Sermon - Christ is Perfect
- A big attack against Christianity came this week. It’s a weapon the enemy has used
for many years.
- The attack is, make Christ look impure.
- The statement was made by, once again, a popular news anchor. He said ” Jesus
admitted that He was not perfect”
- There’s a big problem with a statement like that!
- Let’s begin with Galatians 3:10-14, & we’ll see the error in a minute.
Galatians 3:10-14
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
- If Jesus was not the Lamb without Blemish. Then we are all still under the curse of
the law.
Prayer
- This attack isn’t anything new. If you remember the allegation that came with the Da
Vinci code. They pushed the idea that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. We
know that isn’t possible, because Jesus is married to the church.
- They’ve tried to skew the name of Christ, by making Him guilty of Adultery.
- We know it’s not true, but many have profited from the scandals.
* There’s the reasoning for making such allegations.
Q- What is it that people desire most?
- People want to great, or to be accepted as great.
Q- How Do they attempt to achieve such a feat?
- They do it by going after He who is the greatest.
- Here’s Jesus’ Words In John 15. He addresses us, but He shows the action of
hatred people have taken, & will take, against Him.
John 15:18-25
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
- The action has always been to attack Jesus, & His followers.
Q- But, Think about it. What do they really gain out of this?
- I try to grapple with this question all the time.
Q- Would a person, knowingly, cause someone to go into an eternity of torment?
- Literally this is what the hatred of Christ is doing.
Q- So, why would anyone do that?
- Here’s the answer.
John 3:19
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
- They rejected Christ, & then they pushed their own ideas, rules, & laws.
- If they are greater than the creator of the universe, & our Redeemer. Then they can
do whatever they want, because they have no one to answer to.
- Now, Before we say people couldn’t be that vain, & selfish.
- The sad part about all of this is. Those that hate Jesus, don’t know Him.
- Yeah they know of the Man Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus who is fully man
& fully God.
- They are willfully ignorant. They choose to keep their eyes closed. Instead of
opening them to the light.
Q- What can we do to rescue those in darkness?
- Something I have preached a lot is, we are a light to the world.
- We are the awakening light that Pierce’s through the blindness of our world.
- When you first think of those words it sounds like it’s putting a lot of
responsibility on us.
- That’s not the way Christ uses us. If the task is put on us then the the task of
awakening people to Christ, could be failed.
- People will be saved, no matter what part we have in it.
Why?
- It’s because we don’t save people, Christ does.
* Here’s how we’re light.
- The world operates on rules, laws. In everything we pin a method for doing
something.
- When it comes to salvation we hang our worth on the idea that we’re not a bad
person.
- We Often base that idea from off the Ten Commandments. We say I haven’t
broken these. I might have bent one or two, but I didn’t break one.
- For a Christian, We have two laws that show who we are.
1. Love God with all your heart, body, & soul.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Q- Do you remember Jesus giving us these laws?
- When we are practicing these laws, people see order, peace, & kindness.
Q- Isn’t That What the world wants most?
- So When the World sees God’s order, & God’s plan(the Gospel). People are saved
by the One who wrote the Laws.
- For us Christians we’re just following orders, serving God.
- Listen to How Paul told this to Titus.
Titus 2:9-10
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
- Our God, & Savior is Perfect. His ways are perfect.
- Our world is on the path to realizing He is.
- Here’s my last scripture.
Isaiah 66:18-23
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.
21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
- At first, the Gospel was given to the apostles, Jewish hands. It went out to their
surrounding areas, & then to the gentiles.
- Notice How it says the people will be brought to Jerusalem. That’s the place God was
worshipped, in the Temple.
- The Temple is now inside every believer.
- The Gospel is taken to every person, & they are inspired(Awakened) to worship
God from within His Temple (this body)!
- Then we have become priests. We each have unique abilities that God uses for His
service.
- In all of God’s outpouring here. People take notice of exactly who God is, of who
Christ is.
- We go back to what Paul told Titus,
Titus 2:10
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
- People can try to live in darkness for all their lives, but as long as we continue to
abide by God’s Way. The light will be shining for them, for as soon as they allow for
their eyes to be opened.
- Let me close with this though. There will be many who come, & go, who renounce
Jesus. What we need to be doing for these people is praying for them, & living this
life exactly the way Christ has told us. Let’s remember, Jesus died for them, just
as much as He did for us.
Prayer
