INTRO.- Do you believe in Jesus? A better question is: Does the world believe in Jesus? And how much?
Heroes & Icons (Time magazine’s top 10)
Michelle Obama
Chesley B. Sullenberger
Richard Phillips
Seth Berkley
Michael Eavis
Leonard Abess
Hadizatou Mani
Rick Warren
Van Jones
Somaly Mam
I don’t know about you, but I know very few of these people. And, of course, I am sure you noticed that Christ was not mentioned in this top 10 list of heroes. Do you wonder why?
If you were to ask the average person on the street, “Who is the most influential person of all time?” I wonder what would they say or who they would name?
We would hope that some would say “Jesus Christ,” but in our day and time you might get all kinds of crazy answers. IN FACT, HERE ARE WHAT SOME PEOPLE THINK ABOUT CHRIST.
ILL.- From Dallas, TX. - When the going gets tough, the weak get religion. Faith and religion are two VERY different things, and can NEVER be reconciled. Faith is good, and very much a PERSONAL thing, religion is the source of most misery, and very much a PUBLIC affair. The differences are obvious, except to the stupid and their keepers.
From Redmond, WA - I think Jesus might have been a good person in his time. Today he is a monument to the stupidity of Christians. BUT I BEG TO DIFFER!
From St. Louis, MO - The Truth is: There’s tons of evidence supporting Jesus Christ, the Bible, and creation. You can find links to Scientists and Historians who have written books and run museums about Scientific and historical evidence for Jesus, the Bible, and creation. Most people who say there isn’t any evidence are generally people who are uninformed or just haven’t researched it.
I agree. Of course, I admit that because I was raised in a Church that preached Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world it’s probably easier for me to believe than it is for someone who has never been taught anything about God, Christ and the Bible.
And it’s hard to convince some people the truth of all truths! And how can we convince others about the truth of Jesus Christ? Everything starts with a faith in the living God. If you can’t convince a person there is a living God who created the heavens and the earth, then it’s pretty hard to convince them that the message of the Bible about Jesus is true.
ILL.- Preacher Vance Havner said, “I came to Christ as a country boy. I did not understand all about the plan of salvation. One does not have to understand it, he has only to stand on it. I do not understand all about electricity but I do not intend sitting around in the dark until I do!” Me too!
PROP.- Let’s consider Christ since He is what Christmas is all about:
1- Who He is
2- What He did
3- What we owe Him
I. CHRIST - WHO HE IS
ILL.- A burglar broke into a home and was looking around. He heard a soft voice say, "Jesus is watching you." Thinking it was just his imagination, he continued his search. Again the voice said "Jesus is watching you.” He turned his flashlight around and saw a parrot in a cage.
He asked the parrot if he was the one talking and the parrot said, "yes." He asked the parrot what his name was and the parrot said, "Moses."
The burglar asked, "what kind of people would name a parrot Moses?" The parrot said, "the same kind of people who would name their pit bull Jesus.”
Who is Jesus? Well, we know He’s certainly not a pit bull. He was human and yet, God in the flesh.
ILL.- Maybe you heard recently about that woman who was named Jesus? Birmingham, AL - Court officials say a Birmingham woman who legally changed her name to Jesus Christ had a hard time filling the Savior’s shoes when she reported for jury duty.
Christ, formerly Dorothy Lola Killingworth, went to the courtroom where she was summoned to appear for jury selection. She was one of many potential jurors for a criminal case. During the process, the 59-year-old woman was said to be disruptive as she constantly asked questions instead of answered them. The judge had had enough and dismissed the woman from the courtroom. Other potential jurors were shocked when she insisted that her name indeed was Jesus Christ. Some burst into laughter as her name was called.
Why did that woman change her name to Jesus Christ? I have no idea, but if she was thinking in terms of being comparable to Christ then she was totally wrong! No human person can fill the shoes of the Lord Jesus Christ even though He appeared on earth in human form.
Jesus was both human and divine.
John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
How could God do that? How could Jesus be both human and divine? As Havner said, “I don’t understand it but I stand on it.”
When we get to where we understand everything about God then God will cease to be God. HOWEVER, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! Man already thinks He is smarter than God but the end is yet to be seen.
ILL.- Someone wrote: Not one recognized religious leader—as Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed—ever claimed to be God. Jesus is the only person who has ever convinced a great portion of the world that He is God. This claim can either be true or false. If false, Jesus either knew His claims were false and He lied, or He was deluded and a lunatic.
If Jesus knowingly lied, he was the world’s greatest hypocrite and a charlatan of the worse kind. He would also be the greatest fool, for what person would die for a lie?
If Jesus was deluded, how could His precepts help so many people for so long a time? His critics and enemies had nothing but the highest accolades on His character. There is no other choice. Either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or He is Lord of all!
