Who’s the man this morning? Amen! If you were to ask the people you know that question, who is Jesus you would get some wild answers.
Um, if you were to go down to a, the other day I was at a park and I saw this woman playing with her 2 kids. She had 2 kids. They were out there playing on the swings, sandbox, etc. This man drives up and gets out of the car and starts walking towards them and the kids run to the man and start saying – Hey daddy, hey daddy. They jump in his arms. He hugs them. He plays a little bit. He gives the keys to the car he just got out of to the woman who was with the kids. She goes back to the car, hits the button, unlocks the door, she goes in the car, gets out some toys. They come out and they play with the toys and they all play together. Then they all 4 leave together. They go to a house. They all walk in the house and they start watching TV, the phone rings, the man answered the phone and says – Hey dad, how you doing? He starts talking to the man on the phone and then he gives the phone to the kids and the kids say – Hey grandpa and they start talking to grandpa and then grandma. Then they hang the phone up. Then they have dinner together and then the dad or the man whom they called dad reads a bedtime story, tucks them in bed. Then he and that woman sit down and watch TV, watch some CSI or what have you. Then they go to bed together in the same room, read the bible, pray, go to bed, and get up and do the same thing the next day.
I want you to complete this sentence for me. This man or that man is that woman’s what? What? For the most part it’s probably her husband, 99 times out of 100 that’s her husband. He never had to tell you he was her husband. He just was her husband by what he did, by what people said to him, how they were treated, the access he had to the family all prove that that was her husband, the father of those children.
If Jesus really is God there are so many ways He can prove it without saying it by how people treat Him, by the worship He receives, by the things/titles He gives Himself, by how God the Father speaks to Him, by things He does that only God can do.
No many can just walk up to any woman and kiss her and go and live in her house and have her kids calls him dad. Ah under normal circumstance by the way.
So what we’re gonna look at today is a story in John 5 where Christ displays His deity in 7 different ways and we’re gonna look at these 7 ways and challenge you over the next month to read through the gospels and look for evidence of these 7 ways.
So before we turn there let’s all do our bibles. Did we do that yet? Let’s try that, I’m sorry let’s try that one more time. Word. Let’s see your pens, pens, pens, pens and your lesson plan.
Let’s turn to John 5. Now as you turn there I want to share with you and challenge I put out to the other services that are also gonna put out to the whole church: We have on our website a chart that is going to lead you through these 7 points we’re gonna look at today and if you go on our website, they’re gonna do this in the small groups. You can do this on your own. I challenge you to do it with an accountability partner, is to read through the gospels. That means you’re gonna read 3 chapters a day. There’s 89 chapters. In 1 month by the time we end this series and do the quiz in 1 month from now, you’ll have read through all 4 gospels and all you’re gonna do is look for evidence of the 7 things we’re gonna talk about today and write the address in the bible of these 7 things that we’re gonna talk about today.
And these 7 things we’re gonna talk about today are 7 ways, not the only 7 ways or the only ways but 7 ways Christ claims His own deity. And after today you’re gonna see what I mean by what these 7 things are and then you’re gonna start reading through the bible and looking for evidence and just write them down. 3 chapters a day. You’ll be through all 4 gospels in 1 month. Amen? Ok.
What is God? Our statement is, our belief is that Jesus is God. He’s not just a prophet. He’s not just a teacher. He’s not just a moral leader. He is God. Let me give you a definition of God. God is the independent creator and preserver of all life and thee only object of our worship.
When I say independent that means that He is self-existent. He was not brought into existence. He cannot be brought out of existence. He exists all on His own. He wasn’t created, had no beginning and has no end. He always was and always will be. He is the creator of all things and the preserver of all things and He’s the only object of our worship.
Now nothing we know can fit that description other than God. You are to worship no idol. You are to worship no man. You are to worship nothing about yourself. You should never worship another person. You should never worship an image of anything. You should only worship God in spirit and in truth. And He is the preserver and creator of all things. He’s the beginning and end of everything that there is. And so that’s God. So that’s what we’re gonna say is Jesus Christ and we’re gonna look at 7 attributes of God, if God was a man walking on earth in man’s form.
