WEBVTT 00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:40.380 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:41.679 Alrighty. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:42.840 Good morning, church. 00:00:45.179 --> 00:00:46.280 Saucy's in the building. 00:00:46.780 --> 00:00:49.579 You guys don't know that is the nickname that the church has dubbed me. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:53.100 Whether I like it or not, it is now who I am. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:58.979 Super, super excited, you know, get together day for this amazing Sunday. 00:00:59.619 --> 00:01:02.979 You know, this last week has provided us some really good weather, right? 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.019 I feel like there's a little bit of an energy in here today, right? 00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:07.760 Like it's, it's nice and blue. 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:08.640 There's some sun out. 00:01:08.739 --> 00:01:10.180 We're like, you still exist. 00:01:10.379 --> 00:01:11.120 I'm so happy. 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:12.719 Right. 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:18.500 And, and I'm from Denver and it gets cold, but like three days later, it's like 70 degrees. 00:01:18.819 --> 00:01:22.299 So you kind of have to like in the Midwest, I'm like, all right, it's hunker down time, right? 00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:23.719 Like it's going to be cold. 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:25.239 Right. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:29.780 But I'm so glad that the sun has shown itself in this last week than it has in the last two months combined. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.319 And let's be honest, like that's purely God moving. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:35.019 That's God's goodness. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:37.379 Because I think about this last week, right? 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:42.079 Think about, you know, about three weeks ago, there was snowing single digit temperatures. 00:01:42.819 --> 00:01:50.540 I think it would have broken a lot of the Michiganders here, especially after that devastating loss the Lions took last Sunday. 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:55.340 Think, think about, think about the snow. 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:04.120 And then the loss of me, a few of us went to this, this diner spot and it was a great spot to watch it. 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:05.980 And that second half happened. 00:02:06.459 --> 00:02:08.000 My heart sunk for everyone there. 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:12.080 I was like, oh no, this is, this is going downhill and it's going downhill quick. 00:02:12.259 --> 00:02:19.000 And I feel so bad, but, right, you know, I'm glad that we had some good weather after that right? 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.199 It's like God being like, hey guys, I know this was rough, but like, I got you. 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:23.860 The weather is good, right? 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:26.840 So the Broncos were really bad this year, so, you know, amen. 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:28.039 Right? 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:36.340 No matter, no matter how many tears Lions fans, maybe Paul was one of those Lions fans, that we, that they may have been shed this week, right? 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:40.039 We get to refocus on God and his beautiful word this beautiful Sunday. 00:02:40.099 --> 00:02:40.319 Amen? 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:41.620 All right. 00:02:42.199 --> 00:02:50.419 So today is the last week for maybe the foreseeable future that we have a lesson that's not directly tied to this new venture that we are taking as a church. 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:58.819 You know, Jaron and I and our church in general, you know, we are super excited to be starting a program called Thread next week. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:02.000 Thread is something that we've been super pumped for, right? 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:09.860 It's going to have this chance to have weekly devotionals, podcasts, and all types of biblical material that's going to help inspire us for then our Sunday lessons. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:18.580 And this first kind of like segment of teachings and lessons that we're going to be having is focused on Jesus. 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:19.419 Right? 00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:28.300 Digging it deeper into his life, his power, his authority, and most importantly growing our love and conviction for the one that we call our savior. 00:03:29.460 --> 00:03:38.819 So today Jaron asked me to share a few characteristics about Jesus that stick out to me, some things that, you know, really convict me on why I'm, you know, fired up about living my life for Jesus. 00:03:39.419 --> 00:03:39.699 Right? 