God Yes, But Why Jesus? Part 1 #2

Reason for us.

Jesus phone number for you were near death in a hospital want the truth about your condition near opinions finding out the truth about your spiritual condition and its remedy has to be job one today more about why Jesus is the only road that leads to God from the Moody Church in Chicago this is when with Dr. Sir teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are resting God yes why Jesus as you teach today remind us how vital this teaching will be Dave. I really don't know of anything that I believe more deeply than the fact that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ and you know were living in a culture where God is often redefined, and you really don't need Jesus. Jesus is honored because of his teaching, and all of us recognize that that is important but the real reason why she came is to redeem us. The cross of Christ and the resurrection is really the centrality of his message and ministry.

But before we go there.

I want to say that I've written a book entitled managing your emotions and the subtitle is God's good gifts gone wrong. Did you know that emotions enrich our lives, but let me ask you a question you need to feel good in order to be spiritual if you say yes.

Think of Jesus in Gethsemane will these are the kinds of issues I discuss in the book and for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 of course I'll be giving you this contact information. Also, at the end of this message, but for now let's consider the topic God yes, but why Jesus let's go on to 1/3 credential of Jesus.

The first is his deity. The second is his humanity, and the third, we could say is his ability. He can do what nobody else can do.

I'm still in verse 14 the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. In Greek it's very interesting that the word there is's game really means tabernacle or tent and what John wants us to understand is this that that Jesus Christ now replaces the tabernacle of the Old Testament and what was the tabernacle of the Old Testament it was a construction of 45 feet long for Dean feet wide, one third of it was known as the holy of holies that could only be entered once a year. The other two thirds was known as the holy place and that's where worship took place. I was to be the only place that the people were to really worship God to bring their sacrifices to bring their gifts and to worship what we don't do that anymore. Do a why don't way, it's because of Jesus. Think with me very quickly what that tabernacle represented and will see how Jesus Christ replaces it. First of all, as I mentioned, it was a place of worship today. We don't have to go to that tabernacle and worship. We can worship Christ all over the world. As Jesus said to the woman at the well, the day is coming when you shall worship not in Jerusalem or in terrorism but in spirit and in truth everywhere and we can worship Christ the veil of the temple was torn into why because the entry of that high priest into the holy place, which happened on one day a year.

We now have the same access through Jesus at any time. When we pray in his name and it was indeed a place of worship. And today we worship Christ at O'Hare field. I was in line for a ticket agent and and I noticed someone who seemed to have a religious book in his hand. I didn't know exactly what the book was so I struck up a conversation with him and he said that he was a Jehovah's Witness.

Now you need to know that the Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ is fully God. They kinda believe that he was a kind of God or a lesser God. So I asked him I said you know I have a question I said do you worship Jesus and he said yes and I said to him with a smile on my face because one always should be smiling when you say these things to lessen the impact and to help the relationship. Well, that's true that's true you always smile when you say that as a don't you realize that on the basis of your premises. You're an idolater. The Bible is very clear that Jehovah says you shall worship me alone and worship no other gods you are worshiping something other than Jehovah because in your theology. Jesus is not Jehovah. And at that point we had to go our separate ways. He went one way and I just trying to defend Jesus wherever Jesus plants so we worship Christ unashamedly and as you read the book of Revelation. It is full of worship of Jesus and songs to the Lamb. The tabernacle was also a place of sacrifice and Jesus replaces that as well. This however is the difference in the tabernacle you have many priests and you have them continually offering lambs and goats on the altar. And when Jesus comes as our high priest. What does he do, he becomes the sacrifice in the Old Testament the priest they of course sacrificed as I mentioned, sheep and goats but but Jesus becomes the sacrifice for us and dies in our stead so that God's holiness can be appeased so that we can enter into God's presence and to have the merit of Jesus credited to our account. There's nobody else out there like that and it was also a place of glory when we talk about the glory of the Old Testament. Remember, like a clouded wood, and it would be right there in the holy place right there where you have the ark of the covenant, the cloud would dissent. What does John say here, I'm still in verse 14, we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father full of grace and truth. We sing at Christmas veiled in the flesh the Godhead see and do.

Jesus Christ glory was veil that had to be that had to bear or they couldn't have even communicated with him. It would've been so powerful and so glorious. But there was one day when it just broke out when the veil was taken away and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus appeared in dazzling, dazzling light, full of grace and truth.

That was the glory of God. And John says we saw that glory full of grace and truth.

And what a beautiful balance. There's some people who are full of grace and they have no truth. All that they are as loving, forgiving people and they don't they are not interested in truth, there are those who are into truth.

You know, we are really into truth but they are harsh and uncaring and I don't have a lot of grace.

I want you to know today that to be saved.

