Sermon Central
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What In The World Is A Christian To Do
Contributed by Steve Malone on Mar 10, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: In chapter 9 Luke tells us who Jesus is, and in chapter 10 Luke is going to tell us what a Christian is to do...
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A CHRISTIAN TO DO"
TEXT: LUKE CHAPTER 10
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been a part of a scene like this -- "what do you want to do" -- "I don’t know what do you want to do" - "I don’t know what to you want to do" -- "what do you want to do?" -- I don’t know," "me either" "so what are we going to do?"
And then you sit there and do nothing -- sometimes it is hard to know what to do, isn’t it?
Last week, we studied Luke chapter 9 and the most important question to ever be asked -- "WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM." We said that man’s most fundamental problem, is not a "self identify crisis" but rather a "God identity crisis." You see, the only way for us to find out who we are is to find out who God is -- and because many don’t know God, they have no idea who they are.
WHO IS JESUS?
1. THE ONE WITH ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY
2. THE ONE WHO CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY THOSE WITH BOTH PURE MOTIVES AND PURE HEARTS (NO UNREPENTANT SIN).
3. THE ONE WHO IS NEVER TOO BUSY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HIS PEOPLE
4. THE ONE WHO CAN DO GREAT THINGS -- WITH A VERY LITTLE EVEN IN A REMOTE PLACE... WITH JESUS WHAT MATTERS IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE OR WHERE YOU ARE -- BUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO THE KING.
5. THE ONE WHO IS NOT GOING TO LET THE CROWDS, THE JEWISH LEADERS OR POPULAR OPINION DETERMINE WHO HE IS.
6. HE IS THE CHRIST -- THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD....
7. HE IS THE CHURCH AND HE IS THE BUILDER OF HIS CHURCH
8. HE IS THE ONE WHO DEMANDS THAT HIS FOLLOWERS DIE TO SELF, PICK UP THEIR CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM DAILY.. CONFESS HIM WITH LIVES AND LIPS
9. HE IS THE SON -- THE ONE WITH WHOM THE FATHER LOVES AND IS WELL PLEASED -- THE ONE WHO WE ARE TO LISTEN TOO!
10. HE IS SOME ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH -- HE HAS BEEN THERE -- HE HAS EXPERIENCED IT -- GOD CAME NEAR...
11. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS ALWAYS FLYING RIGHT ON COURSE -- AND IF WE FLY WITH HIM, WE WILL BE ON COURSE AS WELL.
12. HE IS THE ONE WHO SET HIS FACE TOWARDS JERUSALEM AND WAS OBEDIENT EVEN UNTO DEATH.
13. AND, HE IS THE ONE WHO CHALLENGES US TO SET OUR FACE TO OUR CROSS -- TO KEEP OUR RESOLUTIONS/OUR WORD.
14. HE IS THE ONE WHO WANTS HIS FOLLOWERS TO UNDERSTAND THAT TO FOLLOW HIM -- THEY CAN NOT AVOID COMMITMENT/THEIR CROSS/INCONVENIENCE..
15. YES, HE IS THE ONE WHO DEMANDS & REQUIRES THAT HIS FOLLOWERS GO WHEREVER HE LEADS THEM -- THAT THEY PICK UP THEIR CROSS AND DIE TO THE DESIRES OF SELF DAILY -- AND NOT TAKE THEIR HAND OFF THE PLOW AND LOOK BACK..
THAT IS WHO JESUS IS!!!!!!!
Today’s message, is entitled "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A CHRISTIAN TO DO?" In chapter 9 Luke tells us who Jesus is, and in chapter 10 Luke is going to tell us what a Christian is to do... And we will see, that Because of who Jesus is -- what a Christian is to do is already determined for us -- therefore there is no need or place for Christians to get together at the Church and ask each other "What do you want to -- I don’t know what to you want to do?
This issue as to what we are to do, has already been decided -- by Jesus. He has told us what to do!
And in the 10th chapter of Luke’s Gospel we see the 3 fold duty - mission - the 3 fold responsibility of the Christian....
I. WE ARE TO BE AMBASSADORS, REPRESENTING THE LORD
If we are to represent the Lord (and we are), this means that we are to do the things that the Lord would be doing. Just what was it that Jesus come to do?
As Jesus began His public ministry -- He was in a synagogue in Nazareth, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed him to read, He unrolled and read the following, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME , BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM FREEDOM FOR THE PRISONERS AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO RELEASE THE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR" Then Jesus rolled the scroll back up -- gave it to the attendant, and sat down.. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue was on Him -- and He said to them, "TODAY IN YOUR HEARING -- THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED.."