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:46.680 So getting our minds right to, you know, getting our minds right to embark on this great journey that we're going to take on as we go into Thread. 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:52.300 So today I want to look at a lesson that's simply about Jesus. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:53.819 Let's talk about him. 00:03:54.539 --> 00:03:55.099 All right. 00:03:55.139 --> 00:03:56.039 So let's get into Jesus. 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:06.800 So about three years ago now, which I'm starting to get old, right, this feels like yesterday, I partook in this ministry training program called MIT. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:09.939 They have it out here in the Midwest, but I did it in Denver, Colorado. 00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:24.540 And one thing that we had to do as a part of our training in this program was we had to interview a hundred strangers and the goal was to create like these good in-depth dialogue about God and Christianity with people that, you know, you'd meet on the street. 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:45.620 And our group, because it was sectioned into groups, one of our questions to start off the survey was a simple question of who do you think Jesus is, right, right, asking anybody who would, you know, not look at us really weird that we stopped them in the middle of a shopping mall, right. 00:04:45.660 --> 00:04:50.839 But the majority of those responses circled around a few answers, right. 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:52.480 So who do you think Jesus is? 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:55.899 And these are some of the answers that we got. 00:04:56.339 --> 00:05:01.000 I think these are most of the answers we got out of the hundred people that we interviewed, right. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:07.860 So some of the questions are like, or some of the answers were like, Jesus was this awesome loving guy, right. 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:08.959 He just had a lot of love. 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:17.519 I was kind of surprised how many people were like, hey, he's like this like hippie guy, right, that like kind of like spread like peace and love. 00:05:17.540 --> 00:05:21.639 And I was like, that's a way to see it, right, right. 00:05:21.699 --> 00:05:26.519 And another one, this guy who told people what was right and what wasn't for their religion, right. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:34.699 I think that's a very common thing that people would say like, oh, yeah, like Jesus is the one who told us what sin is and what isn't and how to live a good and right life. 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:39.519 A lot of people, maybe that were like more spiritually inclined, called him a prophet, right. 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:41.639 Like, yeah, like he knew things about God. 00:05:41.699 --> 00:05:45.879 He was, you know, like tied to God really closely and he talked a lot about God. 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:52.240 And the last one, I'd say there's less than these than I thought, but right, a guy who claimed to be God and died for our sins. 00:05:54.579 --> 00:06:00.019 So most of these statements, as we look at them, talk about Jesus' love, right, his connection with people. 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:01.319 He gets us, right. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:03.319 He's a great spiritual leader. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.620 And at first, I'm like, yeah, these are great answers. 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:11.779 Like this is, this is like there's, there's parts of God that like are known here about Jesus. 00:06:11.819 --> 00:06:13.199 Like this is who he is in some ways. 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:22.879 And as we were kind of typing up this, you know, review of these surveys, I reflected on these responses more and more. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:27.120 Some really just started to sit unwell with the world's viewpoint of who Jesus is. 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:39.040 All these characteristics that people shared about Jesus had some sliver of truth, maybe the hippie ones are the farthest off, right, to who he is. 00:06:39.459 --> 00:06:43.819 But not one person talked about who Jesus truly is. 00:06:44.860 --> 00:06:48.300 And what's, and that's what I want to talk about today, right. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:56.360 So in my, when I look at Jesus, like the one thing he is above all the amazing characteristics, above all the love, above all the things, right. 00:06:56.360 --> 00:06:58.180 It's the thing that makes him all those things. 00:06:58.860 --> 00:07:01.600 He's our rightful divine Lord. 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:02.379 Amen. 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:03.740 Right. 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.639 He is our rightful divine Lord, right. 