The Priority of the Holy Spirit-Jesus – Part 1

Pam Graham was introducing to babies living in the light God allows us to go under some situations in some circumstances, he can pain us into a corner so that we can see what he can do for us. What do you do you just pray and watch him open up the Red Sea.

He can make a way where there is no way you're listening to living in the light with Bible teacher and Graham laws. Today's message is titled the priority of the Holy Spirit. Jesus and and will be teaching on the four aspects of the incarnation of God.

Today's message shall give us insight to the first two from this passage found in the beginning of the gospel of John hears and in our politically correct culture wants to strike the name of Jesus from government buildings and from government functions and from the marketplace from public discourse from boardrooms and classrooms in courtrooms and make you sort of wonder what are they so afraid of you can say just about anything in our society, but just don't name the name of Jesus who is the sum so glad you asked because I want to tell you is he's the son of God and he is the Son of Man. He's a lion and is the Lamb is the Alpha and Omega is the originator and he's the Terminator. He is the creator and he is the Savior is the cornerstone and he's the stumbling stone is a bright and morning star pennies. The sun rises with healing in his wings.

He's the crucified Messiah is the risen Lord.

He is the servant leader. He is the King of Kings is the baby of Bethlehem and he's the miracle of the ages is the incarnation of God's greatness in God's gospel in God's glory and God's grace and he is the priority of the Holy Spirit. Isn't he magnificent open your Bibles to John chapter 1 and I want to read your text is the first 18 verses of John's Gospel. Some people think this is perhaps the pinnacle of all of Scripture, and certainly it's magnificent and I'll try to read it carefully and then will go through and pull out the characteristics of Jesus that are in this passage because it is the incarnation of God. That means God made visible. Okay so in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made without him nothing was made that has been made in him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness is not understood or overcome it. There came a man who was sent from God's name was John speaking of John the Baptist came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe he himself was not the light he came only as a witness to the light, the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own his own did not receive him, yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Children not born of natural dissent, nor of human decision or of a husband's will, but born of God the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, glory of the one and only, like the King James the glory of the only begotten son who came from the father full of grace and truth. Verse 16 from the fullness of his grace with all received one blessing after another. The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one is ever seen God, but God the one and only, the only begotten son who is at the father's side, has made him known. What a magnificent passage, therefore aspects of the incarnation of God in this passage that I want to point out to you.

He is the incarnation of God's greatness sees the incarnation of God's gospel. These incarnation of God's glory and his incarnation of God's grace was begin as we consider the fact that is the incarnation of God's greatness, the greatness of God's person we see is eternity in verse one in the beginning, not from the beginning in the beginning of everything time and space in human history. Anything that ever wise. Jesus was already there. So he is eternal and it says was the word and that's the Greek as understand is low cost and low cost means that outward expression of the mind and will that controls the universe. So Jesus, the incarnation of God is the outward expression of the mind and will that controls the universe, except I think we can take it farther than that because Jesus says in Matthew that out of the heart the mouth speaks. So if Jesus is the living word of God. If he's the word of God than that he's expression.

Also God's heart. So Jesus is the outward expression of the mind and the will and the heart that controls the universe you want to know what God thinks about you. You want to know how God feels about you and you just look at Jesus.

Jesus is expression of God's mind and God's will and God's hearts. He was the word and not only is he eternal, but we see his equality when it says the Word was with God and the little preposition with means there were two of them implies there's more than one we know our God is one, but he is three and one in this particular case.

Speaking of Jesus he was with God face-to-face. There's no difference there. Equally supreme equally sovereign equal and personality equal in power and he's with God. In chapter 1 of Genesis member God said let us create man in our image of plural pronouns. If you notice the very next verse. So God created man in his image he created he him singular and referring to the Trinity that our God is more than one. He is three in one God the father, God the son God the Holy Spirit. So we see is eternity. We see is equality and I'm going to put in an verse to his constancy.

