Luke 9:20KJV
20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
The FTC also reports that identity theft costs $53 billion annually, and Americans spent 300 million hours resolving issues related to the crime.
BBC News 1/7/08
Top Gear is a BBC television series about motor vehicles. It is estimated to have 350 million viewers worldwide and 8 million viewers each week in the UK on BBC
It’s host Jeremy Clarkson revealed his account numbers after rubbishing the furore over the loss of 25 million people’s personal details on two computer discs.
He wanted to prove the story was a fuss about nothing.
But Clarkson admitted he was "wrong" after he discovered a reader had used the details to create a £500 ($986.75) direct debit to the charity Diabetes UK.
Clarkson published details of his Barclays account in the Sun newspaper, including his account number and sort code. He even told people how to find out his address.
"All you’ll be able to do with them is put money into my account. Not take it out. Honestly, I’ve never known such a palaver about nothing," he told readers.
Date for Real ID Implementation May 11/2008
A Real smart card that contains your U.S. government-confirmed identity, complete with biometric confirmation, plus your three credit card accounts, your check card account, and possibly even your health records.
Such a card, containing a small chip that could store kilobytes of data, could let you zoom through the toll stations on your local highway, act as a passport when you cross international borders, and contain your passwords to a number of e-commerce Web sites.
- Identification very important
- How do people identify you?
- Do they say, "Hey, there’s the guy who works at Walmart
- " Or "She’s a school teacher."
- Identification of Christ is crucial
➊ People’s Identity
- Important two other places — Mt 16:18 - Mk 8:29
- At the conclusion of feeding 5000
- Lk.9:7-8 People’s opinion
- Spun-off into the disciples thinking - Lk. 9:19
- Lk.9:8 Had spent the night in prayer for this question
People had better know who He is, because what we think about Jesus determines our eternal destiny
John 8:24KJV
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
- Peter convinced of His Truth
John 6:68-69KJV
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
People wanted to know Jesus Identity
John 10:23-33KJV
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
C.S.Lewis – Mere Christianity - p. 52
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Josh McDowell More Than a Carpenter "If he was a liar, then he was also a hypocrite because he told others to be honest, whatever the cost, while he himself taught and lived a colossal lie. He would also be a fool, because it was his claim to being God that led to his crucifixion."
❷ Christ Identity
1. Jesus Fulfilled Prophecy
> Luke 24:44KJV
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
2. Jesus Worked Miracles
Luke 7:20-22KJV
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
3. Jesus Has Power Over Death.
a. He Said It
John 11:25KJV
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resur rection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
b. He Taught It
Mark 8:31KJV
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
c. People Knew It - Lk 24:13-32
Luke 24:30-31KJV
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
d. 500 Saw It
1 Corinthians 15:3-6KJV
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
- Corinthians written within thirty years of the resurrection
- You could ask them
- Place in a courtroom to give testimony for only six minutes, including cross-examination, you would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand testimonial evidence
- Jesus’ work touched people’s lives and they were forever changed
❸ My Identity
1. Jesus’ life Becomes Mine.
Philippians 2:5KJV
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:5, NIV. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Galatians 2:20, NIV. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
2. I Believe thus I Received Christ
John 1:12KJV
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
3. I Know Christ
John 17:3KJV
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent
4.I Follow Christ
Matthew 4:19-20KJV
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
5. What does it take to follow Jesus?
Luke 9:23, NIV. "Then He said to them all: ’If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me."
6. I Stay Connected to Christ
John 15:5KJV
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
7. I Obey Christ
Hebrews 5:9KJV
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all .
8. I have Christ
- All summed up here
1 John 5:12KJV
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
