Where Do I Find Jesus?
Deuteronomy 4:29, Jeremiah 29:11, John 14:23
Opener:
Choose two contestants to come up and do the car tag recognition
--------slides available upon request-------------
Introduction:
In November, 1975, 75 convicts started digging a secret tunnel designed to bring them up at the other side of the wall of Saltillo Prison in northern Mexico.
On April 18, 1976, guided by pure genius, they tunneled up into the nearby courtroom in which many of them had been sentenced.
The surprised judges returned all 75 to jail.
Sometimes your dedication to accomplish something can be misguided.
Such is the way that many people are looking for Jesus: Movies, TV, religious holidays, books, history, art, etc. Unfortunately, most look for Jesus in wrong places.
Why should you look for Him and find Him?
Jesus came to “seek & save the lost” (Luke 19:10)
Lost must seek & find Him to be saved (Matt. 11:28-30)
Scriptures tell us how to find both Jesus and the Father…
"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
“Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” John 14:23
Jesus does not make it difficult to find Him in today’s busy, media-blitzed, technology saturated society.
Many people still have difficulty finding Him as they would someone in a lost crowd (show “Where’s Jesus” slide” -- available upon request).
Often times, people have difficulty finding Jesus because they have “blinders” on--Blinders are what farmers or carriage drivers use to put on horses to keep their attention focused straight ahead so as not to distract from their task.
Since the scriptures tell us that we can find Jesus with our heart, sometimes we become blinded in finding Jesus because we have spiritual blinders on our eyes. Why?
First we are born ignorant. We are spiritual blinded because of our own self—that’s what the Bible refers to as “the flesh”.
Many times we are unable to find Jesus because we are blind to our own hang-ups we have grown up with.
What are hang-ups? They are ideas that you’ve told yourself so many times that your thinking is now conformed to it rather than including any ideas or thoughts from other sources.
We are born ignorant--Lacking information, so we gather facts and experience from what we are taught by others--and also what we learn on our own - by ourselves.
Learning is a fun facet of human nature. We all enjoy doing it. In your stage of life now, you don’t enjoy learning which requires hard disciplined study. You prefer education from easy and entertaining visual aids.
Why, then, when learning is fun whether if you like to do it through disciplined study or easy visual aides, do we often find ourselves refusing to learn?
There are times when our minds are closed to new ideas, especially spiritual ideas. Especially when it comes to that of Where to find Jesus
Our inner self “the flesh” says to our mind: Who needs Him? I have learned all I need to know about Him.
So I know, I am educated, I know about Jesus….I knew about him since I was a little child…but do you know where to find Him?
The second reason for our spiritual blinding is that:
The enemy doesn’t want us to understand the greater things of God.
If we are blind to God’s truth, or refuse to look past what we already know about Jesus, we get no more blessings.
Paul explained this in his second letter to the Corinthian church, "In their case the god of this world has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God." 2 Cor. 4:4
If you truly want to discover where you can find Jesus, then you must keep our minds open to new revelations from God on a consistent basis---not just when you want to “feel spiritual”.
Our minds must be set on, “"I don’t want to miss anything God has for me. I will look for Him in all things, at all times.”
Not just on Wednesday nights, nor will I hope to meet Him at Aquire The Fire, or Falls Creek, or SNL…although we hope that you do find Him there—but don’t just limit Him to being there.
Don’t put Jesus in a box and expect Him to come out when you wind the toy up like a Jack In The Box.
You may find Him in the hallway of your school. Sitting behind a school desk. Driving through the parking lot. Perhaps even in your living room in your very own home.
WHERE YOU WILL NOT FIND JESUS TODAY.
You won’t Find Jesus in coming to church every Sunday
Won’t find Him in a manger during religious services at Christmas
You won’t find Him on Easter morning at a “sunrise service”
Jesus said in Matthew 15:8-9
"All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans."
Paul told the Corinthian Church in 1 Corinthians 3:16 says; Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
You won’t find Jesus even living a disciplined lifestyle:
If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”
These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Colossians 2: 20-22
You won’t Find Jesus in new contemporary worship songs and cool speakers with ear-tickling messages.
“…holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” 2 Timothy 3:5
WHERE YOU WILL FIND JESUS.
Finding Jesus is as easy as calling upon His name, but yet it’s difficult because many people miss heaven by 18” – from measurement from your mind to the heart.
If Jesus said that “in keeping my commandments both the Father and I will live within you, what is Jesus’ commandant? That you love one another…this means…
You will find Jesus:
When you smile at the clerk behind the counter at the grocery store.
You will recognize Jesus when someone signals to change lanes in front.
of you and you allow that person space to do so and give a friendly nod.
You will recognize Jesus when someone forgets to fulfill a promise, apologizes and you graciously accept the apology and let any feelings of resentment go.
You will recognize him when you are asked to do something for nothing in return, and you do it with a true sense of generosity and grace.
You will recognize him when you consider the impact of your words and actions upon others and make a conscious choice to speak and act only in ways that empower others.
This week I have found Jesus in the book of Proverbs.