ILL.- C.S. Lewis observed, "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."
II. CHRIST - WHAT HE DID
ILL.- God is sitting in heaven when a scientist prays to Him, "God, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the beginning."
"Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God.
"Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man."
"Well, that’s interesting...show Me." So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.
"No, no, no..." interrupts God, "Get your own dirt."
What did Christ do? Well, for one thing He created Heaven and earth. Remember the scripture?
John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Jesus was apparently alongside His Father during the creation process. Again, how did this happen? I don’t understand how God did it, BUT I STAND ON IT!
What did Jesus come to earth to do, besides create man?
ILL. - According to an old legend, a man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand.
Confucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this.”
Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, “Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.”
Then Mohammed came by and said to the sinking man, “Alas, it is the Will of God.”
Finally Jesus appeared. “Take my hand, brother,” He said, “and I will save you.”
Jesus came to save us from the sinking sand of sin! And sin is a quicksand of death to all.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Titus 3:3-5 “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
At just the right time, Christ appeared in human form to save us. Of course, it wasn’t just His appearance that saved us, IT WAS HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS!
And He came to save us, not because we were righteous, not because we were just such good people, but rather because we were sinners and enslaved to our sin. AND THIS INCLUDES EVERY HUMAN PERSON, EVEN BILLY GRAHAM AND MOTHER TERESA.
I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
II Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In a sense, Christ traded places with us. He became the slain sinner on the cross when it should have been us!
ILL.- Preacher George W. Truett said, “Joan of Arc was burned at the stake as a witch. As the flames enveloped her she said, ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.’ The passport to heaven is the name of Jesus.” AMEN.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
III. CHRIST - WHAT WE OWE HIM
ILL.- A drunk stumbles along a baptismal service on Sunday afternoon down by the river. He proceeds to walk into the water and stand next to the preacher. The minister notices the old drunk and says, "Mister, are you ready to find Jesus?"
The drunk looks back and says, "Yes, preacher, I sure am."
The minister dunks the fellow under the water and pulls him right backup. "Have you found Jesus?" the preacher asks.
"Nooo, I didn’t!" said the drunk. The preacher then dunks him under for quite a bit longer, brings him up, and says, "Now,brother, have you found Jesus?" "Noooo, I have not, reverend."
The preacher, in disgust, holds the man under for at least 30 seconds this time, brings him out of the water, and says in a harsh tone, "Have you found Jesus yet?"
The old drunk wipes his eyes and says to the preacher, "Are you sure this is where he fell in?"
What do we owe Jesus? WE OWE HIM EVERYTHING. We owe Him surrender, obedience, faith, attention, and attendance.
Some people are argue against being baptized, as if it means nothing. But it does mean something, because Jesus commanded it. And even Jesus Himself was baptized, although we’re not baptized for the same reason.
Brothers and sisters, we owe Christ our very lives, considering what He did for us! He didn’t just create us. And He doesn’t just provide for our daily needs. He doesn’t just watch over us at night. HE BECAME SIN FOR US! I think we owe Him a great deal more than we give Him.
II Corinthians 5:9 “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
Colossians 3:1-4 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
What do we owe Christ? What should we do for Him? We should walk with Him daily. We should seek to please Him in all things. We should focus on Him more than we focus on the things of this world. We should be His witnesses. We should rightfully do everything He commands considering what He did for us!
ILL.- The Blind Side movie. Did you see the movie or perhaps read the book? It’s a true story about Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. But prior to this time he was a homeless 18 year old from a broken home.
Eventually, he was taken in by the Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, a well-to-do couple who helped him fulfill his potential. Recognizing his potential talent as a football player, they encourage him. Living in his new environment, the 18-year-old faces a completely different set of challenges. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.
Brothers and sisters, can you imagine how indebted Michael Oher must feel toward the Tuohy family? I’m sure he wants to do his very best to make them proud of him and honor them with his life.
But that’s nothing in comparison to how indebted we are to Christ! The Tuohy family gave Michael Oher a home, education, and love. CHRIST GAVE US EVERYTHING, INCLUDING A HOME IN HEAVEN! Christ sacrificed His all for us! WE OWE HIM!
CONCLUSION----------------
ILL.- There was once a wife so jealous that when her husband came home one night and she couldn’t find hairs on his jacket she yelled at him, "Great, so now you’re cheating on me with a bald woman!"
I wonder sometimes if God doesn’t feel this way toward us. I wonder if He doesn’t feel like we’re cheating on Him. We’re supposed to love Him most of all, but often, we have fallen in love with this world or the things of this world. We have a divided devotion. At Christmas we think of Him. Maybe even every Sunday we think more of Him, BUT WHAT ABOUT MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY?
It’s Christmas and I think we should think more of Him and less of this world.