You both need some truth you need truth to be saved but also it is truth full of grace. Let's go back to Ingmar Bergman standing at the Cathedral saying the Lord speak to me. What should he have done should've gone home, taken out his Bible and he should have begun to read the New Testament because what we find in the New Testament is that God has spoken and the has not stuttered. Jesus said what I speak to you. I speak the words of God who speaks in behalf of God. It is Jesus and he's the only qualified one to do so.

Why first of all because of his full deity. Secondly, because of his full sinless humanity and because of that is the only one qualified to say that I represent the transcendent God the one and the only the Jehovah, the creator and yet I became flesh so that I could be the mediator and I could be the priest who dies on the cross to bring the holiness of God with all of its inflexibility and to take that holiness and to make a payment by which man with all of his sin and failure, and in adequacy is able to meet that high standard because of the and because of what I did on the cross and in the resurrection want to tell you today, there is nobody else out there like him are limited world religions.

Two more stories I decided one day that I would go on a search to find the sinless Savior now were in the Palmer House and in the bottom floor of the Palmer house. There were maybe 100 booths representing all the different religions of the world and they had their various material and I was there because I was dialoguing with as many people as I could about Jesus and his uniqueness. By the way I ate dinner with some new agers and explained the gospel to them and I'll never forget they say we've never heard anything like this before you realize that most people have no clue as to what the gospel is and what the real message of the New Testament is they think it's Jesus teaching on the sermon on the Mount. They did not understand redemption at all, but I decided that I was going to go on a search to find the Savior and in order for me to have a Savior.

He has to be sinless. Obviously, why remember that story years ago in Florida I grandmother was taking care of her little granddaughter and the granddaughter fell into the swimming pool and the grandmother. God bless her, was unable to swim, but hopped in to try to save her little one and a few hours later. Both bodies were pulled from the water. Listen, if you're in a predicament somebody who's in the same predicament as you is not able to help you as I said what I need is a sinless Savior who can take my place and I can be saved on the basis of what he did and in his stead. That's what I look for. So I started to go booth to booth. I began with the Hindus and I said now what I'm looking for is a sinless Savior because I'm a sinner. I need to be reconciled to God. Do you have a sinless Savior should know that we have teachers assist teachers that we have no one who sinless no one who has the qualification of Savior hood. I went over to the Baha'i faith and I said goodbye howler claims sinlessness because I'm a sinner and I need to be saved and I'm looking for a Savior known on the Enlightenment, but no sinlessness. I went over to the Buddhist I said I'm looking for. Actually a Savior because I'm a sinner and I need to be saved. I said that did Buddha claim sinlessness I'm looking for somebody who is qualified to bring me into the presence of a holy God. No enlightenment but no sinlessness.

I went to the Muslim booth. I said what about Mohammed is he able to busy sinless well in the Quran.

You know he does say that he needed God's forgiveness.

I said but I'm looking for someone who sinless, who can present me in the presence of a holy God, not in the Muslim faith going from booth to booth and you've heard me say this before here at the Moody church but I need to say it again and again and again all the other religions of the world. They all have gurus and prophets and teachers and representatives who may at times say some very good and helpful things. What they do not have is somebody qualified to reconcile sinners to a holy God. There is nobody else out there like Jesus just want you to know there is nobody else out there. We have university students here. Some of you may be studying comparative religion studying it. Look at all of the religions of the world. Compare them and see if you have anyone else out there like Jesus and you'll find that nobody has the qualifications of Savior nobody both God and man, and the ability to be a sacrifice to present as holy in the presence of God. Jesus is the only one. Sometimes I see Christians on television being interviewed in some visible why Jesus why not just other options. Sometimes you hear good answers and sometimes you hear answers that are rather weak hub five said it before, I'll say it again, nobody has the righteousness which a holy God requires by which we can stand in God's presence.

How can I say that any more clearly than that except that Jesus was fully God also fully man bridge the gap died so that he could present us to the father.

Nobody else out there like that one more story and then I bring the plane down.

In fact, I can already see the runway talking to a woman who said you know this. Your ranch of book that she was reading. She said gave me my Jesus back to me I should tell me your story.

She said I was raised in a home where my parents read stories about Jesus and she said I love Jesus, ever since I was a little girl and my parents didn't go to church, she said, but I did. Then I would just sit in the back because I wanted to hear the pastor but all of the children were in the basement and a woman tapped me on the shoulder and said, now what are you doing here you're supposed to be downstairs with all of the other children and she said I left that church is a little girl cried all the way home and never went back so she said I forgot about Jesus and that she got involved in a false cult and realize that that was going nowhere and then she came across this book, which was written by automatic writing actually is spirit comes along in occultism and sometimes writes books the book conversations with God was written that way if you read the introduction and she said, this book gave me my Jesus back to me. She said I love Jesus so much and it's filled with stories about Jesus when he was a little boy. She said you mind if I read one to you and I said no read it and she it was a story about how Jesus at the age of 12. Help the little boy who was lost get back to his father. She said you know that's just like Jesus, isn't it.

