Jesus Christ: Saviour, Healer, Baptiser and Coming King.
As always the question to begin:
What is the “foursquare” Gospel?
As an Elim Pentecostal Church we believe in something called the Foursquare Gospel.
We believe that Jesus Christ is Saviour, Healer, Baptiser in the Holy Spirit and Coming King
And tonight I want us to consider these four specific aspects of the life of Jesus.
These four headings are a simple summary of Jesus lived and His characteristics.
To fully explore each of them would take hours of preaching and maybe at some stage we will consider each aspect in greater detail but tonight I am only going to provide a brief summary of each aspect.
So Saviour, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer and Coming King
Actually Let’s start with Who is Jesus?
It’s a very important question.
Perhaps one of the greatest questions anyone can ever ask.
Who is Jesus?
This is a question that people have been asking for 2,000 years!
Some might say He was a great and wise man.
Some might say He was just a fairy story.
The Bible says in John 20:31 “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.”
As Christians we believe the Bible is true.
When the Bible says: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God
We believe that is a statement of truth and a statement of fact.
But, there is more to being a Christian than just knowing a few facts about Jesus.
The Bible also says in 2 Peter 3:18 we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To be a Christian we need to personally experience and encounter Him in our lives.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is the Son of God;
Jesus is the Word;
Jesus is the Love Gift of the Father for the salvation of sinners,
Jesus is the sinless Saviour;
Jesus is the Word made flesh through virgin birth;
Jesus is the sacrifice given as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world;
Jesus is the one who in death carried the full weight and consequence of all our sins, so that we through His blood might be justified before God.
Jesus is the one who has purchased our forgiveness
Jesus is the one who heals our broken hearts
Jesus is the living Lord; resurrected from the dead.
Jesus is the victor over hell’s every power,
Jesus is the one who has ascended to the Father’s right hand.
Jesus is the one who is ceaselessly interceding for His us.
Jesus is the one worthy of all worship and praise.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever
Because the Lord never changes, then that means Jesus still saves, heals, and baptizes in the Holy Spirit today, and one day He will return as King!
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is Our Lord and Our Saviour!
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So lets consider the 1st aspect
Jesus is THE SAVIOUR
There are many passages in the Bible that say Jesus is The Saviour.
Right at the start of the New Testament it declares Jesus is the Saviour.
Matthew 1:21 “And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Luke 2:11 “The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
The Saviour of mankind is the eternal Son of God who, for our sake, became man. It’s the basis of our faith; we believe that the Saviour is Jesus Christ.
Why do we need Jesus as our Saviour?
Jesus came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
He came to restore us to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jonah 2:9 says, “Salvation is of the Lord.”
Salvation is not something that we can earn or work for; it is a free gift from the Saviour.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
The fact that Jesus is our Saviour, The fact that Jesus is YOUR Saviour should cause your heart to overflow with praise and thankfulness to God!
In Acts 4:12 we are told “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
If you don’t yet know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, why wait any longer?
Call on His name today, and find forgiveness of your sins!
Call on Jesus, no one else, there is no other Saviour there is no other Messiah. It is only in Him that we can be saved.
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In John 4 Jesus encounters the Samaritan Woman at the well in the hottest part of the day she was there to draw water.
The woman said to Jesus, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” John 4:25-26
So... The woman left her jar of water beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see Him John 4:28-30
And the result
“Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves.
Now we know that He is indeed the Saviour of the world.” John 4:39-42
Not A Saviour, THE Saviour, THE Saviour of the world.
1 Timothy 2:4-6 tells us “God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.”
Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross for the sins of humanity. Belief in his atoning death brings forgiveness, salvation and eternal life:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
Jesus is not A Saviour, He is THE Saviour, He is the ONLY Saviour.
To deny that is to deny the truth of the Word of God.
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BAPTISER
The Bible tell us that Jesus is also the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the words of Peter in Acts 2:32-33: God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now He is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as He had promised, gave Him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.
When Jesus ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers.
The Spirit is our counselor, guide, comforter, and Christ’s real presence on earth.
When God wants to draw something to our attention He mentions it in the Bible.
When God really wants to get our attention, He says it more that once!
Jesus IS the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit the first five books of the New Testament all declare it.
In every one of the four Gospels, it’s clear and it’s there for us to see.
We know we’re all good at remembering John 3:16 but I wonder how many of us know Luke 3:16?
“John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
John the Baptist declared that Jesus was coming, and that when He came, He would baptize people with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.
After Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the Bible says in Acts 1:4-5, “when Jesus was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The disciples already knew Jesus as the Saviour why would they need to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit?
