Who Is Jesus...?

This is Amy Thomas from the masculine journey podcast where we discover what it means to be a wholehearted man your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill. Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today.

Pastor Russ Sanders will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious monopod of my method.

Who is going to camp out and lick It wanted. Think about (there laterally. We consider the idea that one of the reasons Christianity is a reasonable thing is it rest upon fulfilled prophecy. Hopefully you remember that I pointed to two key prophecies like a 52 and Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 Mike about who says but she Bethlehem Africa. Though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come from a one will be rule over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times, and Isaiah 7 verse 14 says therefore the Lord himself will give you a signed diversion will be with child and give birth to a son, and you call him what Emmanuelle which means God with us that from these two properties. We learned that the mess when we learn two things. One, where the Messiah will be born and we also learned the supernatural nature of his birth, there would be of abortion, but that but is another major prophecy that I will deport you to right now that specifies the ancestral line from which the Messiah would come and you have to find these prophecies absolutely amazing when you consider they were written. This one was written 1000 years before the birth of Christ is founded on and second Sandra chapter 7 verse 11 through 13 which says the Lord declares to you that he's declaring this the King David is on the throne at this point that the Lord himself will establish a house for you when your days are over and you rest with your father's. I will raise up your offspring to succeed you will come from your own body and I will establish his kingdom that we know that this first was fulfilled in Solomon his son in the nation of Israel a receipt saying that under King Solomon. Both power and prestige and even territory but notices next verse is this one that will succeed. You will come from your own body. I will establish his kingdom.

He is the one will build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom. For how long. However, it Solomon's kingdom last forever. No I didn't. So here again, this prophecy was more than a thousand years before the birth of Christ in us, telling us that the Messiah would come from the from the line of David and his kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom. Thus, in Jesus's birth, we see the fulfillment of these three major prophecies. His place of birth, the supernatural nature of his birth in the exact same elaborate which you would come and that brings his man to Luke chapter 1 in here in Luke one little focus.

I can't cover all four chapters in Heide was repayable while so we just look at what I think is the most important part of what you had to read this week and that was the birth of Jesus is a look at chapter 1, beginning with verse 26. Remember Luke has written an orderly account he has interviewed eyewitnesses and is given as a historically accurate count that we can rest our faith upon.

To begin with verse 26 Luke writes in the six months of Elizabeth's pregnancy. God said the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of the David. The virgin's name was Mary. The engine went. It went to her and said greetings you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you and since Mary was greatly troubled at his word and wonder what kind of greeting this might be you can imagine what she must've been thinking, but angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, you found favor with God, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

He will be great it would be called the son of the most high, and the Lord will give him here it is again the throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacob's descendents forever. His kingdom will never again consider narrative. How will this be, since I'm a virgin and the angel answered suggest this explains how this version. Birth came about. The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the most high will overshadow you.

So the holy want to be born will be called the son of God, even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in our six month course, we know that she was carrying John the Baptist been blowing rights for nothing is impossible with God and then Mary answered. I am the Lord's servant may it be to May issue of said but you love her fight. Then the angel left her.

And so in this text we say to these three major prophecy fulfilled Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin admitted that three times here in this text in both Joseph and Mary both come from the line of King David, but never run into a problem. What town where they live and in Nazareth was the Messiah's was a born has got going to bring this about us right.

Jeff ever heard of a census see the Bible makes it clear I guess it's something that we should she bring us great confidence when you look at the world we live in. He is sovereign control of everything Jesus said on the phone right this moment control everything so we don't really have to worry about world events. So how is God going to college is birth to Take Pl. in Bethlehem well to return me to Luke chapter 2 beginning with verse one again.

Luke is recording this is a history here that we can go and look what you can go pick up a history book and read about the names of the man to get ready mention here and there that this is true in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria and everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David as he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. So is the question why did Caesar Augustus, all of a sudden this what he does decide to have a sense about the way I understand this was the first census that have been taken in the Roman and in Roman history of Rome's water. He also decided to do this to why has God moved upon his heart and his mind to do it God for the sake of his mind.

God providentially moved history along with what is always doing the promise of God just makes it he is moving history and world events like a chess player over chessboard is moving the pieces around according to his divine purpose and will in one day is going to call Checkmate and will know that happens when the clouds part and there is Jesus and I'm looking forward to that day. Proverbs 21 one, says the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord direction like a watercourse where he places so what can we apply to our lives from this well the first thing on our board. Mention this when you see the world in such chaos and turmoil. We should not go to bed Friday night light. Because Jesus is on the throne. This also points to one of the great blessings man of being a follower of Jesus. When you turn your life over to Jesus what you're doing is if you can imagine your life's reps and about to call you on the truck you drive every day and you got your hands on the steering will invest natural life represented there. You say Lord I will take my hands off the steering wheel you put your hands on the steering wheel and you got my life in the direction you want to go and he will but you have to believe that first so the message you covered tonight needing some direction are you going through something difficult maybe a job situational may be of a difficulty in your marriage or something to do with your finances are a particular relationship if you don't have a difficult trouble right now just wait next one is coming to how to let them know that God will direct you through the storms of life and bring you to the end of your life safe and secure in him. In Luke chapter 2 we see the hand of God at work is God moved upon the mind and heart of Caesar gases in the issue a decree calling for census.

