Identifying with Jesus
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 38:27
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· 6 viewsJohn 7:19-31 "Identifying with Jesus"
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ILLUST - Funny Nicknames - any to share?
In a world obsessed with “identification”
How do you identify?
How Can We Identify With Jesus?
1) Name-Calling
1) Name-Calling
Two sexes, male and female
Dangerous idolatry - gender binaries!
Vatican even supporting gender fluidity
Marriage - one man and one woman
We are against “marriage justice” or “marriage equity”
Parents’ rights?
You are a domestic terrorist
Oppose atheists?
You are a prejudiced Christian nationalist
ILLUST: Extremists - Barna
Jesus is called “demon-possessed”
As in, “you are crazy, under some influence”
Puffed-up lunatic, or “paranoid”
POINT - When you name-call, you refuse to take someone seriously - and you superficially make yourself feel better than someone else
“Who’s trying to kill You?”
“Uh…remember when I healed on the Sabbath?”
“Oh....that, yeah...”
Basically - we don’t like your message, so you must be the problem
2) Purpose of the Law
2) Purpose of the Law
Understand it, to identify with Jesus
To the Jews in leadership:
To the Jews in leadership:
To lord over others
613 laws became thousands - dependent on the Rabbi
Ignored the basics, though
REM - Jesus - two commandments
Love God
Love one another
Jesus challenges them with murder, circumcision
POINT: They allow one body part to be dealt with on Sabbath (if 8th day)
But Jesus is in trouble for healing a whole body!
To Jesus
To Jesus
Point to Him
Law is tutor - Galatians 3:24
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
GOSPEL
All sinners - even breaking just one law - James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
10 COMMANDMENTS
First 4 - relationship to God
Next 6 - relationship to others
To understand Jesus, must understand your need for the Gospel
Yes, understand the Law
Understand you CANNOT keep it
So…then what?
3) Knowing The Father
3) Knowing The Father
First, a point on righteous judgment (v. 24)
Judging on appearances = misconceptions, erroneous conclusions
Confusion abounded about the return of Messiah
Those in vv 25-26 could not understand why this man was allowed to be teaching in the temple?
After all, the Jewish leaders know this isn’t Messiah, right?
Right? Really?
So they begin to assert that nobody knows where Jesus is from, or that He is not from the proper place
1 - Some say He’s from Galilee - Messiah can’t be from there
2 - Some say they know He’s from Galilee - and when Messiah comes, nobody is supposed to know where Messiah is from, so Jesus can’t be Messiah
Um….Bethlehem, hello???
Jesus: “You know Me, you know where I am from”
Buch of zealous, religious idiots! (Job 11:12, Biblical word
Knowing Christ - for us
They don’t know Him b/c they don’t know the Father (truly know Him)
V. 29 - He knows the Father, so to know Jesus is to know the Father
reconciliation is possible, must know the Father
This section - “will anyone come greater than this Man?”
Answer - NO
CLOSE - Reverse point order
Listen, consider, be challenged
Do you know the Father? Really...
This means you have trusted His plan - Jesus
You can recite a prayer, memorize the Lord’s Prayer, and not know the Father
The law, works
Lots of works-based “religion” around
How good a person do you have to be?
How good is “good enough?”
See Gal 2:21
“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
Stick to the truth, you’ll be called names
Racist, phobic, prejudiced, anti-woman
? ASIDE - quote: Strong men protect women; strong women protect children; strong families protect society
Society makes weak men, leaving women to be weak and children vulnerable
God knew what He was doing when He created man and woman
Name-calling
What does the world today think about our message?
First, what IS our message??
Do we sound more like the world or the WORD?
Best name to be called - Christian - “little Christ”
Jesus was literally perfect, and hated anyway
Forget what the world thinks of you, think of pleasing God
Want to call me names? Fine, I’ll ell you about Jesus
Racist? - I’ll explain how God created ONE human race, all need Jesus
Prejudice against marriage equity? - I’ll explain how God created marriage in Genesis, and how marriage between one man and one woman is God’s plan to point people to Him - reflection of His love for us, shown in Jesus!
Extremist? Narrow minded? - Yep, following Jesus puts me on that narrow path; but to be honest, those not following Him are the extremists, as they are extremely far from Him; But…Jesus does tell us to pick a side, His or not.
Christian? ABSOLUTELY, and I’ll explain what that means, born again, spiritually, a “little Christ” - at least i hope people see a little of Christ in me - the plan is for people to see a LOT of Jesus in me.
Call me a name that shows I follow Jesus, and……
I’ll show you Phil 2:10
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Oh, by the way
Merry Christmas!
Not Happy Holidays - MERRY CHRISTMAS!