Let’s read the story. John 5:1. It says – After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and in Jerusalem was a sheep gate, a pool which is called in Hebrew Bethesda having 5 porches. And in these lay a great multitude of sick people (blind, lame, paralyzed) waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down, they thought a certain time into the pool and stirred the water and whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well by whatever disease they had. A certain man was there for 38 years sick and when Jesus saw him lying there He knew he had already been in that condition a long time and He said – Do you want to be made well?
Now let me ask you a question. Is 38 years long enough to be sick? I mean you would think someone, if you were sick for 38 years and someone asked you – Did you want to be well? What would you say? Now if Christ came up to you and asked you that if He could heal you of a condition you had a long time, whether it be a day or 38 years, but you didn’t like that condition, would you say yes right away? No you don’t. How many times has God told you – I can transform your life, give you supernatural power, give you ability to look at all your problems and just laugh at them, if you would just do this. And you say – No. I’ll read, I’ll start reading my bible tomorrow. I’ll start praying tomorrow. I’ll start being obedient tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, we do it all the time. Amen?
Now He’s gonna go up to this guy 38 years, He’s gonna go up to this guy 38 years, this guy’s been sick for 38 years and He says – Do you want to be well? You would think that he would say – Yes. But no! Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Everyone say 3 times excuses, excuses, excuses. Go ahead say it. I like how you all got that high pitch, especially all the fellas. All the ladies say hey, hey.
Verse 6 – Jesus saw the man lying there and knew that he had been in that condition for 38, a long time and Jesus said – Do you want to be well? Do you want to be forgiven? Do you want your mind renewed? Do you want to have dunamis power from heaven? Do you want to have a vision for your life? Do you want to know what the purpose for your life is? Do you want to have, do you want to never worry again? These are the questions He asks us all the time and these are the questions whose answers He has to us.
Look what the man says. The sick man answered and said – Sir I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is stirred but while I am coming another steps behind me, before me. That’s not the question. Jesus didn’t ask him = How come you can’t be first in the pool? But he equated wellness with being first in the pool.
When Christ asks you – Do you want something? Do not in your mind start to think how it’s supposed to happen. Don’t automatically say – Ok Christ, if you want me to saved that means that you want me to do all this. Not necessarily. He saves us instantly. He forgives us instantly. Just like that! Gods ways are not your ways. Whatever God asks you to do, I promise you it will never happen the way you think. So if God says to you – Hey you want to learn the bible? Don’t think oh I got to do this. I got to do this. I got to do this and I don’t have the time. Don’t think that. Just answer the question.
Like when I’m challenging you to read through the bible in 30 days. Now some of you are gonna say – Yeah I’m gonna do this cuz I want to learn. Some of you are gonna say – Well I don’t have the time. Who am I gonna do it with? You know I have something. You’re making excuses. The question is – Do you want to do it? Do you want to learn these things? That’s all you need to know. Let God work out the details.
If you are a person and I’m not, and believe me I’m a visionary but I’m also into detail, very much detail, very analytical, sequential, numbers, facts. I’m into that all the time. That always comes after the fact. In other words God says – We’re gonna build this church. I don’t sit there and go – Ok, ok. In order for us to do that, all this stuff got to happen. How you gonna do that God? No, no, no. I know all the stuff that has to happen but I also know that God’s gonna take care of that as, very methodically walk through of it but He’s gonna take care of it. The reason you plan is so when God does it you see how He did it, you can understand how big the miracle is. It doesn’t mean you don’t plan but it means that you don’t let your plans decide how it’s gonna happen. You let your plan, use your plan as a guide.
And when God asks you – Can I heal you? Can I restore your marriage? Can I restore your relationship with your father? Your mother? Your neighbor, whatever? The question you have to answer is yes. When God says – do I want to forgive you of your sin, I want to grant you salvation. The question is, the decision is yes or no. It’s just yes or no. Do you want to be delivered from your addiction? Yes or no. Do you not want to be depressed anymore? Yes or no. That’s it. Yes or no. Not well here’s why it won’t work and here’s why it didn’t work before. And here’s why you probably won’t do it this time God. And no. No, no, no that’s not the question. The question is yes or no.
