In Tandem With God: Sharing The Good Things About Jesus Series

Are you enjoying the Olympics?

Every time they come about I seem to find myself watching more tv.

And people who were no bodies around 6 weeks ago,

become household names and heroes.

Did you see Steve Hooker pole vault 5.96 metres to win the gold medal and set a new Olympic record?

When the heats were on for the pole vaulting I thought another desperate Aussie making up the numbers in track and field?

Australians are not supposed to be good at athletics, our forte is swimming.

But that’s because I didn’t know him.

If I’d done some research before the Olympics I would have probably made sure I was watching Steve Hooker pole vault.

You see earlier this year he pole vaulted 6 metres in Perth.

Imagine that.

And that for around 12 months he had pole vaulted the highest of anyone else in official competitions.

It was because I didn’t know him or about him I didn’t know how good he was.

If I had known about him he probably would have made sure I was watching to see how would go.

And as disciples of Jesus Christ each one of us are called to know how good he is and share how good Jesus is.

You see we are God’s mouth piece amongst the people he has placed us with.

There is a church in Germany that has a crucifix,

Jesus hanging on the cross

but the interesting thing is that this Jesus has no hands.

The story behind the crucifix is that during one of the wars the church was bombed and the crucifix fell down and the hands broke off.

The priest at the time said don’t repair it.

Let it as it is as a reminder that we are Jesus’ hands in this community.

And like wise we are in tandem with God when we share his good news and this involves knowing who Jesus is.

Listen to something written to the early Christians that we can find in 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

So who do you say Jesus is?

Who do you say Jesus is?

It seems like a simple question but there are many different answers.

There are many different views on Jesus.

Many different perceptions.

Our reading today is set in Caesera of Phillipi.

This was a melting pot of spirituality.

A supermarket shelf full of ways to heaven, to God, to a better life.

Prominent was Baal.

The Greek God Pan.

And the Romans worshipped they worshipped their leaders.

So if we were Romans we would bowing down and worshipping the Rudd god and the Americans the Bush god.

And so no wonder the following discussion took place.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Now think about your own situation.

Who do the people you interact with say Jesus is?

Many people can acknowledge Jesus

but have their perceptions of Jesus wrong or not complete.

Who do people say Jesus is in your life?

Around Australia many parents choose to send their children to Christian schools.

Which can be a good thing.

Christian schools offer good education,

they complement the work of the church and the home in nurturing the faith

they are a good witness to the community.

However when we were in Adelaide we made friends with some parents who chose to send their child to a Christian school so they could get a little bit of Jesus.

So their children could get a little bit of Jesus.

Because a little bit of Jesus is a good thing.

When we explored this further what they believed was Jesus was a good moral teacher, and that is what their children needed.

And many view Jesus as just that, a good moral teacher and nothing more.

There would be many people who view Jesus as only a good moral teacher.

Our Islam friends say something similar.

Jesus is a good prophet, but for them that is all he is.

Others only know Jesus as the judge.

Just after the September 11th attacks occurred a few preachers came out and said these attacks were the direct result of homosexual sin in America.