Weekend Message/Devotion
June 30, 2019
Back to Basics
(third in a series)
Sermon Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I stand before Your people, to deliver Your message. Though the words are mine and I prepared this message, I pray that this message is Your message in its entirety. I pray your blessing and anointing on the message, its delivery, its reception - and most of all, its application in our lives.” Amen
Today, we are continuing a series of messages entitled “Back to Basics”. The series will be to review basic biblical doctrines. In other words, reviewing what our beliefs and practices are based upon. We are utilizing Bible Doctrines (A Pentecostal Perspective) authored by William Menzies, Logion Press 2001; The Great Doctrines of the Bible by William Evans, Moody Press 1974; and of course, God’s Holy Word.
The Doctrine of Jesus Christ
Who is Jesus the Christ to you? This is not a loaded question; it is meant to personalize your individual relationship with Jesus. Yes, we can know what the bible tells us about Jesus; we can know and hopefully understand what preachers tell us about who Jesus is; but, who is Jesus to you?
The following lyrics from Ray Coniff’s Here Today and Gone Tomorrow is the sentiment of many when it comes to the subject of Jesus. Sure enough, Jesus was born flesh and blood albeit incarnate some two thousand plus years ago.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:23-25).
Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
Ray Conniff
I came to you in dark despair
I needed someone who would care.
You held me close against your heart
I felt a warmth right from the start.
Then one day he took you away
Why did it happen, who can say?
Now all that there is left for me
Is just a precious memory.
“In this being born of a woman Jesus Christ submitted to the conditions of a human life and a human body, became humanity’s son by a human birth.” The Great Doctrines of the Bible – page 14.
Jesus existed in human form with all human attributes, abilities and “grew and increased in wisdom and stature.”
“And the child grew, and waxed strong inspirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40)
You see, Jesus SUBMITTED to the conditions of human life. Even in his human state and human appearance, Jesus was yet God the Son. In His submission to the conditions of human life, He experienced life of learning and experiencing ALL that man has since the beginning of time.
Even so, God the Father proclaims Jesus as diety:
“And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him.
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:6-8)
If God the Father says so, who would want to question the deity of Jesus?
Who but God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) has the authority AND the power to forgive sins and heal dire sickness?
” When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” (Mark 2:5-11)
Remember when we started this series, we stated the God ALWAYS was? Just a quick refresher here:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“Lastly, we must assert that the incarnation of Jesus is the most consequential event in history, where the eternal God of the universe entered space-time history as the second person of the Trinity, and He took on flesh to dwell among His creation (John 1:14). In the incarnation, the eternal God communicates to His creation through His self-revelation, both in human form (Jesus) and in written form (His word, the Bible). Even after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, God continues to communicate to His followers through His Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. “DAN TSOULOUFIS
For some reason, the fact that Jesus is to be the JUDGE of all men is not as common in preaching as is love, forgiveness and the “tickle your ear” themes. Some of us can at times be quick to judge others. But one day we will ALL face Our Lord Jesus who sits on the Throne of Judgment. I don’t know about you, but I try to stay current in confessing my sins and faults (at least daily) because the last thing that I want is to be standing before that throne with unforgiven sins hanging over my head. We cannot know the day or hour that we will be taken before that throne, but that time is coming. I have a sister and a sister-in-law each in a hospice situation. In the sense that they can recognize the forthcoming event of meeting Jesus face-to-face, they have the opportunity to get that confession thing taken care of and maintained.
“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”. (John 5:22)
“The Man of the Cross is to be the Man of the Throne. The issues of judgment are all in His hand.” (2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-46)
His Work and His Death –
Jesus was sent to us (the world) for the express purpose: “To seek and save the lost!” (Luke 19:10
“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)
“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” (John 12:46-47)
“God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
I cannot find anywhere, any reference to prosperity, to ethics, to love, to worship, to charity or the myriad of other topics that are taught and preached in churches of today as the purpose for His coming or for His sacrifice on the cross,. Slow down – don’t raise your eyebrows and clear your throat with a hardy hrmmph! I said for the PURPOSE of His COMING. Ethics, Morality, Obedience, Sacrifice and the like are all hallmarks of a Christian life. These things become a part of our lives when we have been made aware of the purpose for His coming – “TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST”.
Again – this is a brief overview of the Doctrine of Jesus trying to emphasize the most important attributes. I highly encourage you to pursue an in-depth study of basic bible doctrines as we journey through this series.
If you do believe in God and if you do seek to do His will and have never accepted His promise of eternal life, I invite you to join me in the following prayer:
“Almighty God, I believe that it is in Your will to grant me new life here and eternal life in the hereafter, if I confess that the Lord Jesus is Your Son, Whom you raised from the dead. Therefore, Almighty God, I confess that Jesus is now the Lord of my life. I submit my life to Him right now. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess that I am a sinner and ask Your forgiveness for my sins. Amen”
If you have prayed this prayer with me and are not physically with us in our fellowship gathering today, I urge you with all of my being to seek a Bible believing church and include regular corporate worship and also speak with your pastor about a discipleship program.
Next week, we will continue this overview of Biblical Doctrines.
Let us pray.
I humbly and sincerely ask for your prayers!
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Note: It is the practice of this church to preach straight from the bible. We follow the lectionary assigned readings from which the sermon/messages are derived.