How many of you would love to have the joy of the Lord everyday? Let me ask you this – How many of you want to go to hell? How many of you want to be miserable? How many of you always want to be considered a victim? Some of you in your mind you’re a victim. You’re always, people are always picking on you. people always – You’re never gonna be first cuz someone’s always gonna undercut you. You think that and if you ever get close to succeeding, you sabotage it because you believe you’re supposed to fail cuz the devil’s got you convinced. And God wants to reverse that but you have to want it to. You have to want it.
Now the devils has been done bad things, so many bad things in your life you couldn’t believe it. There was this lady who walked in a grocery store, everyday she walked in this little bird called her stupid – Stupid lady, stupid lady. Everyday she went to this grocer store faithful Monday, Wednesday, Friday and but that little thing and everyday she walked out she’d go through the grocery, pay for the food, walk and right by the door as she was going out her carrots the bird would say – Stupid lady, every single day and he got so tired of this bird saying – Stupid lady, stupid lady so he went up to the manager. She went up to the manager and said – Mr. Manager I’ve been coming here 3 times a week. I’ve been living in this community 20 years. I should not have to deal with that bird calling me stupid lady every time I come in this store. So would you please do something about that bird? Oh I’m sorry mam, sorry mam. You know this bird has problems, it has issue with the tongue. I’ll deal with the bird. So she comes the next day and she starts doing her shopping. She goes through and she, she knows that bird’s sitting right there. He’s just looking around and she’s walking past and she’s waiting for that bird to say stupid lady and right as she walks by the bird looks at her. She looks at the bird and the bird says – You know.
What is it that you know about you? What is it that you know about you? Are you a child of God that God’s gonna take of you? Or are you a disaster waiting to happen? The devil, it doesn’t matter how many times the devil told you you’re a failure because God can undo that. So that’s the question He’s asking.
Look what He says, verse 8. Jesus said – Rise up, take up your bed and walk. Immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
Eh-eh-eh, Jesus is a cool brother. You want to be healed? Get up and walk, and then he walks away. Now by the time this guy’s up we’re gonna see in a minute Jesus is gone but this brother gets up. He hasn’t walked in 38 years. He gets up and he walks. You know he must have been tripping. Right?
When you read, if you take the challenge to read through the bible, the first thing you’re gonna look for is #1-Jesus displayed His deity by 1-exercising supernatural power through miracles, by exercising supernatural power through miracles. Every time you see a miracle write the address of the bible in your notes. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle where God displays power from outside the laws of nature and imposes that power on the laws of nature overcoming them, making them do whatever He wants. It’s an act of God where God can tell the weather to shut up. That’s what He said.
When He was in the boat lying sleeping, the storm was raging, the disciples thought they were gonna die. They woke Him up and said – Jesus we’re gonna die. Jesus says – I ain’t dying, I’m God. That’s your problem And Jesus said = Be muzzled, like putting a muzzle on a dog and the storm stopped.
Jesus had power over demons. He spoke to demons in people. We’re gonna see in a couple weeks and He cast demons out of people. When they said – It’s the holy one of God. Don’t torment us. They spoke to Him and acknowledge who He is as we’re gonna see in a couple weeks and He made them go out with the word – Be gone!
Jesus spoke to plants. He told, He cursed the tree and the tree never bore any fruit.
Jesus spoke to um handicap people, healed people’s diseases and ailments. He healed the blind. He healed the mute. He healed the deaf. He cast out demons. He had all kind of miracles. He walked on water. He had other people walk on water and He gave other people power to do miracles. It’s all through the bible. Who can do that but God?
In the bible tells us that He did works, His works, the works that He did. Matter of fact look at 5:36, 5:36. It says – I have greater witness than John for the works which the Father has given me to finish. The very works that I do bear witness that the Father has sent me. The very works that I do are telling you that I came from God. So that’s #1.
#2-Then the 2nd time He, the 2nd way He claimed His deity was He claimed authority over the law. The law is the Old Testament. And one of the things about the law was that on the Sabbath you were supposed to do no work.
