Knowing Jesus as He is

Sunday 12/10/17

Series: Doers of the Word

Message – Knowing Jesus as He is

Knowing Jesus

Today we are still looking at what we value…but we are expanding it by spending more time with WHY we limit our true value of Christ. Knowing Him…really knowing Him is something which requires more than a casual or religious commitment to Him. Knowing ANYONE takes time, lost of time and a willingness to be stay in the conversation long enough to actually HEAR not just their words but their heart!

Jesus revealed a genuine knowing of the Father in what we call the beatitudes. Where God said, “Do not kill” Jesus heard, “Do not even hate your brother in your heart”. Where the Father said, “Love the Lord Your God with all your heart” Jesus heard, “and with all of your strength and might.” When the Father told us to “…not commit adultery”, Jesus hear, “do not even desire another persons mate in your heart”. Jesus had a knowing of God that transcended the obvious to comprehend the “why” behind the command. He knew the Father BY HEART!

So, the reason we are looking at value and knowing is really very obvious if we examine it in the light of natural, human relationships.

Our obedience to Christ takes the form of:

a.) Becoming like Him (bearing fruit)

b.) Living the Gospel (Good News)

1) Glad tidings of great joy for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is… Christ the LORD.

2) What did He come to save us from /to?

3) How is that connected to His being Lord?

2. We obey Him not from obligation like under the law, but from loyalty of heart out of our love for Him.

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been realizing and thinking that I really do not know Jesus…the author and developer of my trust… not as You really are.

Bigger.. Much much bigger!
- Creator – this is huge.
- Do I really know Him?

1Peter 1:8,

“8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith-the salvation of your souls.{not possessing a form of godliness but denying its transforming power}
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things which angels desire to look into.

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, {think differently – don’t conform… be TRANSFORMED… HOW? By the renewing of your mind. Why? That you might prove God’s will by the way you live your life. } and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you {for unto You is born this day…}
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 because “ALL FLESH IS AS GRASS, AND ALL THE GLORY OF MAN AS THE FLOWER OF THE GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND ITS FLOWER FALLS AWAY,
25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”

So we obey Him not from obligation like under the law, but from loyalty of heart out of our love for Him.

But we will only be loyal, love and obey to the degree we value Him more than body of humiliation.
Our value of Him is restricted by our view of Him.
How do we view Christ?

Remember that I taught you that HOW you view something has EVERYTHING to do with the value you place upon it. Can you see how this would effect your fellowship {koinonia} with Him?

Change your views and that will reset your values.

You cannot value one you do not know.
Your value of a person will be limited to how deeply you really know them.

This service had no notes since it was an open discussion…Blessings!

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!