You will recognize Jesus when you look for him as you sit silently at the ocean’s or even a streams edge.
listen to the song of a bird and watch the wonder of its flight
like we did at our last discipleship meeting.
when you watch the rain fall or even go for a walk in it under an umbrella without rushing anywhere.
You’ll see him when the flowers bloom or when the snow fills the trees.
You will recognize him when a son hugs his father, a daughter her mother.
You will recognize him every time you look into the eyes of another and their eyes reflect your face, held sincerely with compassion.
A BROKEN HEART LEADS YOU TO PATH OF GOD
Where, do I find Him? When you search for Him with all of your heart—that’s where God promises to reveal Himself to you.
Brokenness is where you’ll find Him. So He can remake, mold, trim, sand, pick and sometimes chisel your character into the best it can be...
“The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:10
The path to finding him begins on your knees with a repentant heart
Tonight, maybe things have gotten in your way and you’ve been avoiding Him, because He is truth and the truth hurts.
Maybe you’ve seen things in your life that is pointing you the direction to find Him yet you don’t quite want to travel there yet.
Maybe you’ve known Him for quite some time, but through some way, the enemy has blinded you from noticing Him around you by putting blinders on your eyes like the farmer puts on his horse to make sure he goes his way.
COMMON WAYS WE HAVE MISSED SEEING JESUS because of a misconception:
Trapper John
Living in a remote forest at the northern edge of Canada, Trapper John made his closest friendship with his faithful German shepherd, Duke.
Every few days he and Duke would take the overnight trek to check the traps. Selling animal pelts at the trading post in the distant town sustained their simple life.
Trapper John and Duke had shared each other’s company for over 10 years, since he had traded a couple of furs for the puppy.
The dog loved the man, often protecting him from wild animals when they were out on their all?night treks to check the traps.
Duke even seemed to listen attentively to Trapper John share his feelings as he sat by the campfire. Although it was a lonely existence, Trapper John had chosen it.
On one trip into town to sell his furs and purchase more goods, he met her. New in town, this young woman immediately caught his attention. She worked at the trading post and seemed anxious to engage him in conversation.
They enjoyed dinner together, and after that John started making more frequent trips into town. That spring they married, and she moved her things out to the trapper’s cabin in the woods.
Their first child was born the following winter?but tragedy accompanied the birth of their beautiful daughter, for Trapper John’s wife died in childbirth.
Broken?hearted, he had no choice but to take his baby girl into town to live with a kind family willing to take care of her until she was old enough to return to the cabin.
She was almost a year old when Trapper John brought her back to his cabin in the woods. Now he was faced with the challenge of raising a child while sustaining their existence with trapping.
During his overnight trips, he would leave Duke with the sleeping baby, knowing that he would protect her if she was in any danger. On one such trip tragedy once again visited this small family.
Returning home early in the morning after checking his traps, John came to the top of the hill overlooking his cabin. His heart pounded wildly when he noticed the front door of the cabin pushed open. Throwing down his pelts, he raced to the open door to check on his daughter.
As he entered the cabin, his worst fears were realized. The baby’s little bed was covered with blood. In that moment he caught sight of Duke cowering in the corner, covered with blood. Enraged, the man cocked his rifle and pointed it directly at Duke.
"You killed my baby! You killed my baby!" John’s anguished roar awoke the baby, who started out of sleep with a little cry from underneath the bloodied blanket.
John, his finger on the trigger and his dog in the gunsight, turned his head toward that cry?and with a sweep of his hand, uncovered his unharmed baby.
It was only then that he saw the dead bobcat behind his daughter’s bed.
In a heartbreaking moment of understanding, he realized that he had almost killed the one who had saved his baby’s life.
We jump to conclusions about other people and judge them before we know the whole story.
Many times, when we find the door open in our lives, everything strewn about, we often want to find Jesus to blame for not taking care of us.
But in reality, He loves us so much, that many times, He’s already taken care of the enemy, and what’s left is the aftermath because of what it took to either protect us or rid the enemy in our lives.
If we haven’t found and met Jesus on a personal level, and know of Him, instead of know Him, then we’re likely to place Him to blame as Trapper John did with his dog Duke.
THINGS THAT PREVENT US FROM RECOGNIZING JESUS
1. Point of Pride – Coming to God on your terms
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.””James 4:6
2. Bitterness – If you can’t forgive how can you understand God’s?
“But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:15
3. Confusing spiritual awakening with conversion
4. Dependence on good works
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’”
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’’” Matthew 7:21-23
5. Need for restitution--your conscience is the referee in the game of life
“…and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:16
6. Sinful Habits – Choosing to keep your favorite sin
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” 1 John 1:6
7. Childhood conversions – the need to re-affirm your decision
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15
8. Silent prayer without confession
“for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Romans 10:10
9. Not Baptized
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
Other misunderstandings about evidence of salvation or finding Jesus:
- Greater awareness of sin
- New love for the Bible
- Desire to be Christ-like
- Social pressure from friends (how long can you grip the rail)
- Eagerness to witness
- A love for Christians
- No point in time – salvation is compared to:
Birth:
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
Marriage:
“Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” Revelation 22:17
Tonight, if you have the burning question in your heart of “Where do I find Him?” then that is His sign to you that He wants to reveal himself to you.
Have you truly found Jesus?