She said to do something so so beautiful and so kind. I said yeah that is I said you really do love him, don't you home.

She said I do love him and tears began to form in her eye while I sit tell me why you love him. She said I love him because he's a teacher. I love him because he is the Lord.

I love him I love him I love him I love him. She said, and then I looked her in the eye and I said you also love him because he died on the cross and shed his blood to reconcile us to a holy God and she looked away and she said I have never thought of that before. What a tragedy. You know that there are hundreds of people, some who are listening to this message, you basically love Jesus.

They admire and they sing songs with us, but they've never accepted Jesus as a Savior. What a tragedy to know Newton, but not as a scientist to know Shakespeare, but not as amount of literature to know Jesus and even love Jesus and never have received him as a Savior. What a tragedy. So where are you at today. Have you ever received him.

It says in verse 12 of this chapter is many as received him, to them he gave the authority to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name. Let's pray together. Father, I wish I had done a better job of persuading people to believe in Jesus but I pray for those who hold them at arms length. For those who say well just one among many. Help them to see the uniqueness and the beauty of Jesus and the credentials of Jesus and there is no one else out there like we pray that you might bring them to faith and even at this moment while I'm praying. We pray that you might open their hearts so that they would say Jesus.

I receive you as my Savior. I've admired you I've read about you. I've sung songs about you, but I've never received you cause them to do that at this moment of father, in your mercy and grace and give them no rest until they have come to the full assurance of faith, whatever God is that you you talk to him.

Father, thank you thank you thank you for Jesus in his name on them. Well my friend, this is Pastor Luzern. If you been listening to the ministry of running to win.

You know that it's all about Jesus. And if you've never trusted him as your Savior. That is our greatest desire that is our prayer, trusting him to lead us all the way to the father all the way home will before the message I mentioned the book I've written, entitled managing your emotions. God's good gifts gone wrong.

I believe that emotions are the means by which life is enlivened if I can put it that way. It gives color to our lives. It motivates us. But sometimes our negative emotions can really weigh us down. Emotions are God's gifts, and by the way God has them to wish I had more time to discuss that with you but what I'd like to do is to suggest that you make sure that you get a copy of managing your emotions for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. And here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 the ministry of running to win goes around the world were so glad that we minister in three different languages and it's because of people like you that we can continue and we are so encouraged I want to thank you from my heart to yours are holding our hands in this ministry. It's time once again for you to ask Pastor Luzern a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Having a heart for God, no outcome is more precious is running to when listeners contact us, telling us how they'd been affected by what they've heard one listener gave us this testimony, along with the question. I yearn to turn and give my life holy to God and I believe him on that path. But I'm not sure how to go about studying God's word other than listening to Moody radio. How do I go about learning Bible study techniques help me give myself wholly to God, what a wonderful question. First of all thank you so much for your heart and one of the things that you can do to give yourself wholly to God is to simply tell God that you want to be holy. His that's a good starting point but thank you also for asking about Bible study. I hope that you do more than simply listen to Moody radio though we thank God that you are listening fact is that you should begin reading the Bible. Now, when you read a chapter a day and of course there are many books on how to study the Bible, so I'm not going to go into an answer that is detailed but here are three questions in fact there are many people who can benefit from the answer that I'm going to give. When you read a section of Scripture say 1/2 a chapter or a chapter.

Ask yourself these questions number one what does it teach me about God. Number two is there a promise to be believed, and number three is there a command to be obeyed. Now let me give you a little tip that I think could be life changing. When you put down. The Bible, if you read it in the morning and you put it down back on the table or the shelf. You should have in your heart something that you can meditate on throughout the day. Now, of course, sometimes we read the Bible and we forget what we read. That may not all be bad. I have oftentimes said that even when water goes through a sieve. It does clean the sieve.

But the Bible says that we should meditate in the law of God day and night read it until you have a truth for the day and I think you will be helped if you asked these questions. What does it teach me about God. Is there a promise to be believed or command to be obeyed.

Finally, very important to get plugged into your church you want to give yourself wholly to God and learn to study the Scriptures join a Bible class watch how others do it have others teach you how to do it and in the process.

You learn to walk with God in a brand-new way some good advice for our listener and for all of us. Thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered. You can go to our website@rtwoffer.com and there you can click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 four growing day by day, that force is political correctness when it comes to the Christian faith gets out bolstering next time I'm running to win a witness for Christ time when people tolerate everything but the truth, and even deny that truth exists. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church