JESUS ONLY
Matt. 17:1-8
INTRO. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him where they saw his transfiguration. Peter’s suggestion and God’s heavenly answer. Why did Jesus pick these three men of all his disciples? I believe it was because they were chosen for a mountain top experience while the others remained in the valley because they were the most prepared for the "out- of-this-world" experience. The lesson for us is that we miss many good mountain top experiences because we are not prepared. vs. 8. Here is our lesson, fraught with meaning for every child of God.
I. WE SHOULD WORSHIP NO MAN SAVE JESUS ONLY.
A. Of who else is it said, "He is the..."
1. Son of God, Way, Truth and the Life, That Bread which came down from Heaven, The True Vine, The Dayspring From on High, First and Last, Alpha and Omega, I Am, Prince of Life, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
2. The significance of Moses’ and Elijah’s presence -- (Lk. 24:44) - "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me."
3. [compare the reflected glory of God in Moses -Ex. 34 - with the source of glory in Christ on the mount.]
B. Peter was a speechmaker. He might say the wrong thing but he would say something. (vs.4)
1. When Peter undertook to place Jesus on the same plane as Moses and Elias they faded away. They were good men but they were not to be worshipped.
2. Men have always been prone to worship other men.
a. Peter at the home of Cornelius (Acts 10:25-26)
b. Paul and Barnabas healed a man at Lystra and were proclaimed gods.
3. We are not even allowed to worship angelic beings. John on Patmos was led through the halls of time and fell to worship an angel -- he was rebuked. (Rev. 19:10)
C. The modernists would strip Jesus of His deity and if they are right then we are guilty of idolatry, for God alone is worthy of worship. (Rev. 5)
1. But we can say as Peter, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
2. We know it from the Word and we know it experientially.
3. He was alone in the garden...Before Herod and Pilate...on the cross...in the tomb. He alone is the focus of our salvation message.
II. WE SHOULD PREACH NO MAN SAVE JESUS ONLY.
A. According to Matt. 28:18-20 we are charged to
1. Make disciples
2. baptize them
3. teach them
That is to say, we are to preach Christ, let Christ save them and then teach them about Christ.
B. Paul said, "We preach Christ crucified."
1. Some may say that too much time is spent on talking about Jesus and not enough time is spent on teaching doctrine or church ordinance or prophecy or history.
2. To this I would have to reply, "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness."
3. Our first concern has always been and always will be to loudly proclaim the gospel..."for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
C. Consider the book of Colossians for instance. It is an entire letter dedicated as a love song from the apostle Paul to Christ. I suspect that if we had tapped the apostle on the shoulder as he was writing and asked him, "What is your goal in writing this letter?" He would have replied, "I want everyone to know that Jesus Christ is Lord."
1. In this book Paul points out Jesus as Lord of creation, Lord of His church, Lord of the ministry, Lord of our daily walk, Lord of our salvation, and Lord of our spiritual growth.
2. In chapter 3 alone, he states that Christ is the Lord of our mind, body, attitude, and actions.
3. See chapter 1:13-22. In this short passage we see the doctrines of incarnation, creation, the church, reconciliation, redemption, atonement, and the resurrection. We have history, doctrine, prophecy, and church ordinance... and yet all of it is around and about Jesus Christ.
4. You see preaching Jesus is not just a "low - calorie" version of "real preaching". He is the essence of all preaching.
D. The world today needs the gospel of Jesus.
III. WE SHOULD LOOK TO NO MAN FOR SALVATION SAVE JESUS ONLY
A. I Tim. 2:5-6
1. Christ bridges the gulf between the holy God on the one side and sinful humanity on the other. He is the complete embodiment of the purpose and the achievement of God.
2. No man could have done what He did for "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
3. (Acts 4:12) -- "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
B. See Matthew 15:7-9
1. The idea of "works for salvation" is an idea that is foreign to the Bible.
a. Some will say, "You must be baptized" or "You must take the Lord’s Supper" or "You must join our church" or some other thing.
b. Charles and John Wesley --Methodist
John Calvin -- Presbyterians
Joseph Smith -- Mormons
Joseph Parker -- Pentecost
Alex Campbell -- Church of Christ
c. All these men brought with them their own little twist on the Scriptures. Or, in other words, their own peculiar man-made doctrines.
2. (expository look at Titus 3:4-7)
C. see John 14:1-6
D. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
CONCLU. If you want real peace, real joy, real assurance, real salvation; you must come to Jesus and Jesus only.
