A Fresh Encounter with Jesus
(NTC4T-1)
I. His Deity—He Is God the Son
A. He is eternal
B. He is the Creator
C. He is the Sustainer
D. He is God
II. His Humility—He Is the Suffering Servant
A. He was humble in…
1. Appearance
2. Means
3. Attitude
4. Action
B. He fully identified with our condition
C. He accepted our punishment/judgment
III. His Life—He Is the Life Giver
A. He delivers us from striving by carrying our load
B. He satisfies our true hunger and thirst
C. He is the source of life and fruitfulness
IV. His Centrality—He Is Our Spiritual Center
A. He is the Great I AM
B. He is the only way
C. He has been given the name
V. His Glory—Our Objective
A. God has exalted Jesus
B. All creation will worship Jesus
Introduction
Although I am not going to the time this morning to give you a detailed account of what God did in our midst at District and Prayer conference, I would like to share with you one aspect that particularly spoke to my heart during those days. One of the recurring emphases throughout the conference was the need to move our congregations toward the goal of becoming healthy, Great Commission completing churches. The focus of the goal is not church growth as we are so accustomed to think about it—this is not about “bigger is better.” Rather it is an emphasis upon be-coming healthy, that is, living up to and experiencing our God-engineered potential in all areas. The natural consequence of health is fruitfulness or growth.
I’ve been praying about what God would have me preach on in the coming months, and I sense the leading of the Holy Spirit to do some teaching and preaching on this vital subject. This morning I will begin a series on the subject of becoming a healthy, Great Commission completing church. The title of this series is The New Testament Church for Today.
In order for us to achieve the goal set before us of becom-ing a healthy, Great Commission completing church, I believe that it is necessary that we spend some time looking back. The purpose of this “look back,” is to remind us of the some of the most fundamental characteristics of our Christian faith. It is important that we understand and embrace who Jesus is and what His life is all about. We are in desperate need of a fresh encounter with our Lord and Savior. It is not enough to merely apprehend the truth about Christ with our heads; that is simply the accumulation of knowledge. What is really needed is to be apprehended by the Truth, allowing it to affect every area of our lives—our beliefs, our attitudes, our values, our actions, and our focus in life. This week we will reacquaint our-selves with the person of Jesus and next week we will re-discover His mission and ministry priorities.
The outlines for this message and the one to be delivered next week are based on some teaching given by Dr. Mickey Noel, Asst. VP for Church Multiplication in C&MA. Mickey stressed the importance of having an encounter with Jesus Christ with regard to five specific areas. [One word of “warning,” because this is a topical sermon, we will be looking at several passages of scripture. It is proba-bly going to be difficult for you to turn to every verse. So I encourage you to jot down the main outline and write down the references that are related to each point. I believe this can be a very effective tool for sharing who Jesus is with your friends who may have questions about Him.]
His Deity—He Is God the Son
The first truth encounter we need to have with Jesus concerns His deity. He is not just a great person, a great teacher, a great healer, a great example, or some other superlative that we may wish to pin on Him. Jesus is unique and separate from any person who has ever walked the face of the earth. Jesus is God. He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
I realize that there are many who would deny the deity of Christ. This is not a new phenomenon in our day. As a matter of fact, this problem was first met by the early Church. Because of this, God inspired some of the NT epistles to be written for the purpose of dispelling this grave error creeping into His precious Bride. The Bible contains several passages that explicitly declare the deity of Jesus.
The way we will approach this truth is by considering some of the attributes that can only be applied to God and then look at scriptures that ascribe these “God only” attributes to Jesus.
He is eternal
The first attribute I’d like to consider is the eternality of God. Only God is truly eternal. He is the only One who has always existed and will always exist. He is the “uncaused cause.” Yet the Bible declares in several places that Jesus is also eternal. We’ll look at only two of those references.
The Gospel of John opens with these familiar words (1:1a)—In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God… John describes Jesus, using the term Word, as One whose existence is timeless and in corporate union with God the Father.
Paul writes of Jesus in Colossians 1:17a—He is before all things… Before there was any thing, there was Christ. The Bible maintains that Jesus is eternal.
He is the Creator
Another characteristic that is reserved for God alone is that of being the Creator of all things. As the writer of Hebrews put it, By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible (11:3). The entire universe is a product of God’s creative activity. Again, the Bible asserts that Jesus is the Creator.
John writes in his Gospel account 1:3—Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. Paul writes in Colossians 1:16—For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. And the writer of Hebrews tells us in 1:2—but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Jesus is credited as being the Creator of all that has been created.
He is the Sustainer
Another attribute that we would grant as the sole possession of God is that of being the Sustainer. It can be said of God alone, in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). It is the very life of God that gives life to all things. Without His continued blessing of life, all things would cease to exist. No matter what some may believe about the universe, it is not self-existing or self-maintaining. We rely on God’s providential care to keep things going.
The sustaining work of God is also attributed to Christ. In John 1:4 we read, In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Paul writes in Colossians 1:17b—…in him all things hold together. Hebrews 1:3b states, The Son is…sustaining all things by his powerful word. These scriptures make the case for Jesus being not only the source from which all things have their being, but that He is also the reason why they continue to be—He is the Sustainer.
