Christ Has Claimed Us For Himself. May He Have Every Part Of Our Life.

‘Christ Jesus has made me His own’(Philippians 3:12). In Paul`s words, we hear an echo of Jesus` words, ‘You did not choose Me... I chose you’(John 15:16). Christ has claimed us for Himself. He has laid claim to every part of our life. We are to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’(Philippians 4:4). We are to bring ‘everything’ to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6). We are to be ‘content in all circumstances’(Philippians 4:11-12). We are to face every challenge with confidence in His strength - ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13). We are to trust Him to ‘supply’ our ‘every need’(Philippians 4:19). In every situation, we can come to the Lord, trusting in His promise: ‘the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’(Philippians 4:7). Whatever is happening, take it to the Lord in prayer and let Him give you His peace.

Jesus was ‘going up to Jerusalem’- to the Cross (Mark 10:32). He came to die, ‘to give His life as a ransom for many’(Mark 10:45). The death of Christ lies at the very heart of the Gospel (1 Peter 1:10-12; 1 Corinthians 1:23 1 John 1:7, 2:2 Hebrews 2:9). Don’t think, ‘Glory for me’(Mark 10:37). Think, ‘Glory to God’ (Mark 10:43-44): ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’(Galatians 6:14). Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord for mercy (Mark 10:47). ‘How embarrassing’, some people thought – ‘how undignified’ (Mark 10:48). When God is at work, some people don’t like it! They like everything to be dignified – dull and dead! When God is at work, people get converted. This may not please the ‘critics’, but it pleases God – and that’s what matters. Cry to God for mercy. Your prayer will be heard – and answered.

Jesus Christ - The Great King

“Who is this great King?” (Psalm 24:8, 10) The Psalmist tells us – “He is the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, victorious in battle … The triumphant Lord – He is the great King!” (vs. 8, 10).

When we turn to the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is the great King. Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is strong and mighty. Jesus is victorious in battle. Jesus is the triumphant Lord. Jesus Christ is the Name which jumps out at us from the first chapter of Ephesians. Everything is centred upon Christ ...
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"Who Is This Great King?" (Psalm 24:8, 10) - Jesus Christ: Everything Is Centred Upon Him (Ephesians 1).

Our Mssion Looks Forward To The Coming Son Of God.

Jesus Christ is "King of kings and Lord of lords" - the coming Son of God. In our age, it isn't always very clear what people mean when they speak about mission. Sometimes, it seems that there are those who have such a this-worldly way of speaking about the Christian mission that we wonder whether they really believe that Christ will return in great power and glory. Some speak of the future, but they speak only of salvation without ever speaking of judgment. When the book of Revelation speaks of Christ as "King of kings and Lord of lords", it doesn't lead our thoughts in a universalist direction. Jesus Christ is "the King of love" (paraphrase of Psalm 23). He is also "the King of glory" (Psalm 24). I fear that many of today's theologians start from the idea that "love is God". They have an idea of what love must mean. They apply that idea to God. They quote the words, "God is love." They do not, however, learn, from the Scriptures, what God is like. If they had come to the Scriptures with a real desire to hear all that the Scriptures have to say to us, they would not have placed such a one-sided emphasis on love and salvation. They would also speak of holiness and judgment - "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ... Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:10). The warning of the Gospel needs to be heard as well as the promise of the Gospel.

Jesus Christ Has Died For Us - The Righteous For The Unrighteous.

Some die young. Others live to a ripe old age. None of us can predict what lies ahead of us. There are some things that are beyond our control. We look at what is happening and we say, ‘I wish things could be different’. Absalom had been killed. David wished he could have died instead of him. It was not to be. Each of us must die our own death: ‘No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him that he should live on for ever and not see decay’(Psalm 49:7-9). The ransom for a life is costly. No payment is ever enough. There is, however, a ‘Man’ who has died for us - Jesus Christ, ‘our Lord and our God’. He ‘gave Himself as a ransom for all’. ‘Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’(John 20 28; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus Is The Way Of Salvation, Joy And Victory.

* Jesus is the way of salvation - Concerning "the Name of Jesus Christ", Peter tells us that "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 4:10, 12).
* Jesus is the way of joy - Jesus tells us, "In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
* Jesus is the way of victory - Paul gives to us this word of encouragement: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The Holy Spirit Leads Us In The Way Of Victory.