This is the King James it says that the same was in the beginning, and I'm sorry the other translations of drop that out because it's very meaningful when it says he's the same in the beginning, meaning that when he came to Bethlehem, he didn't go through a personality change that Jesus is the same in the beginning and the creation as he was to Abraham as he was the Moses as he was the David as he was to Elijah as he was to Paul and Peter. And as he was when he taught his disciples as he was when he was caught up. They haven't, as he will be when we see him and he comes back to receive us to himself. He is the same the same yesterday today and forever.

There was no personality changed so that begs the question to me if he's the same yesterday and today and forever. And Noah could know him as a refuge from the storm and of Moses could known as the bondage breaker and of Abraham. Good norm is his friend and David known as a shepherd and a larger norm in his power and Isaiah norm in his glory and Peter Norman his forgiveness and Paul Gorman's grace and why cannot you know I'm like that. What makes you think you can't norm like that ever stop to think and I stopped to think maybe years ago when I was first teaching the Scripture I was teaching Genesis and came across Abraham, and three times in Scripture God says Abraham is my friend Brandon said God was his friend God that Abraham is my friend and I stopped and I thought about that and I said you know if God is the same yesterday today and forever, and of Abraham could known the relationship that God identifies a friendship and I know I like that God hasn't changed about norm like that. There's nothing wrong with God.

There must be something wrong with me and I sent on our pilgrimage to know God better today than I did yesterday better tomorrow than I do today. It's a journey of getting to know him as a read the word apply the word live it out and experience him in my life and get to know them. Nobody's going to knowing fully and we see face-to-face right but I want to grow in our knowledge of him and I want to know and like those Old Testament saints to if they could norm like that, then so can you. And so can is the same as he was in the beginning and I would just challenge I guess to take up that aim for yourself that you would choose to know God in a relationship that he would identify one day as a friendship requires time and effort, time spent with him in obedience. You know, but it's the most wonderful journey you will ever embark on.

It gets better and better and better until one day our faith is going to be site and were going to see him face-to-face song Jesus is the incarnation of the greatness of his person.

The greatness of his power in verse three through him all things were made without him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1 says that by him through him for him. Everything was made that is made everything. He is the creator of all. So Genesis chapter 1 verse one God created the heavens and the earth verse to the spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. Verse three and God said, and you have a little phrase and God said, let there be light and there was in all the way through Genesis wonders that phrase, and God said that's the word going forth that's not nouns and pronouns. John is think that's the pre-incarnate son of God. That's Jesus before Bethlehem by him. For him, through him. Everything was created that was created.

He is the creator of big things. Our son is big enough for 1.2 million earth to fit into it and that still leaves room for 4.3 million moons. I don't understand all that the sun is the nearest star. The next nearest star is five times larger than our son, our galaxy has 100 billion stars. I don't know who counted the books they Savior over hundred billion galaxies and I think they're still finding them out there in the Bible says that Jesus hung every single one in space and he knows them all by name at the big and he created small things.

All of our memory brain cells would fit into 1/2 inch Q think as I get older, my Cuba shrinking our heartbeats, 800 million times in a lifespan the wires that connect the information centers in the human brain. If you straighten out and end with stretch of the moon and back. That's tiny, small, and he's creative snowflakes know two of which are the same diamonds and dust dinosaurs and raindrops and sweat drops and dewdrops and blood drops and you and me and none of us are the same.

He's so creative, so he's the incarnation of greatness of God's power and creator of everything. So how will you know is power. If all you ever do is what's your comfortable with you stay in your comfort zone. You never get out of the boat to walk on the water there some things that God allows us to go into some situations in some circumstances, he can paint us into a corner so that we can see what he can do for us. It's like you know having the mountains on one side and the desert and the other side here comes Pharaoh's army about the Red Sea in front of your and what do you do you just pray and watch him open up the Red Sea. He can make a way where there is no way he's the God of the impossible is I love the fact that he is actively involved created big things in small things and thinks outside the box and so I don't know what big thing you're facing. I don't know what small thing is irritating you.