He is God
We could take the time to look at other “God only” qualities and show how they also apply to Jesus to demonstrate His deity. However, for the sake of time, I would like to just cut to the chase and look at some Bible references that explicitly state that Jesus is God.
I intentionally never finished the opening verse of the Gospel of John (1:1b) …and the Word was God. Jesus has not only existed before the creation of time, and He did not only exist in corporate union with God, but He is identified as being God Himself.
Philippians 2:6 says, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped… Paul is telling us that Jesus possesses the very nature of God—He is God.
In the Book of Colossians, a letter written to correct some errors being circulated about the person of Jesus, Paul writes in 1:19—For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him… And again in Colossians 2:9—For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form… All of God’s fullness is said to have indwelt the person of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:3a—The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being… This verse means that Jesus is exactly, in every way, God in His very being.
His Humility—He Is the Suffering Servant
The second truth encounter we need to have with Jesus concerns His humility. When I take the time to carefully consider all of the implications, this is the truth about Christ that blows me away more than anything else about Him. Yet this is the truth about Christ that I think that we often times forget: the eternal, Creator, Sustainer God humbled Himself and became the suffering servant so that you and I could realize peace with God. His mercy and grace are so utterly amazing.
He was humble in…
Please open your Bibles to Isaiah 53. Here the prophet paints a picture of the many ways in which Jesus demonstrated is humility for us.
Means and Appearance
In Isaiah 53:2-3, we see a picture of how Jesus was humble in means and appearance. [Read]
The birth narratives in the NT also depict Jesus’ humbleness in means and appearance. Luke 2:6-7—While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. It just doesn’t make sense that the King of the universe would choose to break into our little world in such a lowly manner. Don’t ever become overly familiar with this truth.
Attitude and Action
In Isaiah 53:7-9, we see a picture of Jesus’ humbleness by way of His attitude and action. [Read] He didn’t have to take the abuse or endure any of the ill treatment poured out upon Him. He didn’t have to stay silent. He could have spoken up on His own behalf. He deserved better, but He chose to remain humble.
He fully identified with our condition
Another way in which we see Christ’s humility is that He fully identified with our condition. He didn’t just enter into part of what we experience—He tasted it all.
In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism, there is an argument that arises between Jesus and John the Baptist over the matter of who should really be baptizing whom. John sensed his own unworthiness in the presence of Christ and sought to be relieved of the task of baptizing Him. Jesus soothed John’s concerns by saying in 3:15, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” It is obvious that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, so He did not need to be baptized as a sign of repentance. Rather, what Jesus is telling John, in essence, is that in order for Him to complete His mission, He must enter into every aspect of the human condition. His baptism was for the purpose of identifying Himself with us in our need for God. Jesus was demonstrating His willingness “to own every Divine institution, and to show his readiness to comply with all God’s righteous precepts” (MHC-WS).
Other scriptures that reveal Jesus’ desire to identify with us in every way include: Philippians 2:7—but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. He “emptied” Himself and became one of us. He went from an existence with no limitations to the experience of all the constraints and confines of humanity. And Hebrews 4:15—For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. He even felt the agony and pressure of temptation—just like we do. Jesus truly understands because He fully entered into our state of being.
He accepted our punishment/judgment
If you’re still in Isaiah 53, take a look at vv. 4-6. [Read] Likewise we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21—God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And in Philippians 2:8—And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Jesus didn’t have to accept our punishment and judgment. Remember, He passed the tests that we face everyday—yet was without sin. He could have chosen to let us receive what we had coming to us. He didn’t deserve to die. But He chose to love us, take our place, and give of Himself until there was literally nothing left to give. Don’t ever take for granted the extreme love of Jesus.
His Life—He Is the Life Giver
The third truth encounter we need to have with Jesus concerns His life. He is the Life Giver. There are a number of ways in which Christ gives us life. We only have time to look at three of these ways.
He delivers us from striving by carrying our load
One way that Jesus gives us life is by delivering us from striving by carrying our load. We’re all familiar with Christ’s invitation to experience rest in Matthew 11:28-30—“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Christ’s offer to us is that we can exchange the burdens of life for His rest. This is experienced as we “yoke ourselves to Him,” which simply means that we are in union with Him. He offers us life (rest) through acceptance of and participation in His life.
He satisfies our true hunger and thirst
Another way that Jesus gives us life is by satisfying our true hunger and thirst. John 6:35—Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus promises us that if we come to Him and place our trust in Him that He will give us the one thing that we are constantly searching for—satisfaction. And the satisfaction He offers is not just momentary; it is a satisfaction that is never ending.
He is the source of life and fruitfulness
A third way that Jesus gives us life is by virtue of the fact that He is the source of life and fruitfulness. This is best described for us in Jesus’ discourse with His disciples on the occasion of the Last Supper. In John 15:5-8, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Life (and consequent fruitfulness) can only be experienced in the absolute sense when we are vitally connected to the life of Christ. Jesus is not speaking in hyperbole when He says, “apart from me you can to nothing”—we must remain “hooked on” to the vine if we desire to know life.
