Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENING

We are continuing this morning with a sermon series titled, “Fitting the Pieces Together.”

Last week we talked about how we are all Living Stones.

Going back to part of our Scripture text from last week, 1 Peter 2:5 tells us that:

We also talked about how God is bringing us all together at Farm Hill Church, with our different talents, abilities, and gifts, and is fitting us together like Living Stones to build a church, a body of believers, to advance the Kingdom of God.

This week, and over the next couple weeks, I want to focus on what are going to serve as our mission and vision statements for 2022.

A mission statement defines who we are and what we do.

Vision statements defines what we want to accomplish through our mission.

In other words, what are the results we want to see happen.

Today, we are going to focus on our mission statement.

I believe that this statement summarizes who we are and what our focus is going to be in 2022 and beyond, if the Lord tarries.

Our mission statement is the title of our message this morning and it is this, “Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.”

It’s really all about Jesus.

It is about us growing in Christ as individuals as well as a body of Christ.

And it is about sharing the good news of the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can reach.

This is going to be our focus for 2022.

“Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.”

MESSAGE

Knowing Jesus

As we begin 2022, I believe the Holy Spirit has impressed on my heart to share with Farm Hill Church that we need to focus more on Knowing Jesus.

You see, it is one thing to know about Jesus.

It is quite another thing to Know Jesus.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Back when I was a teenager, I loved to play basketball.

I had the opportunity to play at Ernest Ward High School for a few years.

I wasn’t that good.

But I loved to play.

And when I was growing up and playing, it was during the peak of Michael Jordan’s career.

Everybody wanted to be “like Mike.”

I even had a poster of him on my bedroom wall with his tongue sticking out about to dunk on somebody.

I loved to watch Michael Jordan play.

And I know a lot about Michael Jordan.

I can tell you that he won a national championship as a Tar Heel at the University of North Carolina.

I can tell you he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984 as the 3rd overall pick in the draft.

I can tell you that he won a total of 6 NBA championships.

I can tell you that he won those 6 championships as two separate three-peats.

I can tell you he retired after the first three-peat and tried to play professional baseball.

I can tell you that baseball didn’t work out for M.J. and he went back to the NBA where he won 3 more titles.

I can tell you he averaged over 30 points per game over his entire career.

I could go on and on because I know a lot about Michael Jordan.

But that’s where it ends.

I know a lot about Michael Jordan, but I don’t really know Michael Jordan.

Because Michael Jordan doesn’t know me.

The same thing is true with a lot of people and their relationship with Jesus.

They know a lot about Jesus.

They can quote His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.

They can recount the miracles He performed.

They can tell you that He died on the Cross and was resurrected from the dead.

They know a lot about Jesus, but they don’t know truly know Jesus because they don’t have a close, personal relationship with Him.

Most importantly, Jesus doesn’t know them in the sense that they are not truly one of His disciples.

Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 7:22-23,

So it is possible to know a lot about Jesus and think you are one of His disciples, but not truly know Him.

So what does it mean to truly Know Jesus?

How do we come to know Him and to know Him better?

Well, we covered this Scripture a few weeks back in Bible Study, but we are going to cover it here again this morning.

So turn with me to Philippians Chapter 3 and let’s look at what Paul writes about Knowing Jesus.

Paul said he was willing to give up everything in his life that was once so important to him just for the privilege of Knowing Jesus.

In fact, he says that he considers all his accomplishments, his Jewish heritage, his knowledge, his time as a Pharisee, everything, as rubbish (the King James Version says “as dung”) compared to Knowing Jesus.

Paul says that he wants to Know Him, by knowing the power of His resurrection.

How many here today know that there is power in His resurrection?

The Bible says that Jesus was raised for our justification.

In other words, Christ won the victory over sin at the Cross, but the resurrection sealed the deal!

The resurrection was the proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the God-man, that came to take away the sins of the world!

Paul says, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.”

But then Paul says, “and the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Let me ask you today, do you know that Jesus?

Do you truly know the Jesus that suffered and died for your sins on the Cross of Calvary?

Do you truly know the Jesus who gave everything for you?

I’m not asking you if you know about Jesus.

I’m asking you today do you truly know Him?

Most importantly, does He know you?

Have you taken your sins to Calvary?

Are you so in love with Jesus that you would be willing to “fellowship in His sufferings?” Can you say that you truly consider everything else in this world as rubbish compared to the privilege of Knowing Jesus?

In order to truly know Jesus, you have to spend time with Him.

You have to be in close relationship to Him.

People know when you’ve spent time with Jesus and when you haven’t.

They know when it’s real and when its fake.

Your closeness to Jesus, or lack thereof, will be known by the way you live your life.

It will be known by your fruit.

Take Peter and John for example.

The Bible says that after they prayed for the lame man at the gate called Beautiful to be healed and were questioned by the Pharisees and Sadducees, that these religious leaders couldn’t help but notice there was something different about these two men.

Look at what they said about Peter and John in Acts 4:13.

They realized that they had been with Jesus.

There was something about the way they spoke with boldness and confidence that let others know that they had been with Jesus.

They had listened to His teachings.

They had become like their Rabbi, their Teacher, in many ways.

Back in biblical times, a teacher or a Rabbi would call disciples to follow him.

It was considered the highest honor and privilege to be chosen by a Rabbi.

When Elijah anointed Elisha to be his disciple, Elisha was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen.

Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha, effectively saying, “follow me.”

Elisha left everything behind and followed Elijah closely.

When Jesus began calling His disciples, He simply said, “follow me.”

They left their livelihoods and sometimes their families to follow Jesus.

A disciple would be with the Rabbi all the time.

They wanted to soak up every bit of information and teaching that they could get from the Rabbi.

Their goal was to know everything the Rabbi knew and be able to pass it on to others.

In fact, a disciple would follow their Rabbi so closely that there was often a blessing that would be spoken over a disciple: “May you be covered with the dust of the Rabbi.”

This was a metaphor for how closely the disciples followed the teachings of the Rabbi.

As they traveled from place the place, the paths they walked on were often dusty.

After a long journey, they would be covered in dust that had stuck to them.