I don't know if you need some sort of creativity for some project you're working on, but I'll just turn to the Lord and ask him to be himself to you if he could do it in the beginning he can do it today for you and me. So he's the incarnation of God's greatness, the greatness of this person is power his purpose and verse for his purpose is to give us life in him was life that's physical life. In Genesis chapter 1 verse 26 he said let us create man in our image, and then in chapter 2 verse seven he breathed his own life into Adam, and Adam became a living being.

So Adam received his breath in the pre-incarnate son of God and that Adam passed that to his children and kissed her and pass it to their children their term because of their truck generation after generation after generation until it comes to you and it comes to me are very breath comes in pre-incarnate son of God, he is given us life and listen to me. It almost makes me angry.

Actually it does, because evolutionists will tell you that we didn't come that way they don't have any explanation for the beginning of life for life comes from but they say. You know, maybe an amoeba and some prehistoric pool and then we just evolved and we came in and what they're saying is that you are no accidents your mistake that your life is comfort. Nothing is going nowhere. It means nothing. You can just live the way you choose because you not just as meaningless is what you get out of this life that counts, and have a date. Sorry, the abortionists bought into that when they say that the baby is a mistake."

With that politician said last week about abortion and adjusts grieves me, makes me angry.

Actually because it's such a contradiction to what the Bible teaches that there is a God up in heaven who loves you and he created you for the purpose of knowing him in a personal permanent relationship. He wants to bless you and evolutionists they we came from, whatever.

So don't buy into it. Jesus one of his purposes as they give us life and I'll tell you something. One day, every single person who's been given life let's everybody who's born into human race is going to stand before the one from whom their life came and give an account to how they spent that life is a solemn thing is what we want to live our lives so they cannot live our lives for him so would you thank God for your physical life, and then live it every day, expressing your gratitude to him for the life he's given you life can be hard and I know that, but sometimes it's when were in the prison and were chained and we got stripes on our back. You know, just in a really hard place and we start to praise him and we look up and we discover him in a way we wouldn't.

Whatever the situation wasn't put is there if that hadn't happened so thank you for the life these given you, and the experiences in your life that you have of knowing him in a deeper way. His purpose is to give us not only physical life of spiritual life.

In verse four that life was the light of men.

Ephesians chapter 2 says that we are born alive physically but were born spiritually dead that were like dead men walking in our trespasses and sins, we have no ability to please God. We can't do anything that's eternally significant. Where spiritually speaking, we are nothing, have no power to have a relationship with God. Understand God. Romans 323 says were all born in sin separated from God. Romans 623 says the wages of sin is death, which means separation from God were all born of the human race is sinners and as sinners were spiritually dead. Don't know if you saw this but that interview is Kanye West. Did you see that on. I don't even know who James Gordon is better watch on YouTube and he's interviewing Kanye West on the airplane is filled with Kanye West choir and all going to a Sunday service and so the end of the interviewee as Kanye West. He said what you say to these people who say that the change in your life is not for real that this is a big publicity stunt that you're just doing this to promote your album what you say to that, and Kanye West looked at him so shy you know and he said well you said you ever go to sleep and James Gordon said yes and he said when you wake up yes and he said would you agree that those are two states of being your sleep and then your way and James Gordon said yes and Kanye West said well everybody who does not believe in Jesus is asleep said there spiritually dead. In fact he said the walking dead man and he said the difference. He said I woke up a man so I don't know how familiar you are with Kanye West. I wasn't that familiar with them. Justino here and there but I have started praying for almost every day that his faith would go down deep into God's word and that he would truly become a man of God talk about the creative power of Jesus would be something if you would use somebody like Kanye West.