00:07:05.699 --> 00:07:08.459 Our King of Kings, our Lord of Lord, right. 00:07:10.579 --> 00:07:14.040 Jesus is our Lord, right. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:15.560 The creator of our universe. 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:20.040 And I think it can be so easy to forget the gravity of that statement, right. 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:21.959 We kind of start with like, Jesus is amazing. 00:07:22.019 --> 00:07:22.360 He's love. 00:07:22.379 --> 00:07:23.620 It's like, that's right. 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:26.439 He is that because he's your creator, right. 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:28.500 He loves you because he created you. 00:07:28.660 --> 00:07:34.240 He's rightfully the creator of our universe and he's rightfully divine in everything he is, right. 00:07:34.779 --> 00:07:38.240 And that statement, it's the most important statement in human history. 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:46.519 Because of his ability to be fully Lord and fully human is the only reason we have a fighting chance to be with God someday. 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:52.399 I think when we talk about Jesus, we don't talk about him with this intentionality, right. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.300 We talk about him with this passion, with this zeal. 00:07:55.100 --> 00:08:01.100 You know, Jesus lived and talked with such a great passion about his own life, about who he was. 00:08:01.459 --> 00:08:04.399 He wasn't afraid about who he was. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:05.759 Right. 00:08:05.779 --> 00:08:10.379 He talked with this boldness and it's the reason he was eventually killed, was because of that boldness. 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.180 But when he got killed, it also showed his obedience. 00:08:14.540 --> 00:08:15.139 And right. 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:20.720 The overlying characteristic I want to, you know, I want to talk about is right, his divine right as a Lord. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:26.879 But we're going to dig into the two characteristics that I think make him such an amazing divine God. 00:08:27.379 --> 00:08:29.660 And that is his boldness and his obedience. 00:08:30.100 --> 00:08:30.639 All right. 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:32.720 So we're going to dig into boldness here for a second. 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:34.500 I'm going to tie into this first one. 00:08:35.038 --> 00:08:43.700 So tying back into this MIT training that I did a few years back in Denver, one of the men who came and spoke to us, his name is Chris Reed. 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:46.200 I don't know if anybody knows that name in here. 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:55.500 And for about 20 years and a part of our church group, he led the churches out in Stockholm, Sweden. 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:03.000 And if you know anything about the northern European countries, they are very atheists. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:03.279 Right. 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:05.879 They have they've experienced a lot of religion. 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:06.580 Right. 00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:08.019 They've experienced a lot of church. 00:09:08.539 --> 00:09:18.320 And through the pain and the muck that us humans and our sin have created, it's hard to see Jesus in years and generations of faithlessness. 00:09:19.539 --> 00:09:27.179 And so Chris Reed, who's talking to us, who's sharing just kind of his viewpoint and seeing how to impact these people with God. 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:34.240 And he came up with this amazing study within the Bible about all the claims that Jesus said about himself. 00:09:35.139 --> 00:09:35.240 Right. 00:09:35.340 --> 00:09:38.940 Kind of coming like, hey, like, it doesn't matter if you believe God or not. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.059 Like this is what Jesus says about himself. 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:42.779 What does that make him? 00:09:42.779 --> 00:09:43.440 It's kind of an interesting type of a deal. 00:09:44.419 --> 00:09:46.240 So I want to put them on the screen at this moment. 00:09:46.340 --> 00:09:53.080 I want to walk through what Jesus said about himself and how it kind of explains and just shows his boldness as a man and a God. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:53.940 All right. 00:09:53.980 --> 00:09:54.840 So we're going to start here. 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:57.100 You guys can take pictures of this. 00:09:57.620 --> 00:09:58.179 Read it out. 00:09:58.340 --> 00:09:58.960 Write it down. 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:03.279 We're going to go through some of the controversial claims of Jesus. 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:08.539 It's right starting here in John 5, verses 39 through 40. 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:09.419 Right. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.320 And I'm going to not read them all straight out. 