Jesus was ‘persecuted’. We will be ‘persecuted’ - ‘all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted’ (John 15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12). We have no guarantee that life will be easy. In all our difficulties, ‘the Spirit of truth’ directs our attention to Jesus our Saviour (John 15:26; 16:13-15). Whatever our problems, we draw encouragement from Jesus’ words: ‘In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). Here, we have realism and faith. The world is trying to squeeze us into its own mould (Romans 12:2). Sometimes, we feel like faith is slipping away. Sometimes, we feel like giving up. What are we to say to all this? ‘Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ - This is our faith’ (1 John 5:4-5).

"Ask ... Seek ... Knock ..."

Luke 11:1-13
"Ask ... seek ... knock ... " (Luke 11:9) - Jesus is calling us to pray. " ... how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" (Luke 11:13) God answers prayer. The Holy Spirit is God's answer. God is good. God is love. This is Jesus' teaching. This is the teaching which encourages us to ask, seek and knock. God is good. God is love. This is the teaching which gives us the assurance that God is waiting for us to come to Him. God is good. God is love. This is the teaching that assures us that God wants to bless us. God is good. God is love. This is the teaching that calls us to prayer. We ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us. He is the God who loves us. We seek the Lord's presence. We pray that He will come to us with His blessing. We knock on the door of God's heart. We pray that He will open His heart to us. We pray the He will pour upon us a superabundant blessing. The Lord loves to hear and answer the prayers of those who long to know Him and serve Him. He answers our prayers by pointing us to Jesus, His Son, our Saviour.

The Way Of The World And The Way Of The Lord

When we read the words of Jesus Christ, we are reading the words of a Preacher who spoke the truth without fear of man. Again and again, as we read Jesus' words, we find that there is a striking difference between what the world says and what the Lord says. the way of the world and the way of the Lord are two very different ways. When Jesus preached His challenging messages, there were those who closed their minds to the Word of God. They closed their hearts to the love of God. They closed their lives to the power of God. As we read Jesus' words, we are challenged. Jesus challenges us: Are you open to the Word of God, the love of God and the power of God? Is your mind open - to receive the challenging teaching of God's Word? Is your heart open - to enjoy the heart-warming influence of God's love? Is your life open - to experience the life-changing effects of God's power?

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Here's a link for the rest of this sermon: Sermons on Luke's Gospel - Luke 6:17-26

“Jesus is more than … “

Jesus is more than a “lovely baby”. He is our wonderful Saviour!

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Luke 1:26-38

No ordinary child! Jesus would be special - very special! This was the message the angel brought to Mary - ‘He will be great…the Son of the Most High…the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God’ (32,35). We celebrate the birth of a child. How much more should we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ! ‘Come on and celebrate! His gift of love we will celebrate - the Son of God who loved us and gave us life’ (Mission Praise, 99). God is calling us to worship His Son, our Saviour. Let Jesus be the centre of your attention. No one else must compete with Him. ‘O come let us adore Him…For He alone is worthy…We’ll give Him all the glory…Christ the Lord’ (Mission Praise, 490). He is more than ‘a lovely baby’ - much more than that! He is our wonderful Saviour!

Through Christ's Death On The Cross, God Has Provided For Us A Full Salvation!

Having chosen the way of sin, we are ‘naked’ and ashamed (Genesis 3:10). The Gospel teaches us that ‘there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of sin’. We can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We can bring the ‘filthy rags’ of ‘our righteous acts’ (Isaiah 64:6) to God, and we can exchange them for the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Putting our trust in Christ, we need not be ashamed in God’s presence (Romans 10:11). There must be no ‘passing the buck’ - the man blaming the woman, the woman blaming the serpent (Genesis 3:12-13). We are to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness comes to us through the Cross where the suffering Saviour becomes the victorious Victor and the subtle serpent became the defeated devil. This is the message of Genesis 3:15. Through the Cross, God has provided for us a full salvation!

‘Our Sins’ Are Great. The Love Of God Is Even Greater.

At the heart of Ezra’s prayer, there is a tremendous description of God: ‘You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love’ (Nehemiah 9:17). This is ‘our God’. ‘Our sins’ are great. The love of God is even greater. We look at ‘our sins’, and we feel that everything is hopeless. We look to ‘our God’, and everything changes. We see Him as the ‘gracious and merciful God’, and we are filled with hope. Our life need not be controlled by ‘our sins’. It can be changed by ‘our God’ (Nehemiah 9:31-32, 37). Our God ‘delights in steadfast love’. He ‘will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea’ (Micah 7:18-19). How do we know that God loves us? - ‘Christ died for our sins’. Bring your sins to Jesus, and let ‘His blood cleanse you from all sin’ (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 1:7).