Now when the bible, let’s read a little further cuz I want you to read this. Look what it says in verse 10 – Therefore the Jews said, therefore the Jews said to the, him who was cured – It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed cuz on the Sabbath you’re not supposed to do work. So they said – Who made you, he who made me well said t me – Take up your bed and walk. And he says- Well who’s the man who said take up your bed and walk? But the one who was healed did not know because Jesus with, had withdrawn being the multitude of that place. He ran, He walked away fast. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him – See that you have, see you have been made well. Sin no more lest the worst thing comes to you.
Verse 16 – For this reason the Jews sought to persecute Jesus to kill Him because He had done these things on the Sabbath. It was illegal to do work on the Sabbath and in their analytical, technical, legalistic, religious mind carrying your mat was work. So he was sinning. And so whoever told him to carry his mat and do work on the Sabbath was supposed to die.
Jesus is like – Let me tell you something – I am the Lord of the Sabbath. See if you, when you read through the gospels you’re gonna see many instances where Jesus says – You heard it said before but now listen to me.
Now by the way, if you ever hear me say that, you need to leave. If you ever hear me says – The bible says this, but I have something better from you. N, no, no, no. You need to stand up and say – Blaspheme and then leave. Matter of fact take me out and stone me. Ok? If you can catch me. I’ll be running.
Let me read something to you, Matthew 5:21 Jesus said – You have heard it said – Long ago do not murder and anyone who murders is subject to judgment. You heard, that’s true. That’s in the bible. But then Jesus said – But I tell you anyone who’s angry with his brother is subject to judgment.
Matthew 5:27 – You heard it said – Do not commit adultery but I tell you anyone who lusts after a woman has already committed adultery.
Matthew 5:33 – Again you heard it said – Do not break an oath but I tell you don’t ever swear.
Matthew 5:43 – You heard it said – Love your neighbor, hate your enemy but I tell you love your enemies.
The bible says in Matthew 23:10 – Nor are you to be called teacher for you have one teacher. That’s the Christ me. I’m your only teacher.
Matthew 24:35 – My word will never pass away. My word will never pass away.
John 5:24 – He who listens to my word, my word! What is He saying? That my word is God’s word cuz I’m God. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. In the beginning was logos. The logos was with God. The logos was God. Logos is the rational thought of God’s truth. The word of God. Logos is word in Greek. I am the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among you. It is me. It’s my word. My word is living and active, sharper than a two edged sword. Listen to what I say. What God is saying is – I’m God.
And when you read through the bible and someone starts telling you that the bible says this or the law says this but let me tell you, let me take it to another level. He’s not canceling it. He’s not saying it’s wrong. He’s taking it to another level. He’s teaching the spiritual meaning of the word, the eternal principle in the word. Why? Because He taught it. He wrote it. So read through the bible and you’re gonna see all these instances.
And what these guys are saying is that you broke the Sabbath. Look what Jesus says in verse 17. It says – Jesus answered and said – My Father has been working until now and I have, and I have been working. Now what Jesus is saying is – Look the bible says that God works 6 days. He created 6 days, He created and on the 7th day He rested and so to shall man work 6 days and on the 7th day rest. That’s where the Sabbath came from and you might want to make a note of that. 6 days work, 1 day rest. I need to say that one more time. 6 days work, 1 day rest.
Our Monday through Friday at 3:30 is a cultural thing. I say 3:30 cuz people leave work early on Friday traditionally.
God says 6 days. But what happened was God didn’t stop working. God didn’t stop being God on the 7th day. He just stopped creating.
I was in my yard the other day and this little bird, yesterday this little bird came on this pole like 20’ from me and started singing. Whack, and then he’d look. Then he’d look back at me. Ack, he did it like 20 times. So I’m just sitting there looking at him and he just ack and then he’d look over here. I was just marveling at this little tiny bird that God gave hollow wings to so he could fly. Birds have hollow wings. I don’t know if you knew that. Feathers, the ability to know where he is in space like a gyroscope in his head and he just flew away.
