His acts. Have you ever seen this distinction make a difference in your personal life? If so, please share a quick story about that.

What aspect of God’s true Biblical identity would you like to begin to truly know by experience? Share a little about why.