SERMON: The Gospel Cycle: Getting to Know Jesus Christ.
As I noted before, in Acts 5:42, the Apostles preached and taught on the name of Jesus Christ in the Temple, streets, and every house daily without ceasing. As they did so, the blessing of Abraham took hold of every household that believed on the name of Jesus, and salvation rested on every house and family member. (Genesis 12: 1-3) Every place the Apostles preached the gospel, the Lord worked with them with great miracles and deliverances following, such that the sick were healed, devils were casted out of the people, and folks were saved and prospered. (Mark 16:20) In several places in Acts, we read that the believers gave of their wealth to the Apostles who made distribution of it so that no one lacked anything among them. (Acts 4:34)
Our churches today can return to doing the same mighty works that we read about the Apostles doing in Acts, if we give ourselves fully to God as they did. Teaching our families daily about Jesus Christ will turn our houses, communities, and nation from upside down to right side up! Truly, our world and nation is on “deadly fire” and set for a course of destruction because in our houses we have stopped teaching about Jesus daily. Jesus has given every family an opportunity to learn of Him. (Matthew 11: 28-30). Of course we can never exhaust our learning about Jesus for He is the eternal God who was manifested in flesh. But we can and must start learning about Jesus by seeking the answers to three questions: (1) Who is Jesus Christ? (2) What did He think of Himself? (3) How did He conduct Himself? For the Christian, it is vitally important that we learn about Jesus, because the more we learn about Him, the more we discover about ourselves.
Most Christians know very little about Jesus Christ. If asked, they will reply that Jesus is the son of God—yes He is—but, that is what God named Him. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus told who He is saying…“I am meek and lowly in heart.” The secret to Jesus’ success is that He is meek and lowly in heart. Being meek and lowly in heart, means that Jesus’ “Will” was fully submitted to God. Biblical meekness is having supernatural strength in character to obey God in all things. As I study the meekness of Jesus throughout the Gospels, I sum it up this way. Meekness is patient persistence in speaking the truth in love to all men without regard to human responses or receptivity. No matter what the Jews thought, said or did to Jesus, He only said what He heard His Father say, and did what He saw God doing. (John 12:49-50, 5:19)
Now let’s examine how Jesus thought of Himself. At Philippians 2:5-11, According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus thought of Himself as equal with God, He made Himself of no reputation. Instead, He gave complete credit to God for everything that He said and did. Jesus carried himself as a servant of all men—the consummate “Master Butler.” As believers in Jesus, we are instructed to think likewise of ourselves. As being equal with God! Hardly a Christian around would dare make such a statement, yet we are admonished by the Apostle Paul to think of ourselves this way. In God’s view, you can’t love and serve people until you see yourself as equal with God. For God is Love, and you and God are “one” working together to fulfill His will.
We can clearly see the meekness and lowliness in Jesus as he preached and taught the Jews in the Temple and elsewhere. In seven recorded places in the book of John, Jesus called Himself, “I am.” (John 6:35-71, 8:12-47, 10:7-39, 11:25-53, 14:1-11, 15:1-8). In nearly every account, Jesus was persecuted for being “meek and lowly in heart.” For remember He only said and did what God commanded of Him. The more He displayed meekness, the greater He was persecuted. He went from being grievously complained about, to being called a liar, a devil, a mad man, forsaken by most of His followers, threatened to be stoned, to the Jews plotting to kill Him. Even Jesus’ own disciples thought of Him as only a man, and they were not totally satisfied with Him, as noted by both Thomas and Phillip in John 14:5& 8. But none of these things caused Jesus to compromise, cave in, or change His words and actions. He continued to obey God and only say and do, as God commanded Him.
The Apostle Paul admonishes every Christian to live a life of meekness before all men. (Ephesians 4: 1-2 & Titus 3: 2). God has called us to serve as reapers in His harvest, and to go about our vocation displaying all lowliness and meekness of heart. Without fear or shame, Christian reapers must only say and do things as commanded by God. To hold on to the name of Jesus Christ in this world regardless of the opposition encountered. What an awesome opportunity! To stand before all men and proclaim what God says and have full confidence, that whatever we ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, we have it. (I John 5:14-15) Let the fruit of meekness shine through your spirit to all men so they may be drawn to Christ, and God will be glorified in the earth.