I Want To Know Christ Series

I Want To Know Christ

Video – Who Is Jesus?

Luke writes in the 9th chapter of his gospel;

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:18-20 (NIV)

Prayer…

Throughout your life you have been and you will be asked many questions. NOW - some questions are not really that big of a deal? LIKE…

• Paper or plastic?

• Regular or decaf?

• Hot or mild?

• Medium or well done

• Coke or Pepsi

AND – other questions are pretty important, LIKE…

• Where are you going to college?

• What career to you want to pursue?

• Who are you going to marry?

• How many children are you going to have?

• Are you going to fight to restore that relationship or just give up and cash it in?

ALL – pretty important questions… BUT UNDERSTAND – there is one central question that we all must; deal, wrestle and struggles with for our entire lives… IT IS – a question that was asked 2,000 years ago… AND IT IS – a question that still continues to be asked today by that Galilean carpenter… “Who do you say I am?”

The most important question that you will ever be asked… THE - most important answer that you will ever give… IS – to that VERY question. Who do you say that Jesus is….?

THIS MORNING - we kick off our sermon series; I Want To Know Christ…

• It’s a message series that is going to change lives in radical and unbelievable ways… In fact it is going to transform them… something entirely different is going to emerge – when we are done. Caterpillar in, butterfly out.

AND LISTEN - some of the lives that will be changed are in this room right now… (hey take a moment to look around this room… Listen – some of the people you just looked at will not be the same people anymore)

AND – some of the lives this message series is going to radically transform… Have never even been in this room before…

AND - some of those changed lives just might be; your neighbors, co-workers, family or friends…

QUESTION – how can I be so confident that lives will really be changed in this place? Is it because I think that I am ‘all that’ when it comes to preaching?

NO – it’s because of what Jesus said during the final week of His life…When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself… - John 12:32

NOW – Jesus was talking specifically about being lifted up on the cross… BUT LISTEN – I believe that we still can lift Jesus up today… WE CAN - lift Him up in our lives… in this church, in our worship, in our teaching, in our speech – in our lifestyles… (Him not our personal agendas or opinions)…

AND – when we do, people will be drawn to Him…

NOW THIS MORNING - I just want to introduce the series ‘I Want To Know Christ…’ AND – I want to do that by making 3 simple statements… The first statement is;

I. We Don’t Fully Know Him

Let me repeat that… “we don’t fully know Jesus…”

QUESTION – what do you think of that statement?

How does it make you feel (confused, angry, offended, insecure)?

Do you agree with it?

Does it kind of tick you off that I would even say such a thing?

I MEAN – you got up this morning, you came to church, you sang about Jesus… IN – a few minutes you will take communion and you’re your offerings. Things you have done for years… AND – then some guy up stands up front and tells you, you don’t fully know Jesus…

NOW A MAN - who had many personal encounters with Jesus.

A MAN - who spent 3 years one-on-one with Jesus being taught by Him in Arabia.

A MAN - who Jesus asked to personally represent him to the gentiles.

A MAN - who Jesus gave the power; to heal, perform miracles and even raise the dead.

A MAN - who had totally and radically given his life for Jesus.

A MAN - who was willing to go without food or water, be beaten, betrayed, whipped, stoned and put into prison… ALL - in order to live for Jesus.

A MAN - who Jesus asked to write 13 books of the N.T..

A MAN - who said, meant, embodied and lived the following statement… “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain…” 2,000 years ago from a prison cell, THAT MAN, the apostle Paul wrote;