Why Should I Serve Jesus?
Fall 2019 Gospel Meeting • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Introduction
I don’t think that I understood fully how big of a question this really is before I started to study it. Even just saying the question with different inflections changes the meaning completely: Why Should I Serve Jesus, Why should I Serve Jesus, Why Should I Serve Jesus, Why Should I Serve Jesus. You get the point. This is a huge question. What I want to do then, is try to get a big picture understanding for the benefit of those who have maybe never considered this question before.
That leads to something else I learned. I don’t think I’ve given this as much thought in the past as I always should have. I have always assumed service to Jesus. For me it was always questioning if the message of the Gospel was true or not, and if it was, then I would serve Jesus. In a lot of ways the New Testament seems to express the same attitude; assuming that you will serve Jesus if you understand and respond to the Gospel. Much of that is probably due to the fact the documents we have are largely written to people who have already took up the gauntlet of service to Jesus. But the question is, “Why Should I Serve Jesus?”. Your job then is to figure out how I inflected that last sentence. (That’s a joke).
The actions of Jesus require a reaction
Existence of God requires response
If God exists, he is why we exist, and we need to understand what he wants
The message of Jesus requires a response
We can either ignore it or embrace it, but something that amazing, pervasive, and transcendent demands that you decide what you will do about it
The gospels communicate a reason to serve Jesus is the power and wisdom he displayed as he was alive. (; )
Amazement at his power
If you see and believe the things that Jesus was doing, you will follow and serve him
Recognition of the soundness of his teaching
If you understand that what Jesus is teaching is true, you will follow and serve him
We have the examples of this from the apostles and the first disciples, and the apparent reasons that they served Jesus, because they certainly did not understand all of the theological reasons to serve him at first (; )
Power/authority
Inherent authority in his being (e.g. )
After the calming of the storm the disciples asked, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (vv.41)
They receive their answer from the demons (vv.7)
His authority as the glorified messiah (; )
He had power/authority before (being the Son of God), but he was glorified even more at his conquering of death (evidently especially in )
Judgement
There is the expectation of Jesus’ position that he has authority to judge us
This has been appointed ()
Jesus speaks throughout the Gospels of a day on which people will be judged, by him and be made to explain why the lived the way they did ()
Gratitude/Love ()
Paul gives himself to Jesus as a response to his sacrifice (gratitude)
How much would you give up for a friend that died for you?
How much more God himself?
“Who loved me and gave himself for me” - Love because of love
Love
“We love because he first loved us.” ()
How much would would you give for a friend who died for you?
How much more for God himself?
Judgement
Conclusion
I think where the disconnect occurs is many people do not take the information and ask the, “so what”. If all this is true, then what does that mean for me?
So, what are you going to do about it?
1 john 4: 9-10 , 19
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
hebrews 12:28 gratitude? Colossians Therefore brothers, lets act grateful for this
romans 12? response to gods mercy
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