Then I was watching the Discovery Channel yesterday about these elephants of the tsunami. When the tsunami happened the elephants before the wave hit, ran to the mountains. They took off, actually these elephants that were chained to poles to give people rides, they broke the chains in a frantic, frantically ran up the mountain because on the bottom of their feet they have sensors, seismic sensors that can feel vibrations in the ground that God gave them. They felt the earthquake and knew! I guess they knew a wave was coming but they knew the earthquake was over there, that’s why they ran that way. And they have layers and layers and layers of nerve endings on the bottom of their feet that are very sensitive to the ground and movements in the ground.
And so they felt the earthquake and started running and the story was about this little girl on the beach taking an elephant ride and this elephant turned and ran away from the beach and she’s holding on for her life not knowing what’s going on and the elephant’s saying – Listen, you can stay here but I got to go. And the, you know the guy who was giving her the ride, he’s trying to hold the elephant back which is really foolish, and the elephants just – We got to go, we got to go and the elephant ran away from the beach and the wave hit that beach and saved that little girl’s life.
My point is this, is that when God stopped creating He didn’t stop being God. On the 7th day and the 8th day and the 9th day He was still preserving life. What Jesus is saying here is that even though it’s the Sabbath you don’t understand. God is still God on the Sabbath therefore I have to do the same thing that God does. Why? Because I came from God. I am God. They knew that.
You know what they said? Look what it says in verse 18. It says – Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him cuz He not only broke the Sabbath but He also said – God was His Father making Himself equal with God. We’ll get to that in a minute.
Look at #3 in your notes. He exercised spiritual authority only assigned to God. He exercised spiritual authority only assigned to God. One of the spiritual and probably the main one is that He forgave sin. Jesus forgave sin of another paralytic in Mark 2 when He forgave the guy’s sin. The Pharisees and the religious said – Who does this man think He is? Only God can forgive sin. Exactly, exactly!
Look what He says to this paralytic, this guy right here in this story. Look what it says in verse 14 – Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said – See you have been made well. Sin no more lest the worst thing come upon you. When Jesus said – Sin no more, what happened was He would, they associated sin and sickness. Many times Christ would forgive people, the paralytic that was lowered through the roof, Christ said – Your sins are forgiven you and they started thinking in their mind – Who can forgive sin but God? He is blasphemed God. Blasphemed God means that you either say a curse against God or you attributed attributes of God to a created thing. That was a sin punishable by death.
So when Christ is saying – I can forgive like God they said – Blaspheme, that’s a sin. We have to kill you. That was the law. He knew that. When Christ had him break the Sabbath, He knew that. So He made it even worse. He says – Not only am I gonna break the Sabbath, I’m gonna tell you why I’m breaking the Sabbath because I’m God. They were like – Oh we got to kill you now! It’s exactly what He was doing.
Look at #5 in your notes, or #4. It says that Jesus gave Himself titles that made Him equal to God. One of the titles was that He was God’s Son. Now before I get to that there’s titles like Son of Man which He used. He’s the only one to use it about Himself and He used it more than anything else. Son of God. He referred to Himself as the Lord. In Matthew 7 He says not everyone who says to me – Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. So He says Himself Lord and God is His Father. So He gives Himself, He says Christ about Himself we’re gonna see in a minute. He refers to Himself all these different titles that are all God: Lord, Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, Holy One, Mighty One, on and on and on and we’re gonna see some more of those titles when we see the demons address Him as the Holy One of God.
But one of those titles is God is His Father. Look what it says in verse 18 – The Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath but He also said that God was His Father making Himself equal to God. In the gospels 172 times He refers to God as His Father. Now what He’s saying is that – God’s not my Father because I was born again. I came from my Father and you’re gonna see me seated at the right hand of my Father and I have the same authority and responsibility to minister on the Sabbath like my Father.
John 10:30 He says – I and the Father are one. Oh they didn’t like that. So He, every time you see Him say Father in their mind they’re thinking – Man you can’t say that! Because if I told you – Yeah I came from, my Father sent me. I do the works of my…… If I did that to you, you would think something’s up. Jesus said it over and over and over again.
