Sermon Central
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Introducing Christ Series
Contributed by Emile Wolfaardt on Jun 7, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: (PowerPoint slides and Cell Study Notes freely available by emailing Emile@Wolfaardt.com) The function of every Christian, like John the Baptist, is to make Christ manifest where they are. Find the four keys to manifesting Christ to your world.
Journeying with John, It’s a Trip (JWJ-08)
Introducing Jesus
This morning I want to start by asking you a fascinating question- and that is this: How would you introduce Jesus? Let’s say, for instance, that you were at work and Jesus walked in, and your friends asked you, “Hey, who is that?” Or what if you had to introduce Him as a guest speaker to a large crowd.
Take a look at this.
Show video Steve Harvey, “Introducing Christ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCd_ANIKys
We are studying our way through the gospel of John. Our series in entitled “Journeying With John, It’s a Trip.” My title this morning is simply this: - “Introducing Jesus.”
Open you Bibles with me if you will to the gospel of John and the 1st chapter. I would like to read for you from verses 24 to 34. John and the first chapter.
Read and Pray - John 1:23-34
This passage we have just read is profound, and deep, and I guess we could spend many weeks just touching the surface of it. So the though that I want us to hone in on as we look at this passage is found in verse 31. Let me read that to you again if you will. It is where I got my title from this morning.
John’s function was to manifest Christ, to make Him known, to introduce Him to the world. The world did not know Him. That I would suggest to you is the function of every believer. John was there so that Jesus would be manifest to Israel. You are where you are so that Jesus Christ will be manifest where you are. Chester is a Hendersonville High so that Jesus Christ will be manifest at Hendersonville High. You are at your work so that Jesus can be manifest at your work. It is your job to introduce Him. Now that is not why they employed you - they employed you to get something done. Make sure you do that. That is not why your wife wants you to go to work - she wants you to bring home a salary. Make sure you do that. But the real reason you are at work is to introduce your work place to Jesus. He knows them already - but they do not know Him. They meet your Jesus in the way you work and the way you walk. Come on now - don’t let me loose you - this is good stuff. They meet your Jesus in the way you work and the way you walk.
Now watch this - we are not done yet - there is more good stuff. Let me tell you why you are in your marriage, or a parent, or a child, or a brother or sister. Where you are needs more Jesus. There is not enough Jesus in your marriage. That is why you are there.
By the way - that is why you are here. How many of you know we need more Jesus in the church? Did you realize that the reason you are here is we need more Jesus - and your function is to manifest Him, to make Him known - by your work and your walk.
Now how does that work? Good question - when you surrendered your life to the claims Jesus had on your life, He came to live in you. How many of you have Jesus Christ within you this morning? Let me ask you this then - how much of jesus came to live in you?
That is the measure of how much Jesus you have to give. Now watch this . . .
The measure, Jesus within.
The ministry, Jesus without.
Before you became a child of God we had one goal - that was to get Jesus inside of you. And people tried everything - they gave you Bibles, prayed for you, encouraged you, loved all over you. Then you became a Christian. Now it seems we are working just as hard to get Jesus out of you.
So there are four things I want to give you to help you get Jesus without - four things that will help you let Jesus be manifest through you - to introduce Him to your world and your home and your school and your fellow commuters and your fellow believers.
Are you ready. You may want to write this down if you are taking notes. There is . . .
1. A Practice You Must Affirm
There is a practice that I believe the modern Church is in danger of letting slide - it is the practice of recognizing that wherever you are - at any time - that is your place of ministry.
It occurs to me that many saints may be ashamed to take Christ to work, to the store, to the sport field - to wherever they go. Many, it seems to me, have created an unbiblical distinction between the secular and the sacred, the carnal and the Spiritual, between civil life and church life. The same Christ that is in us when we are at Church is in us when we are not. You can tell that because there is difference between our conversation and the way we carry ourselves when we are at church to the way it is at work or at home.
