Christology sermon
Introduction:
Has anyone here been a track runner?
I once ran for Heritage H.S and remember the rigorous training we went through as we prepared to run in competitions. We ran miles each day, and when it came time to compete, we would arrive and warm up, we would have our sweats on and track jackets and jog until we broke a sweat to ensure our muscles had warmed up.
some are running today and are just plain worn out, other have quite, your sitting on the side lines watching. others are running and yet your just lacking the motivation to run hard, you just taking your time, maybe your sad and are going through a trial, or maybe your pacing yourself well. When i began running track i knew the mile was what i was best at. Yet at practice, i would run pretty hard for the first three laps and than just pour all my strength into the last lap. the couch came up to me after practice said, Tim success is found in consistency, you need to pace yourself, by going hard the entire time. some here maybe taking it easy, thinking to go hard at the end of life rather than running hard always, you will find the greatest joy in your walk with The Lord in being consistent.
Today i want to share with you about motivation, what is it that keeps your going, when your bored, when your running uphill, running in the rain, or simply got off track. The motivation is found in the person and the finished work of Jesus on the cross, but before talking about how he motivates us, lets understand the motivator.
We struggle when we lose sight of Jesus and his true identity. Explain true identity!
we will dive into a short lesson on Christology. Which is the theological study of who Jesus is.
Read John 1:1-5
Jesus
1. The eternal Christ.
"In the beginning was the word"
The word beginning is used as it is in Gen. 1:1 as though to say, before the creation of the world, Jesus was already in existence. Matthews begins with the genealogy of the human heritage of Jesus, yet this shows the Godly genealogy, He is from the beginning.
2. Jesus of the Trinity
"The Word was with God, and the word was God"
The name "The Word" points to the role of Jesus within the Trinity. God the Father, Jesus the Sun, and the Holy Spirit.
Being the action, take for yourself a mouth, it is where a word has come yet the word fulfills the actions, God the Father is on the throne and speaks, while Jesus performs.
Jesus fulfills the will of God.
3. Physical/ Spiritual life-giver.
"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has com into being"
Jesus the action taker, molded you, made you, the world you live in.
4. Overcoming Light
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of man"
Life: He is the source of Life. Not only is He the one who gives physical life, He is the one the gives spiritual life.
The Bible says "There is no other name by whom you can have eternal life"
What does this mean? simply that God is holy and humans are sinful and there is a wall the seperates us from God, from salvation and Jesus when on the cross takes all the sin of humanity upon himself and dies in our place.
Light: Life and light go hand in hand.
"The lights shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it"
Conquer is a better word, the light is so strong that the darkness cannot overtake it. Jesus is the powerful light of the world, He is alive and overcame sin, He is mighty and non can overtake him! He is uncomprehendable.
He is the life giver that once we believe in him and have eternal life, we also become a light that cannot be overtaken.
Power of Jesus.
Revelation 19:11-16 The power of Jesus.
King Jesus, becomes a human.
now keeping in mind all that we spoke about.
Lets read about the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:4-7 Introduce the decree to go register.
1. Jesus the same one we studied, the ruler of the universe, stands from his throne at the right hand of God the Father, humbles himself, is born into the human flesh, comes to lay down his life for the people he created and that have rebelled against Him.
2. All must invite
Mary and Joseph come to Nazarath, a small town. Commentators say this town was so small that he may have only had 200-300 residents, and they were spread out on a mere 10 acres of land. And so Mary water breaks it's time for birth.
Story: thinking Natalie's water broke after she spilled water, and calls another time to trick me.
Joseph hearing that her water broke begins running through town in search of a room to deliver the child. They go to the inn, the local motel, nope we're booked, we have no room for you were sorry. They go to another place, the owner seeing Mary is in labor thinks I don't want that in my inn, no we're full.
Have you got room for Jesus in your life? Do you identify with Jesus?.
The bible says the humble will inherit the earth. The humble will rule, they are favored, they are likely to accept Christ into their hearts. That is why many people come to salvation in times of suffering. A family member dies, they get cancer. Salvation happens once we come to the end of ourselves realizing we need salvation and we need direction from a shepherd
Look at Jesus, independent of his social, financial status, his physical appearance, or his material possession, he still would have accomplished the goal God the Father had prepared for him. You see it is the essence, the nature of who he was that allowed him to do great things. It was his character that pole-vaulted his living a perfect life, showing love to his murders while dying on the cross. It was simply who Jesus was that allowed him to take the sins of humanity upon himself and break the power of sin over those who believe in him
Scripture for Sermon
Isaiah 66:2
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Isaiah 66:1-3 (in Context) Isaiah 66 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
James 4:6
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:5-7 (in Context) James 4 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Rev. 19:11-16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in[d] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Luke 2:4-7
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
