Got Jesus?

TITLE: GOT JESUS?

SCRIPTURE: II TIMOTHY 1:3-14

I spent much time in prayer the past few days seeking God’s face as to where we need to go this morning for this final Pastoral Sermon of the year. Christmas celebrations have come to an end, yet there is still excitement in the air as we come together this day after Christmas to worship and bring closure to 2010 as it relates to Sunday Morning Worship Experiences.

When the Lord led me to this interesting passage of Scripture and I must admit I was challenged to really hear what God was saying in an effort to Feed the Flock this morning. Once I began to see the focus and direction as to what God was saying to us, the text became alive in my spirit. So, I am excited to stand in the pulpit on this final Sunday Morning of 2010 to bring the final message that God has for this Church this morning. I pray that we listen attentively as the foundation for Perfected Praise Worship Center (PPWC) is strengthened by the Word of God during this final Sunday of the Year.

After reading the text a few times, I found my mind wondering back some 17 years ago when a well-known Commercial made its debut on Television. Maybe some of you above 35 years of age will remember one of the first commercials involving a man sitting at his table with a mouth full of peanut butter and no milk to wash it down.

• A man who suddenly receives a phone call from a local radio station to answer the $10,000 trivia question

• He knows the answer and so desperately tries to get it out but can’t because his mouth is full of peanut butter

• His answer is unintelligible

• He loses out on the prize

• And the commercial ends with the tagline “GOT MILK?”

• Since then countless celebrities and athletes have sported the famous milk moustache

In a world of countless beverage choices - the question, “Got Milk?” continues to remind people about the wholesome goodness of plain, old milk. Got Milk? A good question:

• The role of milk is to nourish, provide immune protection and for bone strengthening

• Milk has been a food source for humans since the beginning to time

• Nutritional value of milk is high

So, “Got Milk” is a very good question, but not nearly as good as the question I have for us this morning – and lift up as a thought -- GOT JESUS? It's really a much more important question than “Got milk?”

• Milk is beneficial for good health, and strong bones and teeth

• But Jesus is helpful in so many more ways!

In a world where there are countless choices when it comes to religion, and countless opinions concerning how someone gets into heaven, GOT JESUS? - is the most important question you can ask a person in life. "GOT JESUS?" is a much more important question than "Got Milk?" While milk is beneficial for good health, strong bones and teeth - Jesus is beneficial for life.

• He is the only One who can forgive our sins

• He is the only One who can Grant us eternal life in heaven with God

• He is the only One who can Deliver us from sickness

• He is the only One who can Transform our lives into something meaningful

• He is the only One who can Grant us new life

• He is the only One who can Give us Peace that Surpasses All Understanding

• He is the only One who can walk with us daily through whatever trials may come our way

There are some interesting dynamics going on in our text this morning. Let’s spend a few minutes connecting our topic with our text. In our text Paul was so thankful that Timothy “GOT JESUS.” In fact he begins by saying, “I thank God, whom I serve…as day and night I remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” Isn’t that something?

• Do we thank God enough for the encouragement we receive through fellow believers?

• Do we strive to be the kind of people bringing the kind of encouragement to others that makes them long to see us so that they might be filled with joy?

• Timothy did and Paul thanked God for it!

• He thanked God for Timothy’s faith and the way he let it shine brightly for others to see!

I am not sure PPWC that we fully understand and appreciate some of the personalities that God has bought together at this place. On Sunday morning we have a wonderful Sister that greats us with excitement and exuberance - makes us feel that this is our first experience at PPWC. We have a Bishop no matter where we are he greets us as though he has not seen us for weeks. He does this in the Church – Job – Shopping – Visiting. These are the same traits that Paul said he was Thankful for and found in Timothy.