Let me read something to you. In the Passion of Christ movie when Christ was arrested and they brought Him down there was a big trial in front of the Sanhedrin. They had these funny hats on and the robes and the crowd in the back, and they spit on Him, and beat on Him. I don’t know if you remember that scene. It was right when they first arrested Him and they asked Him this question in Matthew 26:62. The high priest said to Him – I charge you under oath by the living God.
Basically put your right hand on the bible, raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth, nothing but the truth so help you God.
And He says – I don’t need to swear cuz I am God but I’m telling you the truth cuz I am truth. And then it says – Tell us if you are the Christ, the messiah, the anointed one of God and then the Son of God. Are you Christ the Son of God? Tell us. Jesus said – Not really. I just want you to think that. I’m just a prophet. No it’s not what He said. He said – Yes it is as you say. What does that mean? What does that mean? It mean yes.
Are you Miles McPherson? Yes. Are you that woman’s husband? Yes. Are you the pastor of the Rock? Yes. Yes means yes! Are you the Christ, they’re asking Jesus this now, are you the Christ the Son of the living God? Are you the messiah we’ve been waiting for? Did you come from heaven to save the world? Yes, it is as you say. Then it gets even worse. He says, then He says, replied – But I say to you in the future after I rise from the dead you’re gonna see the Son of Man, which is the title He gave Himself, at the right hand of the Mighty One coming with the clouds of heaven. Whoa Junior!
Basically not only am I Christ, not only am I the Son of the living God, ah the Son of God, you’re gonna see me seated at the right hand of the Mighty One and I’m gonna be coming on the clouds. Now you have to understand something. In Daniel of the Old Testament there’s a prophecy about the coming of the Lord and it’s those very words. The Son of Man coming on the clouds to usher in the kingdom. They knew that. Just like when He said – I am, they knew that what that meant. Before Abraham was I am. Before Abraham was Jehovah, they knew what He was saying.
They know what He’s saying here cuz right after He said that, that you’re gonna see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, the high priest says – Blaspheme. We must kill Him. He is deserving of death and that’s exactly what happened in the movie, when they started spitting on Him, and hitting Him, and ripping their clothes if you remember. Why? Because they said – We have to kill Him because of what He just admitted to was being God. They knew that.
You know there’s a movie with Chris Tucker in it and I don’t know the name of the movie, do you all know who Chris Tucker is? He’s a comedian. If you don’t know who he is, he’s hilarious. He was in a Jackie Chan’s 2 movies a Rush Hour 1, Rush Hour 2. Ok sorry. The brother’s hilarious. Ah do you know who a, a, a, Heather Locklear is? Heather Locklear is the ageless wonder. That girl hasn’t aged in about 20 years but she’s about that big. Ok? She is not in any stretch of the imagination fat. In this movie he says to her she’s phat. There’s a word PHAT, phat which means she’s pretty. She did not know that so she was offended. But he says – She’s phat! What he was saying was – She’s fine! But she didn’t understand the word.
These guys understood the words what He was saying. They understood what He was saying. And when He says – I’m the Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of the Mighty One coming on the clouds, He was speaking in their little code. I’m the guy Daniel spoke about. Before Abraham was I am. I’m the guy the bible talked about. When He said Abraham looked forward to seeing Me, what’s He saying? That Abraham was looking forward to the Messiah, Me. They knew exactly what He was saying.
You need to know what He’s saying.
#5-Jesus claimed to have authority over things in heaven. He claimed to have authority over things in heaven. Look at verse 21 – For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will but the Father judges no one but has committed all judgments to the Son.
Who has power to give life but God? Who has power to judge but God? What Jesus is saying is that – I’ve got power to give life and take it and the authority to judge you. Now if He’s not God I still want to be on His good side because if He’s the one who’s gonna judge me, I want to be on His good side.
Just write down Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:18 write that down and then write down Matthew 25:31-36. In Matthew 28:18 He says – All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. He has all the authority on earth but let me read this to you in Matthew 25 cuz we’re gonna see the different types of authority He has or evidences of authority He has in heaven.