The spark revival in the next generation. I'm are currently no searches, thrilling maybe join us in praying for him in this to see what God will do is very exciting but I felt like he nailed it when he said that everybody who does not believe in Jesus is spiritually that that's what's Ephesians says they're all dead men walking but by God's grace. He woke up, Jesus came to give us abundant life, not just physical life, but spiritual life a personal relationship with God now heaven when we die, but life and I feel like our culture. You know they look for life and experience of life and satisfaction and fulfillment in pleasure and travel and clothes and houses and cars and sports in position and reputation and sex in all of these other things and they all come up empty that that more and more and more more because it doesn't satisfy him in the long term is the spiritual life that were looking for. The only Jesus offers is that living water that quenches the thirst so he's come to give us physical life and is come to give a spiritual life but is also come to give us light and in verse five the light shines in the darkness but the darkness is not understood or overcome it. The light is stronger than the darkness and the light reveals the darkness so I'll just define darkness is anything that is not light right serve light is truth and righteousness and goodness wisdom, then darkness is deception and foolishness. Evil wickedness. Sinfulness is the opposite of the light and so the light reveals the darkness. And if you want to know if something is right or wrong, you just turn on the lights so mother was years ago, having dinner next to the head of Scotland Yard in London and he was head of counterfeit department and she asked him she sought I guess you spent all her time studying counterfeits and is all know Mrs. Graham. He said I spent all of my time studying the real thing. That way when a caliphate crosses my desk I can spot it, and if you want to know if things are right or wrong, then read your Bible turn on the light.

If you want to know what your view should be on homosexuality. If you want to know what your view should be on gay marriage. If you want to know what your view should be on transgender things. If you want to know what your view should be on abortion.

Turn on the light. Read the word okay. Read the word turn on the light. The light reveals the darkness.

I think that's one reason they don't want the bobbling schools. They don't want to down the marketplace. There's so afraid of the light because the light reveals the darkness.

This is something else interesting. I thought of this past week when you when I was growing up. Our culture was compatible with Christian faith, and so people went to church even programs on TV. You'd see families praying and answer light if I brought a candle in here. It wouldn't show up that much because it sort of diffuse by the light but then as you turn the lights off in here that candle gets stronger and stronger and it becomes more apparent.

There's a bigger contrast between it and what's around the end God hasn't changed his view on those social issues I just mentioned, and I haven't changed my view on those things because the Bible is clear on those things. But as our world gets darker and darker than the contrast is greater and greater and you were persecuted, criticized, marginalized, whatever, but we haven't changed. This is the same that we were talking about when I was growing up, even 10 years ago and then as the world gets darker than the light is revealed and make somebody living in darkness uncomfortable. But Jesus came to give us light ends.

Light reveals the darkness and it rains over the darkness is stronger than the darkness using it illustration of little candle again. Maybe this is silly, but following the back door closet is darkness filled up a paper bag with darkness not brought it out here and opened up the paper bag. Nothing would happen.

The darkness would evaporate. But if I turn off all the lights and light a candle and put the candle here up at the last row you could see the candle flame because light is stronger than darkness, and I want you to remember that when it comes to your witness because when you share your faith, you share versus you tell somebody about God's word, or told somebody what God is done for you in Jesus and that witnesses stronger than you now. Don't sell yourself short and is not yourself is the light that stronger than the darkness may may not like it they may push back and they may present it but light penetrates and it penetrates through your testimony versus fixed rate is on description of John the Baptist. I won't read it, but John the Baptist was so powerful and is witness.

People thought he was the light, but he wasn't just a clear strong witness so greatly share your faith share with people that don't know Jesus and just turn on the lights.

The light penetrates the darkness to your testimony that penetrates the darkness through the truth.

Verse nine he is the true light that gives light to every man that was coming into the world and is the true light for every man. You might want to underline that there are not different gods for different cultures and different nations and different races. There is one true light for every man.

It doesn't matter if you're American or your African or your Russian or Eurasian or your Australian or your Mexican if you're Israeli if your Arab he's the true light for every man to help and encourage you in your work for the Lord, we invite you to and Graham Watts.org. It's a great opportunity to further read, study, lived by and love God's word. You'll find Anne's daily blog. Her messages, Bible studies, books, audio and video that will enhance your study you're going forward that and spoke of today and plan to join us again for living in the light