Who do you say I am?
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Today we’re going to cover the next statement of faith we have as a church family.
This one is a big one and will cover two weeks. And we might go at this a bit differently.
Rather than just discuss the items that are in this statement, we’re going to look at the possible outcomes if we do or don’t believe these things.
So we’ve covered that we believe in God’s Word. That it was written by God …using people. Over 1500 years by 40 plus people 3 languages but story line. And there are many many more reasons we can trust it.
Our next belief statement had to do with the trinity…or the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We looked at how they all work together with one will and that they are essentially one God…three persons…but one. Which makes our heads spin around in a way but, if we were able to completely able to figure God out…I’m not sure that we would essentially need Him. And if we are imperfect…and He’s perfect…we know that there’s going to be a mysterious nature to this understanding. God Himself said, My ways are not humanity’s ways, my ways are higher than your ways. So there we go. But we trust in God that what we read about Him, in His Word, that we also trust in, we trust that He is true and loves us.
Today we’re looking at Jesus. Here’s the statement:
We believe in the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, in His Virgin birth, in His sinless
life, in His miracles, In His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in
His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in his present
rule as head of the Church and look forward to his personal return in power and glory.
So synopses:
Jesus - both God and man, virgin birth, sinless, able to do miracles, died on the cross in our place, came back to life (spirit and body), went back to Heaven, is coming back again.
So last week we looked at how Jesus is part of the trinity. Individually Jesus, but in essence God as well.
We’re going to divide the list we just looked at into four parts…today will be…Jesus, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, ability to do miracles.
Deity, Virgin Birth, Sinless Life, Miracles
Two weeks ago we talked about how we trust in God’s word.
God’s word has something to say about Jesus and all of these things.
So here’s what we are going to focus on today.
Matthew 16:14-16
In Matthews account of Jesus (Mark and Luke as well), but in Matthew’s account we have a time when Jesus is near the region of Caesarea Philippi. Last year we talked about this account. This area was known for religious activity. Many (g)ods and (g)oddesses were worshiped here in this area. You could say it was a hotbed of religious activity.
Different places are known for different thing…this place is known for religiosity.
It’s here that Jesus asks His disciples a pointed question. They had seen Him for awhile now. Miracles and all. They had heard His words. They had heard some of what He said about himself.
He first asks…who do other people say I am? They give some answers.
And now Jesus asks them a question. Many of you will remember this question.
Matthew 16:15 (CSB)
15 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say I am?”
Meaning…now that you’ve gotten to know me a bit and you’ve heard me…what do you really believe?
That’s a huge question. And here’s why its huge. Jesus knows that whey they believe about Him matters. And it matters because eternity is at stake.
This isn’t just a ....hey do you believe I’m a cool guy? Or am I your favorite religious leader? Do I do miracles better than… This isn’t what He’s asking. He’s asking a question that determines Heaven or Hell. Closeness with God or separation from God. This, I think for us, very well could be the biggest question of our lives.
Remember our little pyramid? Belief, Values, Actions
Our beliefs are like the foundation upon which we place value in the world. And from those values, we act and speak and think.
The way we need to approach this will help us as we continue to grow as a church family. What we do. How we do it. Our focus. How we change.
Deity, Virgin Birth, Sinless Life, Miracles
If Jesus really is who He said He is, does it matter? Does it change your life?
Jesus is very much the central figure in why we exist as a church. I think you’d all agree to that correct? In fact, we’re called the body of Christ.
Now…are we the body of Christ…but we only believe certain things about this Christ? Or do we believe what He said?
Last week I referenced something called progressive Christianity. And basically, this is when you place your personal opinions of things over top the Bible …God’s Word… you place your words over top of God’s word with the thought that you’re making God’s word better. Maybe more palatable to people around us. Maybe more in line with Culture so it doesn’t seem so offensive.
And I get that…we don’t want to offend people or be disliked by people. Difficulty here is this…Jesus said we will be hated if we follow Him. But then He said don’t worry, He’s the one they ultimately hate. He said in this world you will have trouble. He also said that His truth is offensive to the world.
So wow…now we have to believe this too....deity/humanity, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles....and that if we believe in these things we’ll be thought of as fools. Ok...
Do you believe these things?
It’s a big question. And to many of your surprise…this is a hotly debated topic right now. Is Jesus really who He said He was?
Let me add to that…this is a hotly debated topic....within the American church today.
Let me fill you in a bit on what I mean.
A survey taken recently about what people think about Christian principles shows us some pretty significant results.
It is called The State of Theology, and it simply asked people a bunch of questions about Jesus, about truth, about morality, and about the church. And this wasn’t just for Christians to answer…but many people were Christians.
The numbers I’m going to mention to you are how people who said they were Christian…how they responded.
About 65% who answered, answered that they agreed with the statement that Jesus was a created being.
30% believe that Jesus is not God.
42% believe that God will accept those who worship in other religions.
The difficulty here, is this. And maybe you’ve never really considered these things before. Maybe you’ve never really thought whether or not you have strong feelings for any of these things before…so maybe you’d fall into some of these statistics...
The reason I say we would have some difficulty here is this…Scripture affirms that Jesus wasn’t created, that he claimed to be God, and that He is the only way to be forgiven of sin.
****Man and God - Born a man, virgin birth, but claimed to be God as well.
Mary…response....you are going to have God’s son. Mary, “What?!” Angel, “God will overshadow you and you will become pregnant.” Mary, who knows how babies come into the world…says, “How does that work?” Angel, “With God, all things are possible.”
Deity - Born a man, but also the Son of God. Both. Not 50/50.