"Is There Any Hope For Us? ... "

Is there any hope for us? Our situation seems hopeless - until we look to Jesus.

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"Who can stand before Me?" (Job 41:10). God puts this question to every one of us. God's Word gives two answers to this question. The first answer speaks to us of our sin. The second answer speaks to us of our Saviour. The first thing God says to us is this: "There is no-one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). The question is asked, "ho shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?" The answer is given, "He who has clean hands and a pure heart...He will receive blessing from the Lord" (Psalm 24:3-5). We read these words, and we wonder, "Is there any hope for us?" Our situation seems hopeless - until we look to Jesus, the Man "without sin", "the beloved Son with whom God is well pleased", the Saviour who "died for our sins" (Hebrews 4:14-16; Matthew 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:3).

Jesus Is Calling Us On To His Future.

Jesus Christ is not merely a figure from the past. He is “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus Christ, the risen Saviour, the living Lord, stands at the centre of our future. He does not only speak to us from the past. He also speaks to us from the future. What is He saying to us? How will He affect our present way of living? Jesus speaks to us from the future. He calls us on to heaven, but He does not turn us into dreamers who are so “heavenly-minded” that we’re not learning to serve the Lord right now. We sing of our heavenly hope: “On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share; when His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” What is to be our present response to this glorious hope? - “Let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun. Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care. Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”

"Christ Is 'Beautiful Beyond Description' ... "

Christ is "beautiful beyond description" - "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me ... ."

"Jesus Came From Heaven To Earth ... "

Jesus came from heaven to earth - to be with us, so that we might go from earth to heaven - to be with Him.

"In Christ, We Have The Victory ... "

In Christ, we have the victory: "they have conquered Satan by the blood of the Lamb."

"There Is Only One Foundation ... "

There is only one Foundation for our faith - Jesus Christ. Build your life on Christ, the solid Rock.

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This thought is taken from

Isaiah 28:1-22

Jesus Christ is 'the precious Cornerstone'. He is 'the sure Foundation' (16). Jesus is the Name of our salvation - 'Salvation is found in no-one else...there is no other name...by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:10-12). There is only one 'Foundation' for our faith - 'Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:11). He is the 'chosen and precious Cornerstone' - 'to you who believe, this Stone is precious' (1 Peter 2:6-7). Build your life on Christ, 'the solid Rock' - 'My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; no merit of my own I claim, but wholly trust in Jesus' Name. When weary in this earthly race, I rest on His unchanging grace...When earthly hopes are swept away, He will uphold me on that Day. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand' (Matthew 7:24-27; Mission Praise, 473).

Learning From the Apostle Paul

Paul was no silent disciple, no half-hearted follower of Jesus. He was not ashamed of his Lord. He was glad to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith" (Romans 1:16). Why was Paul bold to say, "God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14)? Why was Paul so emphatic in saying, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2)? The answer is very simple and straightforward. He was a man who had been grasped by the power of the Gospel. Through the power of Christ, Paul was no longer his own. He belonged to Christ. This was why he was able to write to the Corinthian Christians, "You are not your own; you have been bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He was a man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. This was why he was able to challenge the Corinthian Christians: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? ... So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He was a man grasped by the power of the Gospel, a man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. What kind of men and women are we? This is the challenge of Paul's life for us.

God’s Salvation Comes To Us Through The Death Of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus prays for you. Jesus prays for me. We have come to faith in Him through the written Word of His apostles (John 17:20).

The story of the Cross (John 17:1-5), the story of the first disciples (John 17:6-19) is an ongoing story. It continues in us. The saving effects of Christ’s death are still being felt today. The written Word of His apostles is still exerting its powerful influence on today’s world. Jesus is still praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). He prayed for His first disciples - ‘that they may be one’ (John 17:11). He prays the same prayer for us (John 17:20-23). Among His first disciples, there was Judas Iscariot, ‘the one who chose to be lost’ (John 17:12). If we are to ‘maintain the unity of the Spirit’, we must take account of ‘the Judas factor’ - ‘take notice of those who create dissensions… avoid them’ (Ephesians 4:3; Jude 4; 1 John 2:18-19; Romans 16:17-18).