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:14.379 It's going to be a little bit more paraphrasing of what it says straight in there. 00:10:14.899 --> 00:10:15.039 Right. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:19.940 Jesus says in John 5, 39 through 40, the scriptures are written about me. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:21.399 Right. 00:10:22.460 --> 00:10:23.320 Think about that. 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:23.519 Right. 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:24.320 And then think about all this. 00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:29.000 Like what it would be like for anybody to say this out loud in a group. 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:29.759 Think about me. 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:30.559 I'm sharing right now. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:32.820 Think if I was like, my name is Josh. 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:37.940 In the Bible you guys love, it's about me to be like, Jaron, how did you hire this guy? 00:10:37.940 --> 00:10:40.919 How did he get through the interview process? 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:42.159 Right. 00:10:42.340 --> 00:10:43.159 Quick way to get fired. 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:43.919 Right. 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:45.360 Quick way to get fired. 00:10:45.460 --> 00:10:45.600 Right. 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:48.480 Jesus was like, no, the scriptures, they're about me. 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:50.779 Everything you've read, it's about me. 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:51.679 Right. 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:57.600 John 8, 12, Jesus states, he is the light of the world. 00:10:58.460 --> 00:10:58.600 Right. 00:10:58.659 --> 00:10:59.299 Question to that. 00:10:59.379 --> 00:10:59.480 Right. 00:10:59.500 --> 00:10:59.960 Think about this. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:06.460 How would that statement change in the meaning of who Jesus is and how he said it if he said, I am a light of the world. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:09.340 That means there's other lights, right? 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:10.940 He's one of the lights. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.740 He's like, you know, kind of the way like, oh, I'm, I'm a good guy. 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:14.460 I'm a light. 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:15.100 Right. 00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:16.919 Like I, I, I preach God's word. 00:11:17.059 --> 00:11:17.539 I'm good. 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:18.639 No, he's the light. 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:20.919 There is no other light in the world. 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:21.500 Right. 00:11:21.539 --> 00:11:22.840 He's the only one. 00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:27.059 John 8, 46 says, right. 00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:29.779 Jesus said that he never sinned. 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:31.200 Take five seconds. 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:32.340 Look at your life. 00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:34.480 You can find sin in those five seconds. 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:35.179 Right. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:36.360 We are flawed. 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:38.139 We have a lot of mess ups. 00:11:38.200 --> 00:11:41.039 That's kind of the beauty in, in our, our mess. 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:41.320 Right. 00:11:42.019 --> 00:11:47.820 And so all these people, they, you know, especially in the religious world of Israel, it's like, yeah, we understand our sin. 00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:49.940 That's why we, you know, we go to the priest. 00:11:50.019 --> 00:11:51.100 We sanctify our sin. 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.200 That's why we have, you know, animal sacrifices. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.419 And he's like, I've not sinned. 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:57.460 They're like, you're crazy. 00:11:57.700 --> 00:11:58.019 Right. 00:11:58.059 --> 00:11:59.200 Like, that's not possible. 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:01.759 Like our whole culture is built on our sin. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:03.240 And he's like, well, I haven't sinned. 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:03.659 Right. 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:05.860 John 17, 5. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:06.559 Right. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:13.259 So this one, I didn't write over here, but Jesus says, I have existed as long as my father has. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:14.399 Right. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:19.179 So he's claiming in this verse that he's existed forever. 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:20.919 There isn't a beginning of Jesus. 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:22.059 He has always been. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:23.139 Right. 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:28.039 And it's crazy for someone who is in human form to say, right. 00:12:30.210 --> 00:12:31.830 Then John 8, 58. 00:12:32.690 --> 00:12:35.970 Maybe my favorite one here, because it's a wild story. 00:12:36.070 --> 00:12:36.250 Right. 00:12:36.570 --> 00:12:38.649 Jesus calls himself, I am. 00:12:40.070 --> 00:12:40.389 Right. 00:12:40.549 --> 00:12:46.330 So Jesus meant something very, very intense when he said, I am. 00:12:46.590 --> 00:12:47.049 Right. 00:12:47.169 --> 00:12:48.409 And maybe some of you know this. 00:12:48.509 --> 00:12:51.669 It's something that's really cool from a theological standpoint. 00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:52.129 Right. 00:12:52.669 --> 00:12:55.870 You know, this was the most sacred name that the Jews had for God. 00:12:56.429 --> 00:13:04.250 Because this is the name God called himself when he talked to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3, 13-14, if you guys want to look it up. 00:13:05.169 --> 00:13:05.350 Right. 00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:13.970 It was so sacred in the Israelite culture, right, in Judaism, in the relationship with God that you couldn't say it out loud. 00:13:14.049 --> 00:13:15.250 You couldn't write it. 00:13:15.549 --> 00:13:15.649 Right. 00:13:15.750 --> 00:13:17.669 So Yahweh is the name for God. 00:13:17.750 --> 00:13:17.909 Right. 00:13:18.169 --> 00:13:22.850 And we would like, if we just write God out, it would be like G blank D because we couldn't write it out. 00:13:22.909 --> 00:13:26.529 It's so sacred to call God by his own name. 00:13:26.970 --> 00:13:27.330 Right. 00:13:27.750 --> 00:13:30.129 Because this is the name he called himself when he was busy Moses. 00:13:30.549 --> 00:13:34.049 And Jesus is here, he goes, that's me. 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:35.210 Right. 00:13:35.509 --> 00:13:42.129 And what I don't have here, which is in verse 59, kind of the serious of this, guess what the Israelites did as soon as he said that? 00:13:42.549 --> 00:13:44.950 They picked up stones, were like, we're going to kill you. 00:13:45.090 --> 00:13:46.529 Like, you deserve death. 00:13:46.789 --> 00:13:47.009 Right. 00:13:47.029 --> 00:13:49.710 That is the seriousness of him stating that. 00:13:49.909 --> 00:13:54.750 And he fled from the scene so, you know, right, so he could continue his mission. 00:13:55.789 --> 00:13:55.909 Right. 00:13:56.049 --> 00:13:56.970 John 10, 30. 00:13:57.370 --> 00:13:57.610 Right. 00:13:57.649 --> 00:13:59.230 Kind of going back to him with the father. 00:13:59.230 --> 00:14:00.690 The father and I are one. 00:14:01.409 --> 00:14:02.289 Going back to the I am. 00:14:02.590 --> 00:14:04.450 Like, I am God. 00:14:04.570 --> 00:14:04.950 He is me. 00:14:05.029 --> 00:14:06.850 Like, the father and I are together. 00:14:07.490 --> 00:14:07.610 Right. 00:14:07.889 --> 00:14:08.450 Remember that. 00:14:08.509 --> 00:14:09.490 Like, it's so sacred. 00:14:09.690 --> 00:14:11.190 You know, seeing God. 00:14:11.370 --> 00:14:11.690 Right. 00:14:11.789 --> 00:14:12.389 You know, people. 00:14:12.669 --> 00:14:12.789 Right. 00:14:12.809 --> 00:14:13.970 You look at throughout the Bible. 00:14:14.090 --> 00:14:17.590 Anyone who thinks they've experienced God fall to the ground thinking they're about to die. 00:14:17.669 --> 00:14:18.450 That's how sacred it is. 00:14:18.450 --> 00:14:22.610 And he's like, that you were, you were, you were falling to the ground for me. 00:14:23.049 --> 00:14:25.289 That is who you were falling to ground being sacred for. 00:14:25.769 --> 00:14:26.129 Right. 00:14:26.129 --> 00:14:28.309 And then John 11, 25 to 26. 00:14:28.470 --> 00:14:30.789 If you believe in me, you will never die. 00:14:32.210 --> 00:14:37.850 In our whole world and the way that we see like, right, death is a very natural part of everything that we do. 00:14:37.909 --> 00:14:38.009 Right. 00:14:38.009 --> 00:14:40.649 Like, we all have someone that has passed in our lives. 00:14:40.970 --> 00:14:41.309 Right. 00:14:41.610 --> 00:14:46.990 And it's something that, you know, we we have a hard time because we really don't know what happens after death. 00:14:47.049 --> 00:14:47.370 Like, right. 00:14:47.429 --> 00:14:50.289 That's, you know, something that, you know, unless you die, you don't know. 00:14:50.370 --> 00:14:51.009 So right. 00:14:51.049 --> 00:14:52.990 And he's like, you get it. 00:14:52.990 --> 00:14:53.649 We all die. 00:14:53.710 --> 00:14:55.850 But if you believe in me, if you have your trust in me. 00:14:55.850 --> 00:14:57.649 If you are one of my disciples, you will never die. 00:14:57.730 --> 00:14:59.669 It's like, OK, now you just have to be great. 00:14:59.730 --> 00:15:00.990 Like, you have to be a lunatic. 00:15:01.350 --> 00:15:01.450 Right. 00:15:01.769 --> 00:15:03.529 And this last one I have for you guys. 00:15:03.649 --> 00:15:04.830 John 14, 6. 