Preaching Jesus

Preaching Jesus Christ

TEXT: Acts 8:21-36

INTRODUCTION:1. One of the arguments for the existence of God is the worshipping nature of man.

2. I have often made the argument that man has never found the remains an atheistic society.

3. There seems to be something in man that says there is more to life than the physical world.

4. Russia is living testimony to this argument.

5. Since 1917 the USSR was an atheistic nation. It was against the law to teach anyone (even your children about God).

6. And yet after 75 years of this policy only about half of the Russian people claim to be atheists.

7. And most of those still believe in spiritual forces.

8. One of the tragedies of atheism is that when man takes the Bible away from the people superstition replaces it.

9. After the fall of the Berlin wall, I was one of the first Americans to teach the gospel in Archangel Russia – a city of 400,000 on the White Sea Just south of the Arctic Circle.

10. I studied with a young female university student whose Grandmother was practicing black arts and had claimed to steal away her image in water. She had been sick lately (not surprising that far north). and wondered if her Grandmother was cursing her. This bright articulate university student was terrified by her Grandmother’s power.

11. The Columnists had tried to free the people from religion, but, freedom from God is no freedom at all. It brings spiritual ignorance fear and slavery to the forces of darkness.

12. How would you have answered the girl’s fears.

13. I thought for a few minutes and said, "Let me tell you about some real magic. Let me tell you about Jesus."

DISCUSSION:I. His birth was a miracle that no one could have faked.

A. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:21-23 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

B. Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

C. Luke 2:1-6 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

II. His power was demonstrated by his miracles.

A. Power over real sickness.

Matthew 11:5 "The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Luke 17:12-15 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

B. Power over death.

John 11:39-44 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."