Look at, listen to all these things He has. It says – When the Son of Man Himself, He’s speaking, comes in His own glory. 1-He has His own glory with all the angels. He has His own angels. He will sit on the throne, His own throne in heavenly glory. He has His own throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him and He will separate the people as a shepherd divides the sheep. He will put the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left. He’s gonna separate the sheep from the goats and then the bible says the King will say to those on His right – He’s the king. How do we know? Because it says – Come you who are blessed of my Father. Talking about Himself.
He has His own throne. He has His own angels. He has His own glory. He’s gonna separate people. He’s gonna judge people. The brother’s got juice! When you read through the gospels you’re gonna see all these things and Jesus is gonna talk about His angels. He’s gonna talk about coming on the clouds. He’s gonna talk about His throne, His glory, the glory He had with the Father before the foundations of the earth you’re gonna see Him talk about. Who is this figure that has glory with the Father before the foundations of the earth? Who is this person that has all the authority in heaven? But God Himself. And He’s just saying it in code. He’s just saying it and you just got to know it. You just got to know it.
#6-Jesus accepts worship, Jesus accepts worship. When Jesus was tempted by the devil He told the devil – It is written you shall love and serve and worship God only and Him you shall serve. You shall never worship anything. Let me emphatically tell you worship no one and nothing but God. No idols, no figurines, not even a wooden cross. It’s only wood. You worship God in spirit and in truth. No image of the invisible God should you make or image in your mind or worship ever. It’s a sin!
So why did Jesus accept worship? When He was on the, when He was walking on water and He went into the boat and as soon as He went into the boat the storm stopped and the bible says His disciples worshiped Him. When He rose from the dead Mary Magdalene saw Him, grabbed His legs and His feet and the bible says she worshiped Him. When His disciples saw Him after the resurrection it says they worshiped Him. When He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and they lay palms in front of Him and quoted scripture that He was fulfilling the entry of the messiah of the sitting by the messiah. They worshiped Him by doing that and He never once said in all these instances to stop. When the woman who had a bleeding problem for 12 years she came and kneeled down at His feet and worshiped Him. He didn’t tell her to get up. When Jairus the ruler of the synagogue came and fell down at His feet and asked Him to heal his daughter and worshiped Him. The bible says, He never said to get up. He accepted worship.
When, when, when, when doubting Thomas said unless I see the handprints, the nail prints in His hand and the nail, the spear prints in His side and the nail prints in His feet I will not believe He rose from the dead. Jesus walks into the room and shows His nail prints and spear prints, the scar on His side and Thomas said – My God, my Lord. He worshiped Him, acknowledge that He was God and what did Jesus say? That’s right! He said to him – Blessed are you that have seen and believe but more blessed are those who haven’t seen these nail prints and believe that I’m God. He, He was worshiped.
Nobody in the bible ever accepted worship. It was a sin to worship even the angels. You do not worship angels. The angels worship God! Christ is being worshiped.
#7 the last one – He made afterlife promises that can only be kept by God. What does that mean? That He made promised that He would fulfill after He died. If you ever, if I ever got sick and was in the hospital dying, knew I was gonna die and I had, we had a little video come in here and say and I was saying – Oh my blessed Rock. It’s been an honor to be your pastor these last 97 years but it is now time for me to go the way of the earth and I got to die. But I’m gonna come back in 40 days after my funeral. Meet me at Mt. Soledad cross and we will start again. You need to say to yourself, look at the person next to you and say – That brother’s got too many drugs in him. ok? When I die I ain’t coming back here. I’m done!
You know what Jesus says? When I die, 3 days I’m coming back. So just wait around. It’s only 3 days. Wait around. They’re gonna put me in that tomb. I’m gonna walk out and walk around and what He did He walked around 40 days. The bible says, 40 is the # of testing in the bible. He walked 40 days then He ascended into heaven all in public and then here’s what He said – When I go, I’m gonna send the Holy Spirit and then one day I’m gonna come back.
If someone tells you that, they’re either God or they’re crazy. Jesus ain’t crazy. He’s coming back. When He comes back here’s what He’s gonna do: Sheep on the right, goats on the left. The faithful believers on the right, the wantabees on the left or the people who rejected Him on the left. The people on the right to everlasting life, the people on the left to judgment.
