INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Ordinary- not remarkable or special in any way, and therefore uninteresting and unimpressive
• Isn’t that what we all strive for in life? Ordinary?
• When Jesus began His ministry it became obvious to all that He was ANYTHING but ordinary!
• This is one of the things that made Jesus attractive to people, He was not ordinary.
• Do you want to settle for ordinary in life? Do you want to just do the bare minimum to get by or do you want to really experience life and life abundantly?
• People usually are not drawn to ordinary people, they are drawn to extraordinary people.
• The one thing that can take your life from ORDINARY or below average to extraordinary is Jesus. When you really commit yourself to Jesus, life will change.
• Today as we delve into chapter 24 of The Story, four things are revealed to us that show us that Jesus was not an ordinary man.
• As you incorporate more of Jesus into your life, you we no longer be an ordinary person!
• Let us begin our expedition through chapter 24 of The Story be first taking note of the first reason Jesus was no ordinary man!
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. The plea of Jesus. (Change of heart)
• One of the things that makes Jesus extraordinary is His plea to us.
• Jesus entered the world at a time in which faith and religion were ruled by the exterior.
• The Old Testament system had be reduced to empty rituals and actions void of meaning.
• The religious leaders of the day for the most part led the charge. They were so full of themselves that Jesus once called them whitewashed tombs that looked good on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones on the inside.
• As Jesus was in His second year of ministry, Jesus will make a plea to the people like no plea ever made to mankind, the Sermon on the Mount!
• Even people who do not want to acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God marvel at this wonderful teaching!
• Because of time we will not read it all, but I encourage you to read Matthew 5-7 and you will see what Jesus preached.
• When the sermon was done, Matthew 7:28-29 reveals what the large crowd thought of what they heard.
• SLIDE #3
• Matthew 7:28–29 (NIV) When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
• The people were not only captivated by the content, but verse 29 reveals the crowd was amazed at the manner in which He taught.
• The Sermon on the Mount reveals to us how one is to live an Upper Story existence while living in this world.
• Jesus in that one sermon pleads with the people their faith to transcend above the external to a REAL change of heart!
• THINK ABOUT WHAT HE TAUGHT, THE CONTENT WAS REVOLUTIONARY.
• WHAT JESUS TAUGHT WOULD BRING TRUE FREEDOM TO A PERSON!
• The problem was not unique to Jesus’ day, we still struggle with it today, we call it being a Sunday Christian or an Easter and Christmas Christian.
• Jesus did not die for you so that you can just put on a show, He wants you to change your heart.
• When we are in Christ (which happens at baptism according to Romans 6), we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Jesus not an ordinary man because His plea was not to look good, it was to be changed, to have a changed heart!
• You can do that through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit you receive when you are baptized into Jesus!
• What Jesus taught, how He taught and the plea for a changed heart made Jesus extraordinary!
• The next thing that made Jesus no ordinary man was….
• SLIDE #4
II. The passion of Jesus. (Lost people)
• Jesus had a real passion, and His passion put Him at odds with the religious leaders of His day!
• Jesus had a passion for lost people! The religious leaders looked at people other than themselves and select others as SINNERS and the word was not used in a kind light.
• Throughout Jesus’ ministry those folks were on Him about eating and associating with the “sinners” and the special lowest of the low, the tax gathers!
• SLIDE #5
• Luke 15:1–2 (NIV) Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
• Jesus in response to their terrible heart, continues in Luke 15 to tell three parables that gives us a glimpse of the passion He has for those people the religious leaders would not give the time of day to; Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and finally the Lost Son (the Prodigal Son as we refer to it today).
• The point of those parables was to show the people that those with whom the religious leaders placed no value in, were of great value to God!
• I wonder if Jesus was looking right at the religious leaders when He offered the following commentaries after each parable!
• SLIDE #6
• Luke 15:7 (NIV) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
• Luke 15:10 (NIV) In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
• Luke 15:32 (NIV) But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
• Jesus has a passion for the lost and that made Him no ordinary man! I pray Jesus’ passion is our passion!
• The next piece of evidence that proves that Jesus was no ordinary man was….
• SLIDE #7
III. The power of Jesus. (Miracles)
• Jesus did some amazing things as far as miracles and healing. The displays of His power reveals that He was no ordinary man!
• In the gospel of Mark we see a couple displays of His power!
• In Mark 4:35-41 after a time of teaching Jesus told the disciples it was time to go across the sea.
• Jesus finds a cushion and falls asleep.
• As they embark on the journey a fierce windstorm caught them and the waves were breaking over the boat, the disciples panic and wake Jesus up crying at him about how they are going to die!
• Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and said to the sea to be calm!
• Then He turns to the crybabies in the boat. I would have been crying too!
• SLIDE #8
• Mark 4:40–41 (NIV) He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
• No one else in the boat could pull that off!
• In Mark 5:1-11, a man was demon possessed.
• SLIDE #9
• Mark 5:7–8 (NIV) He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
• Jesus speak to them and they fear Him and obey Him and eventually are allowed to possess a heard of pigs and end up drowning themselves in the sea!
• Jesus healed people and that was part of the reason He was drawing such big crowds.
• SLIDE #10
• Matthew 4:24 (NIV) News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.
• Imagine having a disease and hearing of a person who could heal you! A man I worked with at Square D took his wife to a Fake Healer when she was ill and he was not even very religious.
• The fourth piece of evidence that proves that Jesus was not an ordinary man is…
• SLIDE #11
IV. The promises of Jesus. (Kingdom of God)
• Jesus wants people’s hearts to change, He wants their focus to be on God because Jesus wants everyone to enjoy the promise of Heaven!
• In synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) the kingdom takes center-stage, being mentioned over 60 times!
• Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the kingdom of God.
• On a sad note, in the parable of the sower Jesus said that not everyone would not make it. Some seed would fall on fertile ground, some on rock ground, some on the path, and some in the weeds.
• God wants everyone to be able to enjoy the promise of heaven.
• In John 6:22-71, Jesus was addressing people and His message caused many to turn away from following Him.
• SLIDE #12
• John 6:53–54 (NIV) Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
• Jesus starts talking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He was speaking figuratively but the people took Him literally.
• Jesus was alluding to faith and commitment to Him. To be abler to claim the promise of Heaven, one MUST follow Jesus, be committed to Him, and be IN Him!
• SO why would I want to do that?
• Jesus uses a few illustrations to try to give us a picture of what this heaven is like!
• In Matthew 13:44-46 we see that the Kingdom of God is a great treasure!
• SLIDE #13
• Matthew 13:44–46 (NIV) “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
• The Kingdom of God is worth giving up all you have to pursue it!
• Are you anxious, worried, or burdened? Heaven is a place free of those things!
• In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about the anxieties of life and how we can get burdened down by the pursuit of simply food, shelter, and clothing.
• Jesus reminds us to seek God and let HIM take your burdens away!
• SLIDE #14
• Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
CONCLUSION
• Jesus was no ordinary man!
• Do you want to escape the ordinary life, a life that burdens you down? A life that is void of real meaning and purpose?
• If Jesus is not your life, not your king, then it is time to change who your king is!
• The one whom you seek, what you pursue can either lead down the path of a life void of purpose and meaning or a life that has purpose and meaning!
• We all want a king. Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18).
• In God’s kingdom there is room for only one king—we can’t be our own king or queen.
• God is creating a kingdom and you’re invited in. Soon, our king will return.
• Now we’re in training to live the kingdom life.
• We live in kingdom tension. We know reality is much bigger than people know. We must express the bigger, saving, loving world of the kingdom of God.
• When what drove Jesus drives us, life will NEVER be the same!
