Son Of God Series

Son Of God

I Am Jesus – part 2

Video “Who Is Jesus? (sermon spice ~3:40-6:40)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. – John 1:1-5

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14But John didn’t want to baptize him. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" 15But Jesus said, "It must be done, because we must do everything that is right." So then John baptized him. 16After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him." - Matthew 3:13-17

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together. - Col 1:15-17 (NLT)

Prayer…

Last week – we kicked off our message series “I am Jesus.” NOW – my goal last Sunday was pretty simple. To convince everyone here that they do not know who Jesus really is…

AND AGAIN – don’t misunderstand me… I AM NOT – saying that you don’t know anything about Jesus. AND – I am not saying that what you know about Him has not impacted and changed your life… (brought hope, peace, joy, light, direction and purpose, where there had been none)… BUT LISTEN – there is so much more to KNOWING Jesus than anyone in this room could ever imagine.

Get It?

LISTEN - though we try and may even think that we have… Jesus is not easily pinned down… NOR - is He easily placed securely in a; (nice, tidy, little box) in our minds.

One of the books on my shelf about Jesus is written by a guy named Leonard Sweet and it is called; “Jesus Drives Me Crazy…” The premise of the book is just that… THAT - Jesus drives His followers crazy… HE – is so unpredictable, so hard to pin down… JUST WHEN – you think you have Jesus figured out… OUT – of nowhere He suddenly pulls a u-turn.

I MEAN – nearly everything that Jesus taught seems to be a u-turn from conventional thinking… Jesus taught that…

• The way up is down

• The way in is out

• The way first is last

• The way of success is service

• The way of attainment is relinquishment

• The way of strength is weakness

• The way of security is vulnerability & openness

• The way of protection is forgiveness (even to 7 x 70)

• The way of life is death – death to self, society, family

• Know your strengths. Why? Because that’s the only way that you can lay them down.

• God’s power is made perfect…where? In our weakness.

• Want to get the most? Go to where the least are.

• Want to be free? Give complete control to God.

• Want to become great? Become least.

• Want to find yourself? Forget yourself.

• Want honor? Think of others more then yourself

• Want to ‘get even’ with your enemies? Bless, love and pray for them

AND NOT ONLY– were the things that He taught U-turns… BUT - so were the things that Jesus did. THE CREATOR – leaving heaven to become one of us… THE KING – coming to serve and not be served,,, ALMIGHTY GOD - dying on a cross, for a sinful people… QUESTION – how do you pin down a guy who is so unpredictable…

I MEAN – talk about unpinable…

• What good shepherd would risk the survival of 99 safe sheep to find the one sheep that was lost?

• What employer would pay last-minute workers the same wage as those who had worked all day?

• What father would throw a huge party to welcome a son who blew his entire inheritance?

• What bank would reward investors who risked their clients money in the futures market while rebuking those investors who played it safe, took no risks, but protected the money entrusted to them?