During a discussion with some Pharisees about himself, His authority and His identity, they question Him whether or not He is who He is claiming to be. A reference to their Father Abraham is made…that Abraham would be jealous that they got to meet and see and talk with Jesus…Jesus being the final piece of a promise given to Abraham, that someone from His family would be born to bless the whole world (the messiah). Right there, Jesus is making a claim to be answer to that promise. And they say, wait, you’re not even 50 years old. Jesus answered
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”
I Am - significance!!! OT - This is who God told Moses that He was. The “I AM” which gramatically means…always was always am always will be…eternal. God.
I am God.
The picked up stones.
***Virgin Birth - We already referenced this one. Mary was an unwed…which if you follow the biblical definition of marriage, means more than just a signature on a form. And if you follow the narrative given by Matthew and Luke, you read that she was expecting by means of God’s spirit.
Matthew 1:20 (CSB)
20 ...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
This is a truth claim in God’s Word…we either believe the baby is from God or not.
Just as we accept it as truth what Jesus said…before Abraham was “I Am.”
Truth or not...
***Sinless life - Some believe that Jesus sinned just like all of us. I mean…how could there be anyone who never made a mistake?
5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him.
His nickname was the Lamb of God. He was the sacrificial lamb for sin. In the OT a lamb would be needed for forgive sin. So a person or family could be “right” before God. That lamb had to be a lamb without blemish.
No sin. A perfect lamb that would die to take away that thing that separates God and humanity.
Sinless. Jesus needed to be sinless in order to save us.
***Miracles - There’s a very cool account about Jesus. He’s in a house teaching…tons of people around. A person is brought by friends to be healed. But....He first told the man that because of His faith…His sins were forgiven. Whoa!!!!! What???? Only God can do that!
6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he told the paralytic, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”
7 So he got up and went home.
So in this miracle you have Jesus making a claim as to why He’s doing the miracle.
So there are those who say they believe that Jesus was a man who existed on the timeline of history…but didn’t do any miracles…a great teacher…ethical…wise…etc.etc etc.
water to wine
walking on water
storm made peaceful
catches of fish
withering of the fig tree
the two separate loaves and fishes miracles
healing of blind, lame
miracles involving demons
people coming back to life
He coming back to life Himself!
Either those happened or they didn’t.
I look at the miracles and I see Jesus bringing Heaven to earth. Looking at a person who’s ill and saying…this isn’t what is suppose to be. Having compassion on people …forgiving sin and healing bodies. Looking at someone who had died and saying come back…giving us the picture that there is much more to life than now we have defined it. He’s saying…this is reality! These are little pictures of full life!
BTW - meme…life is short..so get out of it all you can!
Life is forever, so choose to live all of it with Jesus!
Everyone has eternal life…we just choose where to spend it.
It’s interesting that if you look at any of these things....God/Man, virgin birth, sinless, miracles....if any of those turn out not to be true…you have a tough time saying any of them are true.
And this will be true of the ones for next week too.
Atoning Death
Resurrection
Ascension
Coming Back
Now....We will probably all get up tomorrow morning and live life.
What does all of this have to do with how we live…tomorrow?
I mean …what does what we believe about Jesus have to do with how we live life?
I say that sarcastically.
Let’s just think about some things Jesus said ...
the teacher is asking the 5 year olds questions, and asks one specific question to little Suzie; "And why is it important for us to be quiet when we're listening to the sermon, Suzie?" To which she replied, "because the old people are sleeping."
So…are you listening? Haha…hope you’re not sleeping. Because if Jesus is who He claimed to be…these things are of utmost importance to our daily lives…how we live…how we talk…how we think...
Jesus said things like....
Love your neighbor as yourself...
He also said that if your neighbor happens to be your enemy…love them still. And pray for them.
He said, I’m the only way back to the Father…I’m the way the truth and the life…no one comes to the father but through me.
Seek the Kingdom of God first in all of life...
Repent....That’s one of His commands for life…repent…which means that we have sin we need to repent of.
Following Him means carrying a cross...
To hang on to what you think is life is the same as losing it. Lose your life, through Jesus…and receive brand new life.
What shall it profit a person if they gain the whole world (their versions of happiness) and lose their soul?
And if Jesus is who He said He is…and did what what has been recorded of Him…then this is important to think about…and to ulitmately make a decision about.
And please know…that no decision…in the end…is a decision.
Search for truth. Don’t just live life passively. Find true life…And if Jesus is who He said He is…true and real life can only be found in Him.
There are so many others.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?
Tim Keller has a great quote about Jesus and His claims.
“The claim that Jesus is God also gives us the greatest possible hope. This means that our world is not all there is, that there is life and love after death, and that evil and suffering will one day end. And it means not just hope for the world, despite all its unending problems, but hope for you and me, despite all our unending failings.”
Jesus, I think, through the Gospels…keeps saying, I have Good News!!! The world will call it short sighted and too mysterious and offensive and “old fashioned” and hateful and intolerant. Jesus says that His Word, His message, His life and death and return to Life, His way of life…is all Good News. If He is who He said He is…then that means something. It means that what the world calls us is false.
Paul says…don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. Don’t be ashamed of what the God of creation calls Good News for His people.
If that’s true…then our day tomorrow…should look and sound different than others around us who do not know the creator.
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
Those are words that we can have peace in.
The world looks for happiness. That is short sighted…and can lead to doing things selfishly…on your own terms within your own opinions.
Search for peace…that only God can give. Peace that you can have in the middle of a storm. Peace you can have when it seems things are falling down around you. Peace you can have when many around you are calling you out for being a Christ following...
If Jesus is who He said He is, He has peace for you that you can never imagine. He’s making all things new.
Follow Him