When Jesus Reveals Himself Series

WHEN JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF Mark 2:6-12

INTRO:

Behavior and belief - If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.

Steven Manley: “A holy person ought to be like a suit that would unzip and all that you see is Jesus.”

Is it very clear to others that Jesus is with us? Do our actions allow Christ to reveal Himself to others?

How will people see Jesus in each of us?

I. THERE WILL BE RECOGNITION

A. Jesus has made a God statement: “Your sins are forgiven.”

B. In this case there was a negative reaction: “who does he think he is? God?

Usually Jesus presence will ruffle some feathers. It will make them uncomfortable

C. Jesus has come to live within us. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:20

D. If Christ is in us, shouldn’t we think and act differently?

Shouldn’t the people see Christ and His kingdom in us?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD. Isa. 55:8

E. Look at what God does through people:

• Virgin Mary – pregnant

• Abraham – old – parent

• Moses – grew up in Egypt – then led his people out

• Noah – built ark on dry land – no rain

• Gideon – defeated Midianites with only 300 men

• Peter – from denying Christ to preaching the first sermon

• Paul – from executioner to apostle

F. Henry Blackaby: “When God’s people and the world see something only God can do, they come to know God. Let people see the difference that a living Christ makes in a life, a family, or a church; that will make a difference in how they respond to the gospel.”

G. Are people recognizing God in our lives?

II. THERE WILL BE A REACTION

A. When people notice our lives in Christ, how do we react to them?

B. Jesus knew their hearts and the popular thought of the day was on that said, “you are sick because of sin.”

C. So His response was one that did not argue, but proved His Sonship!

D. Do we live our faith and prove our relationship to Christ, or do we let the opportunity slip by?

Henry Blackaby: “What I do reveals what I believe about God, regardless of what I say. What I believe about God will determine what I do and live.”

E. Are we are fearful when it comes to defending our faith with others?

* David was led to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17

What did he believe about God?

* He could do anything

* He helped slay the lion and the bear

* He will slay you, Goliath through me

* What did David do?

* took his sling and five stones against Goliath with a huge sword and spear

* hit Goliath in the forehead and killed him

* cut of Goliath’s head with his own sword

F. Sometimes we will stand alone:

Challenger

In the fateful winter morning of January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger stood poised for launch. Overnight, the temperature had plummeted into the twenties. At liftoff it was a crisp 36 degrees F. Four-foot icicles still clung ominously to the launch tower.

Allan McDonald, an engineer employed by the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters that straddled the shuttle, shuddered, but not because of the cold. Research had shown that the O rings sealing the sections of each booster might be more likely to leak as the temperature dropped. In fact, the rings had never been tested during an actual launch below 51 degrees F.

McDonald stood virtually alone as he steadfastly opposed the launch that icy morning, but he was overruled. The launch went ahead as scheduled, and 73 seconds later six brave astronauts and one enthusiastic school teacher lost their lives when the O rings failed.

Was Allan McDonald arrogant when he challenged the decision to launch? Was he intolerant? Any thinking person would say no. He just was unwilling to see innocent people die because others had ignored or distorted the facts. We would say Allan McDonald knew the truth, and he stood up for it.

Mike Bellah, “Truth and Tragedy,” (Garland, TX: American Tract Society), 1992

G. When we are faced with a time of obedience what will our reaction be?

III. THERE WILL BE A RESPONSE

A. The response will be varied.

* REJECTION

The scribes probably felt attacked. Probably were angered.

On writer: “That day, Jesus signed His ‘death warrant’. They would be soon plotting with others ‘how they might destroy him’ (3:6)”

*AMAZEMENT

The people had never seen anything like this.

Many are still amazed, yet unchanged.