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:09.110 Jesus says that he is the only way to God. 00:15:09.809 --> 00:15:10.169 Wow. 00:15:10.269 --> 00:15:11.409 The only way to God. 00:15:12.029 --> 00:15:12.289 Right. 00:15:12.990 --> 00:15:13.529 This is bold. 00:15:13.850 --> 00:15:15.250 It's not accepting of other religions. 00:15:16.129 --> 00:15:16.429 Right. 00:15:16.990 --> 00:15:19.230 It's not accepting of any other other idea. 00:15:19.950 --> 00:15:22.769 And we live in a world where it's like, believe what you believe. 00:15:23.309 --> 00:15:23.509 Right. 00:15:23.509 --> 00:15:24.629 Like, have your own thoughts. 00:15:25.129 --> 00:15:26.850 You know, we're here to spread love. 00:15:26.889 --> 00:15:27.309 That's true. 00:15:27.629 --> 00:15:29.389 But there's only one way through it. 00:15:29.629 --> 00:15:29.929 Right. 00:15:29.970 --> 00:15:31.169 There's only one road. 00:15:33.190 --> 00:15:36.230 What's cool about this is this isn't what I said. 00:15:37.110 --> 00:15:38.970 This isn't what Jaron said. 00:15:39.009 --> 00:15:42.289 It's not what our church, you know, it's only it's not what our church believes. 00:15:42.750 --> 00:15:42.850 Right. 00:15:42.870 --> 00:15:47.450 This is Jesus himself saying that this is what he is. 00:15:48.070 --> 00:15:48.509 Right. 00:15:50.110 --> 00:15:50.710 And it's great. 00:15:50.789 --> 00:15:53.429 When I look at Christ through this lens, I am inspired. 00:15:54.309 --> 00:15:54.929 I'm blown away. 00:15:55.570 --> 00:15:57.929 Because the Jesus I was taught. 00:15:58.710 --> 00:16:01.049 Wouldn't say such strong, controversial things. 00:16:02.090 --> 00:16:06.590 I'm like, oh, I thought Jesus was just here to, you know, like, play hopscotch with me. 00:16:06.669 --> 00:16:10.250 And like, you know, you know, seeing Kumbaya around the fire and like, let's have a fun day. 00:16:10.269 --> 00:16:10.509 Right. 00:16:10.970 --> 00:16:14.450 No, like this Jesus is the reason he got crucified. 00:16:14.870 --> 00:16:15.309 Right. 00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:22.990 This is the Jesus who went toe to toe for your guys's lives because he knew if he didn't stand up for who he rightfully was. 00:16:23.309 --> 00:16:24.909 There was no way to get his point across. 00:16:28.929 --> 00:16:29.370 Right. 00:16:29.509 --> 00:16:38.549 Jesus' boldness to sit in the hot seat and stand for his divine right is exactly the kind of characteristic that isn't talked enough about when we talk about Jesus. 00:16:38.830 --> 00:16:39.370 Yeah, for sure. 00:16:40.110 --> 00:16:49.379 If he was just some guy, right, if he was the hippie, the prophet, the fun loving guy, none of us would have a chance to be saved. 00:16:53.649 --> 00:17:03.649 You would rightfully think if I would kind of like going back to if I was saying all these things, you would rightfully call me probably a lunatic and a liar. 00:17:04.150 --> 00:17:04.630 Right. 00:17:04.848 --> 00:17:05.529 One of those two. 00:17:05.630 --> 00:17:05.750 Right. 00:17:08.098 --> 00:17:09.838 Jesus is controversial. 00:17:10.740 --> 00:17:11.858 He should be. 00:17:12.118 --> 00:17:13.279 He should be controversial. 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:14.259 Right. 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:19.618 We should have very strong feelings about Jesus, whether they're one way or the other. 00:17:19.838 --> 00:17:20.160 Right. 00:17:20.358 --> 00:17:22.980 He says it to John 8, 31 and 32. 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:23.598 Right. 00:17:23.598 --> 00:17:27.980 He told us, if you really want to believe in me, who I am, you must be all in. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.180 You must hold to my teachings. 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:33.440 And I think about this. 00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:34.519 I read these verses. 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:36.240 I think back to those surveys. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.180 I think back to the way our world views Jesus. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:42.700 I'm not saying this is everyone. 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:47.440 I think this is like a general stance of maybe the world and how we are. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:51.779 I don't think it's any different than it probably was 2,000 years ago. 00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:57.819 But I think our world has been taught a very weak and different Jesus than the ones in the scriptures. 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:02.019 The cool part is we can change that. 00:18:02.660 --> 00:18:07.480 And I know that all the people in this room, we're not going to hopefully change all the world. 00:18:08.099 --> 00:18:09.640 Social media has some power. 00:18:09.859 --> 00:18:18.019 But I think the biggest thing for us in our lives is we can change it by living out this boldness. 00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:19.500 Living the belief. 00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:25.359 When we talk to people and we teach Jesus, we teach this version of Jesus as well. 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:27.960 I think so many times we want people to like Jesus. 00:18:28.140 --> 00:18:29.799 We want them to like Christianity. 