You have to decide do you want to be on the right or on the left? Now if Christ says to you – I want to forgive you will you let me? Don’t tell me- Well I got issues. You don’t understand. I’ve been to counselors. I got to jack the family. My DNA ain’t right. Yes or no. Yes or no.
I stopped doing cocaine in 1 day. 1 ½ year, 1 day. That is not scientifically realistic. Good thing I didn’t know that. What God wants to do in your life is not realistic so don’t think realistic, think supernatural. God I just want you to do whatever you do. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. That’s all you need to know. Fellas if you are single and some beautiful woman that you thought was beautiful says – I want to be your wife forever and love you everyday, are you gonna sit there and analyze that? Or are you gonna say – Can we sign you up right now girlfriend? I mean you may, you may do a quick but after that you’re ready to roll. Right?
Lord we just thank you, thank you for being God. We thank you that you have given us the best offer there is. And Lord I pray people don’t think about it anymore and don’t analyze it, don’t scrutinize. I pray that they just by faith accept you as their Savior.
Today may be your day. God wants to know and here’s His question – Can I love you? can I forgive you? Can I cleanse your heart and your mind?
If today you are ready to accept His offer pray this prayer with me. If today you’re ready to receive forgiveness once and for all for all your sin, pray this prayer with me in the privacy of your heart. Pray:
Dear God, I believe you love me and I believe you have a plan for my life. I believe you died for my sin. Jesus please forgive me of my sin. Please come live in my heart. Please be my Savior and my Lord. Be Christ in my life. I surrender my life to you. Thank you Jesus.
As all of our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed, if you prayed that prayer in a minute we’re gonna ask you to stand just like the man in the story and by standing you are giving public confession like the man in the story that Jesus has touched your life. So right now eyes closed, heads bowed if you prayed that prayer and you’re saying – Yes Lord today I want you to forgive me just stand to your feet and acknowledge His forgiveness in your life. Stand to your feet and acknowledge that God, God bless you. Stay standing please. Good. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Good. God bless you. Good. God bless you. Stay standing. Good. God bless you. God bless you too. God bless you. Yes we see you, we see you yes. God bless you. God bless you. Good. Anybody else? Stand to your feet. Jesus wants to know – Are you ready? Don’t analyze, don’t figure, don’t calculate. Just trust me. My ways are not your ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth so my ways and thoughts are above yours. Anybody else? Stand to your feet. God bless you. Good. God bless you. Good.
Now we’re gonna ask all you who are standing to do one more thing as the man in the story walked, we’re gonna ask you as we welcome you to the family of God to come out of your seat and walk down here to the altar. Let’s give them a hand as they come on down. Stay right here, stay right there. Stand right there with that brother. Good. Amen, amen! God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.
The bible says that if you confess your sin, God is faithful and just to forgive you and He will forgive you. He does because that’s what He does and He’s God and when God has, when He forgives He remembers no more, completely forgets. And I want to encourage all you all standing here and all you all God’s forgotten your sin. He’s ready to move on. Stop thinking. Stop worrying. Stop thinking He’s gonna get you. He wants you to trust Him and here’s my challenge to you 30 days get somebody to do this with and read through the bible. Go on the website and get this little chart or just use your lesson plan and look for the evidences of the 7 things we talked about and just mark it down. Your faith will do this guaranteed! The bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. The more word of God you read the more word of God you understand the more your faith grows. That’s how it works. That’s how it works. 30 days. There’s 89 chapters. 3 a day is 90. amen? Give or take. I don’t know if it’s 30 days but it’s 4 weeks, 28 days plus 3,2.
Let’s pray for these people then we’re gonna have all you all walk out that way in a minute and then we’ll see you next week. Next week we’ll continue this series on who is Jesus really? Amen?
Lord thank you so much for your faithfulness. Thank you so much for being God to us. Thank you so much that you love us. And Lord God we pray that we would let you be God, that we would know how much God you are. You are, you are God in every way there is God. We pray we would let you be our God. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
