Luke 5:5And Simon ansewered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." ESV
So here are Peter and his companions - expert fishermen.They have toiled all night to the point of exhaustion - not a guysnight out fishing but hard work, casting in the nets, hauling them empty out of the lake; looking for somewhere else to fish - and nothing.But - he recognises Jesus as Master & purely on the basis of Jesus saying so he gets his stuff ready and puts to sea again.Everything must have been crying out to the contrary - but on the ground of Jesus word - he went.
What about me today?What is Jesus saying to me that might be going against my instincts, my desires, my convenience?What is Jesus telling me to do that might not be easy?On the basis of His word - because He is your Master and He doesn't lie or play with us, obey Him.
“It is the supreme art of the devil that he can make the law out of the gospel.If I can hold on to the distinction between law and gospel, I can say to him any and every time that he should kiss my backside.Even if I sinned I would say, 'Should I deny the gospeI on this account?' . . . Once I debate about what I have done and left undone, I am finished.But if I reply on the basis of the gospel, 'The forgiveness of sins covers it all,' I have won.”
Martin Luther, quoted in Reinhard Slenczka, “Luther's Care of Souls for Our Times,” Concordia Theological Quarterly 67 (2003): 42.
if you say “I know in whom I have believed, I am confident that I have not a sin now recorded in the black roll; that I am free from sin as if I had never transgressed, through the pardoning blood of Jesus,” men will say it is extravagant. Well, it is a delightful extravagance, it is the extravagance of God’s Word, and I would to God more of us could indulge in that holy, blessed extravagance. For we may well be extravagant when we have an infinite sum to spend; we may well be lavish when we know we never can exhaust the treasure. Charles H Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit; Vol 1, p263
Ps 62:11-12aOnce God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
That power belongeth unto God. He is the source of it, and in him it actually abides. This one voice of God we ought always to hear, so as to be preserved from putting our trust in creatures in whom there can be no power, since all power is in God. What reason for faith is here! It can never be unwise to rest upon the almighty arm. Out of all troubles he can release us, under all burdens sustain us, while men must fail us at the last, and may deceive us even now. May our souls hear the thunder of Jehovah's voice as he claims all power, and henceforth may we wait only upon God! Charles H Spurgeon, Treasury of David.
As some of you may know we have been looking for a new venue for some time now.Well, thanks to a very kind offer from Alicia Baker (Vicar of St John’s); as of Sunday 3rd January 2010 we will be meeting every Sunday at St John’s Chuch, George St, Cwmcarn.St John’s will continue to meet as normal on a Sunday morning but NewLifeChurch will be meeting Sunday 5.00-6.30pm.We will also have an all church prayer meeting at St John’s at 7.30pm every Thursday.
So, you know where we will be & when we will be – why not pay us a visit??
Matt 1:18-2118This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” NIV
What you gonna call the baby?
King, Immanuel, Son of God, Christ, The Word - Jesus!
Why called Jesus? = Save His people from their sins
1.Sin
Defs -
Rom 3:23 – allfallen short.What of?
Lord's prayer:
forgive us our debts- what we owe God.
Forgive our trespasses - going wrong way, deviating from the right course. Our in-built sat-navs are faulty!
2.Need to be saved from them!
Sin is a stalker - you need to be saved from it.
Sin is the enemy in your heart - you need a new heart.
Sin has made us slaves - and we need to be set free.
Not just give up. Turn over new leaf. New Years resolution etc.
Rescue!
Christmas is about the greatest rescue operation!
3.Jesus saves!
Called Jesus - why? because he will save his people from their sins. Not just makes it available but saves you!
1 Tim 1:15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. NIV
That is why He came.
Penalty - took the blame
Power - broke its power, give new life
Pleasure - to show us what is true pleasure
Presence - to be with Him
In saving from, He saves us for something –
E.G:
Rescued out of canal - onto solid ground.
Out of fire - into place of safety
Out of wrath of God into His favour.
Death - life - John 10:10
4.Who do you say He is?
Matt 16:13-18 - Who do you say that I am?
Many people got it wrong! Still do.
Tonight God is asking you - who do you say that Jesus is?
A swear word?
Fairy tale?
Deceiver?
C S Lewis - Mad, Bad or God?
Or - Is He Jesus, the One who can save you from your sins?
Christian - are you living saved? Enjoying God & forgiveness?
New World Translation = Totally inconsistent translation! a god…. See:
Jn 1:6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.ESV
Jn 1:12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,ESV
Jn 1:13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.ESV
Jn 1:18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.ESV
2."Word" - Def
What is a word? What do words do?
= words give expression of thoughts, bring revelation of what we don't know or can only guess at.
Jesus is the word = Jesus is God and the visible expression of God! Heb 1:3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature {substance}, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,ESV
Expand.
See the rest of this verse - see the greatness of the One who has provided purification for sins!
2.1 In the bosom of the Father
=?
Means a place of closeness & love - Deut 13:6 talks about the wife of your bosom; Num 11:12 uses it to describe the care of a father for his young child.
Who better to tell you about someone than someone who is intimate with them?
Jesus is intimate with the Father!
Also - demonstrates what He gave up - bosom of the Father for Earth! Even if born in a palace - that would have been too lowly!
But - it also means that Jesus was always in the bosom of the Father - always enjoying that intimacy with Him. Even tho' Jesus was in a body and 100% man - He still remained 100% God and never ever became less than God.
2.2 Only thru' Jesus!
No one else can show you God! Emphasis in Gk - He has made Him (God) known.
No other religion, man, priest etc.
All you need is Jesus!
3.Seen His glory
So - why did God become flesh? Why Did He come and pitch His tent amongst us?
One main reason was so that we would see His glory!
Not that He wanted an ego boost - but that our hearts might be turned from idolatry & fixed upon the true God!Why have that when you can have this?!!!
We see His glory & our hearts return to Him:
Jn 1:14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.ESV Consequence? We see He is full of grace & truth!
Jn 2:11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.ESV He manifested His glory - and what was consequence? Disciples put trust in Him!
2 Pe 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.ESV Consequence? We are assured He is God the Son & worth listening to & paying attention to! See context. This isn't a myth!
4.Made God known
See this description of God - 1 Ti 6:15-16he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.ESV
Job - 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?ESV
How we understand or comprehend this God?
If I were to speak in Thai now how would you understand it? Need a translator!
That is just what Jesus came to do! Jn 1:18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.ESV
He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. Amp
This unapproachable God - 1 Jn 1:1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life….ESV
This God who is too glorious to gaze upon & the sight of Him meant death - 2 Co 4:4-64In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.ESV
Jesus came to make God knowable! He came to give you access to God! He is God! God hasn't been toned down any but He is one of us! A man! A God!
This is what it is all about - God going public with how great He is!
Do you know Him? Do you want to know Him more? Jesus has made that possible!