Thus Joseph, whose ancestral tribe lived in Bethlehem desk until the town of David, they had together to register and it just so happens that when he went there. Mary was in her ninth month. Thus Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem, according to the word of the Lord never ask you tonight is that I give you confidence in the word of God. If he says it in here. This will happen if it is just like my life on I believe every word in the in that book.

And if you find something that had been fulfilled yet that may just gonna be fulfilled and you can trust the promises of God you look at verses eight through 12, Luke rights, and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

The angel said to them, just like he did to to Mary.

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people man right here in verse 11 is the key verse I want to talk about tonight. Look at verse 11 today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord, and this will be the sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Verse 11 records. The greatest proclamation ever made in the history of the world. Look at what is this today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord, this is what I want to camp out on the rest of tonight who exactly is Jesus will, according to verse 11. PS the Savior. He is the Messiah and he is the Lord, by the way, these are all three different and meaningful titles explaining who Jesus is Savior Messiah and Lord. So let's look at each one of these separately. First, Jesus is the Savior is important to note that Jesus name actually remains the Lord is salvation said it just means Jesus saves.

Just think of Savior. When you hear the word Jesus think of the ward Savior and biscuits to the very heart of Jesus. And this was what I love about Jesus. Jesus came into the world for one reason to save sinners who are the sinners. Everyone all of us.

No exceptions.

In this, everyone who have been born is in need of the Savior, even those who don't realize it because were all sinners house watching the new Sunday morning visit was there except in the 11th and they were reviewing and showing signs you know from when the twin towers will attack back in 2001, and it just still amazing to watch these two buildings are to the tallest buildings ever built in the history of the world and within just a matter of a few hours. They both collapsed when they collapsed this cloud of smoke just comes falling down through all the buildings and just all of a sudden thereby is panicking and running, but if you keep that cloud catches up with you. Also, your incompetent darkness and all sit there watching this and all of a sudden you hear a woman crying out I can't breathe anymore, save me.

I thought Minnis a picture of the world we live in.

We live in a world man that is dark, evil is almost never run out of breath in the world is to do one thing, cry out, save me Jesus people need the Lord. Luke 1910 says for the Son of Man came to see and to say what was lost. First Timothy 115 says here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst bubble have only found one error in the Bible are Jeff yet her mother this one again. This one, Paul was not a war center. I am well sinners, so what can a Savior, Jesus, in other words, what lies at the heart of Jesus. Did you know that I didn't know this until recently, like a week ago. This only one verse in the entire Bible which is described as heart you know that is to my favorite verse in the Bible. Matthew 11 verses 28, 29 Jesus has come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from the four here it is. I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls that you love that, in his book, which I commanded everyone. I think I mentioned last wait, gentle and lowly day and all that arise when Jesus tells what animates him most deeply what is most true of him when he exposes the innermost recesses of his being. We found there is gentle and lowly. Those two words man describe the heart of Jesus. He is gentle and lowly. So what is his main what it means is that Jesus would you deal gently with you like a mother with a newborn baby like a little boy holding a brand-new eight week old puppy like if you go into an antique store and you and you shop. One of the countless places and you were to become familiar with them and you pick up a priceless piece of Shauna.

You would be very gentle with it.

With this way. Jesus is with us. There's nothing harsh about Jesus. He is made and humble and gentle in his what all he knows your deepest pain and the loss to set you free from it the cistern when he deals with you all and says that Jesus is the most understanding purpose person in the universe and he said he sympathetic towards the idea that Jesus lowly stipulated. He's accessible. He's approachable is not like that King of England who is not approachable. Jesus does not require anything from us before we come to him. All we have to do is open up ourselves to him and invite him into our hearts. Have you done that Revelation 320 says here I am a stand. The door not if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Let me ask you have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus, by the way, he will not go knock on the door but is not unlocked the door down and keep knocking. I will give you this warning will not but if you keep rejecting him that not gets a little softer. He still knocking at your chicane here, Jesus never starts and stops knocking the Bible says that Jesus is a friend of sinners and as you read through the gospel, you discover that the people that were drawn to Jesus for prostitutes, drunks, lepers, the demon possessed.

The poor and the sick man and women who had their act together didn't have much time for Jesus. So if you don't have your act together you a good candidate for Jesus or Lynn says yeah I'm going back to this book. When Jesus Christ sees the foulness of the world. All about him.

