Talk about respecting these men and women.
Talk about others that you respect.
o I respect my parents for raising 8 kids and instilling values in our lives.
o I respect the men and women of the military who fight to keep us free.
o I respect the national and local elected officials who lose their popularity while in office because everyone feels they can do a better job than them.
o I respect the educators who give of their time to impact the world one student at a time.
o There are many I could name that I greatly respect and admire.
Biblically there are those that I respect as well.
o I respect Moses for leading Israel out of Egypt and being mightily used of God to shape a nation.
o I respect Daniel for not bowing his knee to the demands of the king.
o I respect the disciples who took what they were given and impacted the world in such a way that we are still a part of their impact today.
o I respect Apostle Paul for bringing the message of the gospel to the Gentile nation.
o There are many great Bible heroes that we could take the time to name tonight.
OH, BUT THERE IS A MAN . . . MY FEELINGS TOWARD HIM GO WELL BEYOND MERE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION. TO THIS MAN I DON’T JUST GIVE MY RESPECT. TO THIS MAN I GIVE MY LIFE. TO THIS MAN I DON’T JUST GIVE MY ADMIRATION. TO THIS MAN I GIVE THE VERY WORSHIP OF MY HEART AND SOUL. FOR THERE IS NO OTHER MAN WHO IS WORTHY LIKE THIS MAN IS WORTHY. THIS MAN IS JESUS! HE IS . . .
The Author and Finisher of our Faith.
The Prince of Peace.
The Everlasting God.
The Alpha and the Omega
The Bright Morning Star.
The Lily of the Valley.
The Rose of Sharon.
Altogether Lovely and Altogether Worthy.
Completely indescribable yet knowable to you and me.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
AND . . .
HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER, SO THE THINGS THAT WE LOVE TO READ ABOUT HIS LIFE, HE LONGS TO DO TODAY.
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Acts 1:1
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:16-19
THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND MINISTRY TO WHICH HE WAS CALLED.
1. To preach good news.
a. The good news is that Jesus has come to pay the price for the sins of man.
b. The good news is that we no longer have to sacrifice animals because Jesus was the final and ultimate sacrifice.
c. The good news is that through Christ we can have life and life that is abundant.
d. The good news is that we don’t have to try and make it through on our own, we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother to help us through any trial or situation that we face.
2. To proclaim and provide freedom to those who are bound.
a. The way that we have always been is not the way that we always have to stay.
b. The church of God is living far below where God has always intended for her to live. If we were all honest with ourselves, many of us would admit that we feel like something is missing.
c. The primary issue for many if not all of us is that we still allow too much of the world to have place and even control in our lives.
d. It took longer for God to get Egypt out of the hearts of the children of Israel than it did for God to get the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Why? We tend to stick to our area of comfort.
e. GOD WANTS TO SET YOU FREE!!!
3. To bring both spiritual and physical healing.
a. Without Christ, we are a mess.
b. I remember my days without Jesus and I don’t want to go back. I remember what I was like and what my life was like before Jesus brought healing to my heart and my spirit.
c. If we believe that Jesus truly is the same yesterday, today and forever, then we must believe that the things He did while here on earth are the things that He still longs to do today through you and me. THIS INCLUDES HEALING.
4. To proclaim and usher in the time of the favor of the Lord.
a. The primary reason that Jesus came into the world was in order to destroy the works of the devil (steal, kill & destroy).
b. Nothing destroys the works of the devil quite like the favor of the Lord coming into a heart or a situation and bringing true eternal impact and change.
