Jesus He Is
Jesus! He is.
That’s why we are here today. In fact that’s why you are here.
The Bible says in, Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move,
and have our being”. It is that Jesus we’ve come to proclaim.
I wonder if you’ve ever noticed?
How a Christian can’t stop talking about his God. It’s never too soon before He tries to make you one. In fact they even call themselves ‘fishers of men’. Bait them, hook them and net them. Make them Christians. It’s like a bunch of them sitting around bored saying what shall we do, and one of them says "Let’s go fishing". It doesn’t work that way. Being fishers of men is not a sport. It their lifestyle; an attitude; a mental makeup. It’s what drives them passionately.
You might ask, “why the passion?” 2 Cor 5:14 says, “the love of Christ compels us”.
It’s like finding the cure for cancer and not tell anybody about it. This is life transforming You will never find anything like this anywhere. It gives purpose; it satisfies spiritual hunger; Knowing the one true God is eternal life. Jn 17:3
Thomas Aquinas, a Philosopher, Theologian and Priest once said, “There is within every soul a thirst for happiness and meaning”. And we, having had that thirst quenched in Jesus, we ask that you drink of this Living Water try him; taste him; trust Him. Make Him the King of your life. Just believe on His name. Quenching your thirst is that easy.
You may ask one of two questions. First, “How come it’s that simple”
It’s because Jesus said, ‘it is finished”. And that’s it. All you have to do is accept it.
Or you may ask, “How can I be so sure?”
As far as you are concerned the name of Jesus seems to be taking a beating
in the market place, especially within the scientific and the literary community. Even one of your pastors. And so you reason, “Is He is even relevant?”
That’s an important question. For which you must get the right answer.
I came across a bumper sticker the other day “Don’t follow me, I am lost”.
Unfortunately for those looking for directions there are too many such cars on the road of life and it seems impossible to know which will take them home.
So how can you trust Jesus? How do you know He is the real deal?
Josh Mcdowell in his book “More than a carpenter”, asks three questions.
Was Jesus a Liar, a Lunatic or is the Lord?
Was Jesus a Liar? Did he deliberately deceive his followers? If he did, he was also a hypocrite, because he taught others to be honest whatever the cost.
If a liar and a hypocrite, he was also a demon because he told others to trust Him
for their eternal destiny.
Was Jesus a lunatic? Was it possible that he was sincere and yet wrong?
Was he deluded or self-deceived?
Well, His teachings don’t prove that in fact His teachings have transformed
the lives of millions over centuries, including mine.
John chapter 7 describes an incident where soldiers were sent to arrest Jesus
because the religious leaders were offended by Him. But in verse 46, we read that
they returned empty handed saying, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” Not the sign of a deluded lunatic but the very Word of God manifest in flesh.
Is Jesus Lord?
If not, he would be a fool because it was His claims to being God that led to his crucifixion – Claims if he had backed away could have saved him.
He was Lord indeed. For the people who have followed Him
were certain He is Lord. How else does one explain, his cowardly bunch of motley disciples who ran away that fateful night be willing, to become martyrs,
if Christ was simply dead and gone. How else does one explain,
Christianity that endured persecution during the first three hundred years of its inception be unstoppable even by the might of Rome, though the early Christians poor of the society.
I will tell you why?
For they met the resurrected Jesus. who proved He was indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life. And when you meet Him, you cannot but be passionate about Jesus.
The sad thing about today’s world is they are willing to “include” Jesus,
as a prophet; a great moral teacher. A good man even. That’s it. However, if he misled people about his divine identity and your eternity He cannot even be good.
Jesus, He is either Lord, or not at all. That’s the only choice you have.
So why did Jesus have to die on the cross? God, on the cross!
The cruelty of Cross demonstrates there’s nothing we could have done on our own
to make it up to Him, or to even deserve God. The payment of debt was beyond our ability to pay and so Christ pays that debt on the Cross.
There is a story that is shared about a rich man called Pratt. During the Civil War it was possible among the Union Army draftees, for the rich to engage the services
of someone else to go into battle on their behalf. Unfortunately for White,
the who went on behalf of Pratt, died on the battlefield. After which the Army came knocking again to enlist Pratt, the rich man, for the second time but were not successful. Because Pratt could prove he was already dead. Someone had died on his behalf. That when White died, he died as Pratt. Union therefore, had no more hold on Pratt. The wages were paid, the obligations were met Pratt was a free man indeed.
When sins demands comes knocking Are you confident it is paid for?
Can you say someone died for you? Is it settled on your behalf at the cross?
And you don’t even have to be rich to say ‘yes’.
But if you are not sure, what are you waiting for?
In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah the prophet tells the people of God. “How long will you wait between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if this idol Baal, then follow him.” The verse then sadly continues “… the people answered him not a word.”
I hope silence is not our response this evening.
Thomas Carlyle, Scottish essayist and historian, when his wife Jane fell ill and was confined to bed, seldom found time for her, though he loved her.
After her funeral, he came to her room because he missed her dearly.
There he found Jane’s diary, on a table beside the bed. He picked it up and began to read. Suddenly he seemed shocked, for there, on one page, she had written a single line. "Yesterday he spent an hour with me and it was like heaven; I love him so."
Then he saw something that broke his heart. "I have listened all day to hear his steps in the hall, but now it is late and I guess he won't come today."
Though late, Carlyle ran out of the house. Some of his friends found him at the grave,
his face buried in the mud; his eyes red. He kept repeating over and over again,
"If I had only known, if I had only known." But it was too late for Carlyle. She was dead.
I share this with a hope that it would not be too late for any of us here.
Please stand up as I read, Acts 16:16-34.
The Situation; The Salvation; The Satisfaction
Acts 16: 16 – 34. NLT.
Luke a historian writing about the second missionary Journey of Paul.
“THE SITUATION”
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. 19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked,
“THE SALVATION”
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.
“THE SATISFACTION”
33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
• The Situation
• The Salvation
• The Satisfaction
WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION, THERE IS THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION THAT WILL SATISFY YOUR HUNGRY SOUL.