His deepest impulse is most natural instinct is to move toward that sin and suffering not working away from the perfect is like the father of the prodigal way so the sun coming back did he wait when we get there. Nobody to he ran after him. This is why Jesus left the glories of heaven, and came into our world to live among us to suffer with us into downforce in order to save us and give us the gift of eternal life. So what is Jesus save us from running something that one why you say or guess what we all need to be site. As he came to save us from our three greatest enemies of free greatest enemies RCN Satan and death. The Bible says that we are all enslaved to sin. Romans 323 says for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God. And when you see in the Bible says that the penalty for that is there is Romans 623 for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord and death.

Simply what what that means in Scripture's separation.

So when when we see a man, it separates us from God and a newborn in the sand so your born separated from God. This is why you need me say this is why you need a Savior. And because of our sin well dying and if we come minute we come to the end of our lives.

Still carrying RCN because we've never humble myself before God and admitted it worse sinners who need a Savior and we will we will face an eternity in a place the Bible calls what hell I want to talk about hell no I don't talk about it but Satan wants to talk about what you think is okay is not okay. Jesus came to save us from sin. Satan and eternal separation from God. First John 38 says the reason the Son of Man appeared was to destroy the devil's work to how to do this he did on the cross we deleted our number one enemy, Satan, when he arose from the dead. He became the first in this coming resurrection, and because he arose from the day and it proves two years. He's God in the flesh, and therefore he has the authority to grant eternal life. Do you ever he wants to give it to. And this is what I believe when I was 10 years old. John 316 says for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not, why perish, but have what eternal life and want to hurt us in Josh mama will eternal life. Billy Graham told him to the television set but I was thinking Billy Graham I will will eternal life. Please give me this gift of eternal life just for the faith of a child. I believe Hebrews 725. Another great versus consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Jonathan Edwards that there is no love so great and so wonderful is that which is in the heart of Christ in gas if you could take away one thing tonight if you take away this concept that Jesus love he and that he will be gentle with you in the midst of your sin. In fact, on even now, even though Jesus is not here on planet Earth is with us in spirit and he's physically in heaven. But the heart of him is to say to anyone who draws near to him. So have you draw near to him and when he saved is complete and forever.

It elicited matter how deep your sin is in the matter how gorgeous it was. It doesn't matter how far from God. You have wondered. He wants you to be saved or Lynn rights to the uttermost means that God's forgiving redeeming restoring touch reaches down into the darkest crevices of our souls. Those places where we are most ashamed, most defeated more than this, those crevices of sin are themselves the places where Christ loves is the most thing about that his heart will only goes there. He knows as to the uttermost leaders everything about us he saves us to the uttermost good his heart is drawn out to us to the uttermost of any clues by saying we cannot see on our way out this tender care to hear that you can about how much you sin you cannot stand your way beyond his grace and mercy and this is the heart of God and at the heart of God. He wants all men to be saved first Timothy two forces God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth about you where you and your relationship with God you want to come to Jesus to be saved. By the way, he is the only way and don't let some egregious sin keep you away from a loving Savior like Jesus came into this world to say sinners just like you just like me. Not only is Jesus our Savior, but is also the Christ.

Just so you know Christ is not Jesus's last name Christ is a title for Jesus. He is a better way to say it really is Jesus the Christ.

By the way Christ and Messiah mean the same thing that both me the anointed one.

Christ is the great and Messiah is the Hebrew form from which we from both his work.

We get this phrase, the anointed one. So what is it mean that Jesus is the anointed one with what anointed one simply is a phrase was used in the Old Testament, and it points to this Messiah, who become into the world would be the Savior of the world, some 22 says the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one. That's that word Messiah, the prophet Daniel. This is in Daniel chapter on seven ability to several non-I forgot to write it down anyway. Daniel watched the anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. They'll think about this prophecy. Again, this was written seven years before the birth of Christ, and he said that this Messiah will be cut off. What you think that's a reference to the worship pointing to the crucifixion when he was really his life was cut off in Genesis and have nothing.

He had nothing at that point everyone deserted him when he was arrested in the garden all the disciples fled this all happened to Jesus just as the Bible prophesied that there were several things that the Jewish people were anticipating in this coming Messiah. Here they are real quick.

It would be Jewish. It would both be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, he would be a prophet like Moses S in Deuteronomy 18 ugly verse 15 he would be a priest in the order of Melchizedek and he would be a king from a lot of David said he would be prophet, priest and king.

Desiderius and Jesus fulfilled every single one of these prophecies. So Jesus not only is Savior and Messiah but finally he's also the Lord.

So what is it me, that is the Lord is just another title specific names that he is the ruler universe being a Christian is not about being religious about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources@purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more@findingpurpose.net. This is the Truth Network