His Centrality—He Is Our Spiritual Center
The fourth truth encounter we need to have with Jesus concerns His centrality. Jesus Christ is our spiritual center. He is the focus of our lives and being. He is the finish line that we are running toward. He is the culmination of all that we exist for. The Bible is a Christocentric book, that is, Christ is the central theme running through its pages from Genesis to Revelation. The centrality of Christ is ex-pressed in many ways, but we only have time to look at a few of them this morning.
He is the Great I AM
Jesus is the Great I AM. I AM is the revelation of God that Moses received as he stood before the bush that burned but was not consumed (Exodus 3:14). Moses was commanded to tell the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.” Wrapped up in that seemingly simple revelation, I AM, is the incomprehensible fullness of all that God is—His self-existence, His eternality, His changelessness and His faithfulness. It is perhaps the best definition of God that we as humans can ever hope to possess—I AM.
It is easy for us to recognize how this designation applies to God. But the Bible also includes several instances where the term, I AM, is applied to Jesus:
John 8:58—“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” In this passage, Jesus claimed to be the same God who revealed Himself to Moses. He claimed to be the God of eternity. (And for those who doubt that He was making such a claim, as some cult groups do, all you have to do is read the next verse and see how the crowd reacted to Jesus’ claim. They sought to stone Him because they regarded His statement as blasphemy—claiming to be God!)
In the Book of Revelation, we see a number of occasions in which the designation I AM is applied to Jesus. Revelation 1:8—“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” And Revelation 1:17-18—When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Jesus is undeniably being identified as the eternal I AM.
He is God’s choice
The centrality of Jesus is also seen in the fact that He is God’s choice. John 6:40—“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” God the Father has chosen His Son, Jesus, to be the means through which He dispenses eternal life.
He is the only way
The centrality of Jesus is evident in the fact that He is declared to be the only way to eternal life. Consider John 14:6—Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus leaves no room for “alternate routes” to receiving eternal life. Despite our desperate attempts to convince ourselves other-wise, “All roads do not lead to the top of Mt. Fuji.” Jesus is the only way!
He has been given the name
The centrality of Jesus is also demonstrated in the fact that He has been given the only name in which salvation can be found. As Peter stood before the Sanhedrin to defend his actions on behalf of a crippled beggar, he ended his defense with these words: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We may wish to get to heaven on our own merit, or on the basis of our parents, or because of the church we attend, or some other “noteworthy” reason. But when we stand before the Judge of all the earth, the only thing He is going to take into account is our relationship to His Son, Jesus. We can only be saved by receiving Christ. It is by faith in the finished work of Jesus, by believing on His name, that we can be granted eternal life.
His Glory—Our Objective
The final truth encounter we need to have with Jesus con-cerns His glory. The purpose for which you and I (and all of creation for that matter) were created is to bring glory to Christ. His glory is our objective. It will be our occupation for all eternity. I want to look at one final passage and then simply give you other references that pertain to Christ’s glory. Please turn with me to Philippians 2:9-11. [Read]
Two primary observations can be made from this passage with regard to our objective of glorifying Jesus.
God has exalted Jesus
The first is found in v. 9: God the Father has exalted Jesus. He has honored Him by giving Him the name that is above every other name. There is no name that can compare or threaten the supremacy of the name that He has been given. Jesus, the name above all names.
All creation will worship Jesus
The second observation is found in vv. 10-11: All creation will worship Jesus. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the truth: Jesus is Lord!!! Some of those bowing and confessing will simply be carrying on what they have been experiencing as a living reality—they had recognized and submitted to Christ during their lifetimes. But for others, it will be the awful day of reckoning, when they will see the King in His glory and they will realize the enormity of the mistake they had made in not submitting to His Lordship when they still had time. Their bowing and confessing will be to a Mighty Judge instead of a Merciful Savior. It is God’s will that we be engaged in giving glory to Christ now in preparation for eternity.
The worship of Christ will be eternal
A final point that I would like to make concerning Christ’s glory is that the worship of Christ will be eternal. This is established most prominently in the Book of Revelation. Let me give you some references to write down: Revelation 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:9-12; 11:15-18; 15:2-4; 19:1-8. Eternity is going to be about giving glory to Christ. This is not to be viewed as some drudgery (like we at times consider it here on earth), but as the fulfillment of our intense desire to experience and respond to the goodness of God. Let me assure you, the scenes in heaven that are found in those passages I mentioned are anything but boring or laborious in nature. Rather they are exuberant, vibrant and enthralling expressions of a love relationship between the Creator and His creation.
I earnestly look forward to the day of giving up this old “earth suit” and seeing Him face to face. I long to behold Him as He is and express my affection to Him without the limitations of human language and my present knowledge of His beauty.
Conclusion
More than anything, I believe that we need a fresh encoun-ter with Jesus on a daily basis. We need to continually see Him in His deity, His humility, His life, His centrality and His glory. As we come face to face with Him—with the real Jesus—we will inevitably be changed by Him. As we allow Him to change us individually, we will be changed as a local body and we will be on our way toward becoming a healthy, Great Commission completing church.
