Lordship And Acceptance Series

TREASURES FROM THE SCRIPTURES - MATTOON'S TREASURES – TREASURES FROM LUKE, VOLUME 2.

IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN AWAY OR DENY THE DIETY OF CHRIST, YOU CAN VOID HIS LORDSHIP OF YOUR LIFE

v. 2 REASONS FOR REJECTING CHRIST

1. WE REJECT WHAT WE KNOW IN OUR HEARTS TO BE TRUE

2. WE REJECT WHAT WE KNOW FOR FEAR OF OTHERS

II. THE VALUE OF JESUS – ACCEPTING WHAT WE KNOW

a. AFTER FINING OUT WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK, JESUS ASKS THE DISCIPLES WHAT THEY THINK

i. PETER ANSWERS

ii. ANSWERING FOR THE GROUP

b. “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD”

i. PETER WAS DECLARING THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH

ii. THE ONE WHO FULFILLED ALL THE PROMISES TO ISRAEL

iii. THE OLD TESTAMENT SPOKE OF THE MESSIAH AS MORE THAN A PERSON

ISAIAH 9:6 (NIV) FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE.

MICAH 5:2 (NIV) "BUT YOU, BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH, THOUGH YOU ARE SMALL AMONG THE CLANS OF JUDAH, OUT OF YOU WILL COME FOR ME ONE WHO WILL BE RULER OVER ISRAEL, WHOSE ORIGINS ARE FROM OF OLD, FROM ANCIENT TIMES."

c. WHAT WE RECEIVE WHEN JESUS IS WHERE HE NEEDS TO BE

i. “BLESSED” – THE WORD MEANS “SPECIAL FAVOR”

1. FOLLOWING CHRIST FOR WHO HE IS IS THE ONLY SECURE VICTORY WE HAVE – REDEMPTION FORWARD

ii. HUMAN UNDERSTANDING CAN ONLY TAKE US SO FAR. SEEKING TO KNOW JESUS AS HE REALLY IS COMES FROM THE FATHER

iii. KNOWING CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE REST OF OUR CHRISTIAN WALK IS BUILT

1. NO FOUNDATION, NO BUILDING

2. WEAK FOUNDATION – WEAK BUILDING

3. STRONG FOUNDATION – STRONG BUILDING

iv. BUILT ON WHAT

1. THREE VIEWS AS TO WHAT THIS MEANS

2. PETER IS WHAT THE CHURCH IS BUILT ON

3. JESUS IS WHAT THE CHURCH IS BUILT ON

4. THE TESTIMONY OF PETER – WHAT IS BELIEVED ABOUT CHRIST IS WHAT THE CHURCH IS BUILT ON

WHAT BUILDS THE CHURCH IN GENERAL AND BETHANY IN PARTICULAR IS OUR CONCLUSION TO WHO CHRIST IS – GOOD MAN, ROLE MODEL, OR GOD

A TESTIMONY LIVED OUT IN ACTION IS A STRONG COMMUNICATION AS TO WHO JESUS IS AND WHY WE EXIST AS A CHURCH

III. THE CAUTION/DANGER IN KNOWING WHO CHRIST REALLY IS

a. IF WE DO NOT SEE JESUS AS GOD AND HENCE LORD OF OUR LIVES, WE ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW HIM

i. JUST A GOOD MAN

ii. JUST A ROE MODEL

b. IF WE DO SEE JESUS AS GOD AND HENCE LORD OF OUR LIFE THEN WE ARE UNDER OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW HIM.

i. BE USED BY JESUS IN BUILDING HIS CHURCH

ii. BE USED BY HIM IN MINISTRY

1. DENY HIMSELF – PUT OUR OWN AMBITIONS ASIDE

2. TAKE UP OUR CROSS – A CONVICTED CRIMINAL IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS REQUIRED TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS AND THEREBY SHOW HIS SUBMISSION TO ROME

3. FOLLOW JESUS

c. WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WE DO NOT LET WHAT WE THINK THAT MEANS GET IN THE WAY OF WHAT GOD MEANS BY IT

i. JESUS TALKED OPENLY ABOUT HIS DEATH

ii. PETER WHO JUST CONFESSED THE DEITY AND LORDSHIP OF CHRIST WENT TO REBUKE CHRIST.

iii. JESUS LOOKED AT PETER AND SAID, “GET BEHIND ME SATAN.”

1. SAME TACTIC SATAN USED ON JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS – YOU DON’T HAVE TO DIE TO COMPLETE YOUR PLAN

2. THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE – WE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE FROM THE THREE PRAYERS OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN