Getting a Right Focus (6)
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:56
0 ratings
· 31 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Turn to and read Psalm 8:1, 9
O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Now as a reminder from last week...
Ryrie’s Basic Theology VII. Father
a name in Bible times was more than an identification; it was descriptive of its bearer, often revealing some characteristic of a person.
What were the three names of God, from the Old Testament, that we looked at last Wednesday?
Elohim - The Strong One
Jehovah - The Self-Existent One
Adonai - Lord
This week, we want to look at the names of God that are used in the New Testament.
We see the first two, used together, in John 20:28:
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Theos
Theos
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
This is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament name, “Elohim.”
This is the most frequently used name for “God” in the New Testament.
While there is much that we may learn about God from this name, there are two truths that I would like to bring out.
He is the only true God.
He is the only true God.
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
He is Savior.
He is Savior.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
If God is the only true God and He is Savior then that means that there is only way for a person to attain eternal life. What the Bible teaches and what we believe is that God and the Gospel message is exclusive.
However, this is not what the world believes and it definitely is not what the world teaches.
“Pluralism [believes] that there is more than one valid religion and that no single religion has a monopoly on truth. It asserts that there are many paths up the same mountain. Ultimately, so the claim goes, we’ll all meet at the top in our respective spiritual journeys.”
https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2017/may/one-path-evangelism-scandalizing-exclusivity-of-jesus.html
That is the culture in which we live. That is the culture in which we have been called, by God, to be a light and a witness.
Kurios
Kurios
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
This is the the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament name, “Adonai.”
This name emphasizes God’s authority and supremacy. (If I had seen the risen Lord as Thomas did, I likely would have declared the same thing!)
He is Lord, he is Lord! He is risen from the dead, and he is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
God’s authority was never more on display than when He rose from the dead.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Our enemy is constantly seeking to force us to bow the knee to his supposed authority.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
He tried it with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But I love their response:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
He even tried to bribe Jesus Christ into bowing to his “authority.”
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Christ’s response?
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Allow me to add this: If our enemy cannot force us to bow the knee to his authority, he will try to trick us into bowing the knee to his “authority.”
As part of an effort to say "we're all in this together," Kellogg's has combined several of its cereals into one package to support an LGBTQ "anti-bullying" campaign.
The back of the cereal box reads:
All Together Cereal is a symbol of belonging no matter how you look, where you're from or who you love. We believe that all young people, and those young at heart, deserve an environment where they can grow up to be their best selves. That's why we've joined forces with GLAAD by going purple on Spirit Day to stand up against bullying in all forms, and to support a more accepting world for LGBTQ youth.
But, we must remember that there is no one who has greater authority than God. There is no one who has greater power than God.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
If we know Christ as our Savior, let’s live in light of the truth which Thomas proclaimed in John 20:28 no matter how hard or subtly the world seeks to push us to bow the knee to something or someone other than God.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
When Thomas used these names in John 20:28, he was using them in reference to Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus not only was, but is, God!
This was central to the ministry of Jesus Christ; to demonstrate to the nation of Israel that He was God; He was the Messiah.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Turn to and read Mark 2:3-12.
This naturally, then leads into the next name of God that we want to consider:
Immanuel
Immanuel
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Actually, this was also a name that was given to us in the Old Testament.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
God was with us for 33 years in the person of Jesus Christ. And, God has promised to be with us - always!
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Why is this so wonderful?
There are literally thousands of religions in the world. However, does anyone know the 5 main religions in the world?
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. (These 5 religions make up 75% of the world’s population.)
Hindus do not believe in a personal god.
Talking about love and a direct and personal relationship with God is revolutionary for Hindus because they don’t have a connection to the gods. And that a god would love us—that’s pure gold.
https://www.imb.org/2018/10/19/im-a-hindu-and-this-is-what-i-believe/
Buddhists do not believe in a personal god. They do not believe that there is any connection between humanity and god.
Although Muslims (Islam) teach that god is a personal god they also teach that god is beyond comprehension and the best way for Muslims to have a relationship of God is to obey his commands. In other words, god’s acceptance of us is based upon our behavior. What kind of relationship is that?
True Judaism teaches that god is not a person, therefore he is beyond all relationships.
Of the five main “religions” in the world, only true Christianity teaches that you can personal know and have a relationship with God!
I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses...
And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other, has ever, known!
Although God is God - He has all authority and power. He is supreme over everything. - He still desires to have a personal relationship with each of us. And we have the ability for such a relationship because of Jesus Christ.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.