Sermon Follow Up Generic

TWO GUIDING QUESTIONS DURING THIS SERMON SERIES

Are you growing in the knowledge of God?
Are you growing in loving God and loving people?
___________________

 

BIG IDEA
We would do well to make knowing and glorifying Jesus Christ the aim of all of our love, devotion, worship, ambitions, dreams, and obedience, for this is fitting, good, and filled with unspeakable joy.

MAIN TEXT
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Tim. 2:5 ESV)

THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST

1. Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God 

It's essential, when we think about Jesus, to remember that he was not merely a man, but that he is also the creator of the universe who was in heaven before coming down as a lowly child. 


“In the fullness of time God the Father sent his eternal Son, The second person of the Trinity, into the world as Jesus the Christ.” Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, 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, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17 ESV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made…And 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.” (John 1:1-3, 14 ESV)

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (Matthew 1:20-23 ESV)


It was the eternal son of God who would be born as a man and called Jesus, because he had come to save his people from their sins. Jesus was "God with us" in a very real way. 

A few stanzas from George Herbert's poem The Sacrifice:

“The Princes of my people make a head
Against their Maker: they do wish me dead,
Who cannot wish, except I give them bread:

“Then they condemn me all with that same breath,
Which I doth give them daily, unto death.
Thus ‘Adam’ my first breathing rendereth

Hark how they cry aloud still, ‘Crucify’:
‘It is not fit he live a day,’ they cry,
Who cannot live less than eternally:

Now heal thy self, Physician; now come down.
Alas! I did so, when I left my crown
And father’s smile for you, to feel his frown…”

 

2. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man

Jesus was not some partial combination of human and divine natures. He was fully both in a mysterious and miraculous way such that he could represent both God and man throughout his life, at the cross, and now in heaven. 

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Col. 2:9 ESV)

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, taking on himself a fully human nature with all its attributes and frailties, yet without sin. In this union, two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in the one person of the divine Son without confusion, mixture, or change.” Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

“Jesus did not temporarily become man…he lives forever not just as the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, but also as Jesus the man who was born of Mary, and as Christ, the Messiah and Savior of his people. Jesus will remain fully God and fully man, yet one person, forever.” Wayne Grudem

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:14-16 ESV)



3. Jesus Christ is the Messiah sent to save

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,

                        and between your offspring and her offspring;

             he shall bruise your head,

                        and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Tim 1:15 ESV).

A savior was not just promised at one point in time, but all throughout Israel's history. All of these promises and foretellings were about the same person, Jesus Christ who has and will fulfill them all. 

"As God’s incarnate Son, our Lord Jesus Christ inaugurated the kingdom of God, fulfilling God’s saving purposes and all Old Testament prophecies about the One to come:he is the Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham, the Prophet like Moses, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Son of David, the Suffering Servant, and God’s appointed Messiah. As such he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and lived a sinless life in complete obedience to his Father. Jesus entered into full human existence, enduring the common infirmities, temptations, and sufferings of mankind. He perfectly revealed the character of God, taught with divine authority and utter truthfulness, extended God’s love and compassion, and demonstrated his lordship through the working of miracles and the exercise of divine prerogatives." Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith


THE SAVING WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

1. Jesus Christ has done all that was necessary and sufficient to save

“Any six-year-old who has spent a few Lord’s Day mornings in Sunday school is able to give an accurate answer to the questions, ‘What did Jesus do for you?” Usually that child will say, ‘Jesus died for my sins.’ That’s a true and profound statement, but it is only half the matter. If Jesus merely needed to die on the cross to save his people, He could have descended from heaven as a man on the morning of Good Friday, gone straight to Golgotha, died on the cross, risen, and left again. Our sin problem would be fixed. He did not need to be born to Mary in a stable, go through all the trials and tribulations growing up in this fallen world, or endure the animosity of the Jewish leaders during His ministry. However, Jesus did not live those thirty-three years for nothing….It is important, then, that we not minimize the work of Christ throughout His life by focusing too narrowly on the work of Christ in His death…” R.C. Sproul, The Work of Christ

Sproul points out the fact that John the Baptist was the first prophet of God in 400 years to arrive on the scene for Israel. He’s out in the boonies baptizing people, calling them to repent because the kingdom of God wasn’t just coming, it was here that Jesus comes along, now a grown man who asks John to baptize him. Naturally John is confused. He knows who Jesus is, (he has known since that day when he lept in his mother’s womb), and he thinks Jesus should be the one baptizing HIM, aka cleansing him from his sins, not the other way around. But Jesus insists on being baptized. Why? Isn’t this an unnecessary thing? The sinless Son of God has nothing to repent of? Here’s what Matthew records, “But Jesus answered [John the Baptist], “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.” (Matthew 3:15 ESV)

“Evidently, Jesus saw the purpose for his life as the fulfillment of all righteousness. The fact that participating in a baptism of repentance even though he had no sins to repent of shows that the righteousness he wanted to fulfill was the righteousness required not of himself, but of every sinful man… All the righteousness that would be required of men before the court of God, Jesus performed. So he joined fallen humanity, for whom he was providing righteousness by sharing their baptism.” John Piper, Why Was Jesus Baptized

Jesus did all that was necessary and he fulfilled what was required of him to the full, making salvation possible for us.

“..He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Heb 9:12 ESV)

“In his substitutionary death on behalf of his people, Christ offered himself by the Spirit as a perfect sacrifice, which satisfied the demands of God’s law by paying the full penalty for their sins. On the cross, Christ bore our sins, took our punishment, propitiated God’s wrath against us, vindicated God’s righteousness, and purchased our redemption in order that we might be reconciled to God and live with him in blessed fellowship forever.” Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

2. Jesus Christ reigns and will complete his saving purposes

“The exaltation of Christ in his resurrection, ascension, and reign reveals the full glory of his mediatorial work… As the exalted Lord, Christ reigns with all authority as universal king and head of his church, governing the affairs of men and nations and empowering his people to be victorious over sin and Satan. The consummation of Christ’s saving work will occur when he returns to judge the world in righteousness, deliver the kingdom to his Father, and receive eternal worship as King of kings and Lord of lords.” Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith

We believe that Jesus Christ reigns over elected leaders. We believe that Jesus Christ reigns over the affairs of each life in this room and the 7.8 billion other lives around this world. We believe that he governs world events, the weather, and the future. We believe that  all things will come to a great culmination where the events laid out in Revelation will surely come to pass in exactly the way King Jesus, the risen Lord intended them to be.

“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying,

             “Worthy are you to take the scroll

                        and to open its seals,

             for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

                        from every tribe and language and people and nation,

           and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

                        and they shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:5-10 ESV)

Application:

What does it mean to you that God came down from heaven in the form of a man?

How does the fact that Jesus currently reigns change how you view ______?

If you were to pray for a growing love for Christ, what are some specific requests you'd make? 

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES 

Sovereign Grace Churches Statement of Faith— We Believe
George Herbert, "The Sacrifice"

SONGS TO ENCOURAGE