Mary, Did You Know? Series

<>The problem and the fallacy of tolerance is that it IS important to be more than just sincere.

--It’s quite possible to be sincere and yet sincerely, and tragically, wrong.

-->Instead, I want to be more than just tolerant of different views.

---I want to help spare individuals from the consequences of wrong decisions.

---Therefore, I want to help them understand that Jesus is so much more than just a religious icon to be tolerated.

3) A DEITY TO BE VENERATED.

--James 2:19 -- “You believe that there is one God. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”

-->In the most recent poll, 80% of Americans claim they believe that Jesus really IS the Son of God...He’s more than just a good man.

---Yet, less than 80% are regular church attendees, so many are not letting their belief in Jesus’ deity affect their behavior, their morals, their actions.

---ILL>I’m reminded of an old pioneer who traveled westward across the Great Plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him...the steep edge, the vast chasm over one mile down, 18 miles across, more than 100 miles long. Then he gasped, and exclaimed, “Something happened here!”

-->In the same way, when people view our actions, our lives, they should be able to see that something has happened to us.

---Our lives should be dramatically different from having come into contact with Jesus.

-->It’s much more than just knowing in our heads that Jesus is God.

<>Those who hold that Jesus is God but don’t let that belief affect their lives are falling victim to the “Fatal Twelve Inches” phenomena.

--It’s the distance between believing in their heads, but not letting Jesus into their hearts.

<>There is a great difference between knowing ABOUT Jesus and truly KNOWING Jesus.

---ILL>I know a lot ABOUT George Bush. I know he’s from Texas, where he served as governor. I know he’s married to Laura and has two twin daughters. I know he has a dog named Boots, and that his dad is a former U.S. President. I know he’s a Republican and is a two-term President of the United States. But I don’t really know George Bush personally. I’ve never sat down with him over a meal, never spent even one day with him, I don’t know what truly makes him tick. Laura does. She knows him intimately, what he likes and dislikes, how he’s going to react and what his views are on everything. But I don’t.

<>Those who acknowledge Jesus’ deity but haven’t allowed Him to be Lord of their lives have counterparts in those to whom James wrote his epistle in the New Testament.

--James, the brother of Jesus, wrote to the first century Jews and expressed to them that their correct notion of God being only one (as in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one.”), was insufficient in and of itself.

--In James 2:19, he tells them, “You believe that there is one God. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”

-->Did you catch it? Just believing that Jesus is God is NOT ENOUGH.

---In fact, the demons believe what you believe about Jesus. They even shudder at the thought.