The answer is found in Acts 1:8, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus said that the purpose of the Holy Spirit Baptism was to give His disciples power and boldness to be witnesses for Him.
How do we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
It’s simple.
All we have to do is ask!
Jesus said, Our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him” (Luke 11:13).
Dr. R.A. Torrey wrote, “The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a Definite And Distinct Experience.
A Christian will know if he has received the Spirit or not.”
The Outpouring of the Spirit is not a Special Blessing for a Special Few in a Special Age.
IT IS FOR ALL who have Truly Repented And Believed that Jesus is Saviour.
What happens when the stream of the Holy Spirit is poured into a persons life?
When a persons life is empowered by the Holy Spirit, it is beautiful to behold.
When someone lives in the Spirit, they walk in the Spirit.
When someone lives in the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is evident in their lives:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.
When someone lives in the Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be manifest in their lives, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, a strong faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
The Holy Spirit helps us to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Friends, do you need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit on your life tonight?
Are you discontent with living a mediocre Christian life?
Do you desire an awsome Spirit-filled, Spirit empowered life?
When Peter spoke about the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he quoted the prophet Joel who said:
‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions, and
your old men will dream dreams.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.
God CAN baptize His church with the fire of the Holy Spirit,
God CAN put a prophetic word in our hearts,
God CAN give us dreams and visions of Him, His glory, and His kingdom!
Will YOU ask Him to do that in YOUR life?
Will you ask God to fill you anew and afresh with the power of the Holy Spirit?
Will you ask God to grant us all a greater release of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, for HIS glory!
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Jesus is the COMING KING
The Bible promises that Christ will come again.
His Second Coming is certain and it will be a joyful time for believers.
The Bible teaches that after Jesus was resurrected from the dead and ascended to Heaven, He sat down at the right hand of God and began to rule and reign as the King.
As Christians, we believe that our King will one day return to the Earth.
Our Saviour Jesus Christ is going to return for us and take us to Heaven to live with Him forever!
What will it be like when our King returns?
To fully answer that question would require a whole series of sermons. I’m just going to quote some Bible verses.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.
First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.
Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Then we will be with the Lord forever.
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.
Hebrews 9:28: Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.
The King is coming back are you ready for His return?
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Jesus is THE HEALER
Many verses in the New Testament speak of Jesus’ healing ministry.
His healing ministry is introduced with the words in Matthew 4:24 “News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.”
While on earth, Jesus travelled around healing people physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Jesus still heals today. The Bible teaches that both forgiveness of sins and healing of sicknesses are blessings and benefits of the Lord.
Psalm 30:2 “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.”
Psalm 103:2-3: “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” He is the Lord, He changes not!
Luke 4:18-19 Jesus said “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”
Jesus healed people in the past, and He’s still healing people today.
Not only does Jesus heal sick bodies, but He heals broken hearts and lives as well.
1 Peter 2:24 states “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”
This is the Good News of the Gospel—forgiveness of sins, and healing of sicknesses!
In the Bible Jesus never refused to heal Mark 6:56
Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
There are accounts of Jesus healing people in Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:16, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 12:15, Matthew 14:36, Luke 4:40, Luke 5:15, Luke 8:47, and the list goes on and on.
Jesus is the Saviour, Jesus is the Healer.
Salvation and healing are both yours now.
Do you need Healing and Wholeness in your life?
James 5:13-16: Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Do you believe those words are true?
Do you have faith in Jesus the Healer?
‘Oh yes, Dean, I believe the Bible is true.
The Bible is the Word of God… BUT’.
Why do we add a BUT?
Why don’t we just do what the Bible says in faith ?
Why don’t we put into practice what the Bible says?
There is no point in reading it or hearing it and then ignoring it. If we do we will all walk out the same way as we came in.
God wants us to take His Word and apply it and use it every day.
God has made a promise to save and to heal and He is the only one who can deliver on His promise!
So what are we going to do this evening?
We are going to pray for healing and wholeness!
We are going to pray that the stream of the spirt will flow and that healing, wholeness, change and transformation will happen.
We are going to pray and we are going to trust and by the power of the Holy Spirit we WILL witness miracles in our midst!
Let’s put it into practise this evening, right here in this church right now.
Maybe tonight you need the touch of God’s healing power.
Maybe tonight you need the touch of God’s transforming power.
Maybe tonight you need the refreshing flow of the Stream of the Spirit.
Seek the healing; seek the Healer.
His name is Jesus.
He is the Saviour,
He is Baptiser in the Holy Spirit,
He is the Coming King
He is the Healer
Let us pray together in faith.