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:31.460 That's true. 00:18:31.819 --> 00:18:33.599 There's goodness in that. 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:34.339 And we should. 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:36.920 We should preach His love by the way we live. 00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:40.599 But we live it because He's our rightfully divine creator. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.500 Jesus deserves a response of all in or all out. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:48.700 Jesus does not do lukewarm. 00:18:49.579 --> 00:18:50.720 He is not timid. 00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:53.039 He embodied boldness. 00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:54.660 So should we. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:19:07.240 I mentioned a little earlier when referring to myself, if I had made these claims, I would have said these things, if I would have said these things that Jesus said, I've been rightfully called a liar and a lunatic. 00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:11.019 So why was Jesus not a liar and a lunatic? 00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:18.059 Why do we refer to Him as Lord and not somebody on a stage who might have these claims? 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:24.819 And there's a whole second part of this study that Chris Reed goes into in great depth. 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:29.720 And I urge you to come talk to me if you have more wants to dig into this. 00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:36.099 I have a great little study that he sent out to back up this boldness. 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:50.640 But looking at that study, the second characteristic that the main characteristic to back up is boldness, it wasn't these amazing miracles that like, oh, He's bold. 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:51.680 He can do miracles. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:53.200 That's why He's my Lord. 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:55.559 It isn't His eloquent speeches. 00:19:55.700 --> 00:19:57.859 It isn't even the love. 00:19:58.359 --> 00:19:59.220 It was His obedience. 00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:10.039 His obedience was the bridge between the boldness of His divinity and His love and compassion for us, which creates the bridge for Him being fully man and fully human. 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:11.680 So we're going to talk about His obedience next. 00:20:13.140 --> 00:20:15.039 So we're just going to focus on one verse here. 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:21.599 And it's going to be in Philippians 2 that explicitly shows Jesus' obedience and the awareness of His divinity. 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:40.299 Philippians 2, 5 through 11, it says, And your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:50.359 Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:55.799 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:14.440 Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledges that Christ Jesus is Lord through the glory of God the Father. 00:21:17.779 --> 00:21:18.960 Once again, wow. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:20.160 Right? 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:22.039 I'm admired. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:24.299 I'm jazzed up. 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:25.819 Jesus is awesome, guys. 00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:30.920 I admire this mindset from Jesus. 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:37.660 As Christians, we know what differentiates Jesus is this kind of heart. 00:21:38.339 --> 00:21:44.039 This is something that separates Him from everything that we've ever been taught or that the world teaches on religion. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.640 Think about the claims Jesus made about himself in the Bible. 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:58.140 Once again, if bonehead Josh said those things, one could easily assume that I would be doing anything to benefit myself. 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:06.099 Talking about myself in this way is a way to try to get power, try to have people adore me, fear me, whatever I'm trying to look for. 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:10.240 It benefits myself, make myself great among the nations. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:12.319 Josh would be a fool. 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:14.799 Jesus was the opposite. 00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:23.269 He knew that by claiming His divinity, what He said and did had more gravity than any other human in the world. 00:22:24.329 --> 00:22:28.329 So instead of benefiting himself, He chose obedience. 00:22:29.349 --> 00:22:35.430 To die on a cross, to take on our sin so that we may have a chance at salvation. 00:22:35.869 --> 00:22:37.329 Not a guarantee even. 00:22:37.670 --> 00:22:40.289 A lot of us in this world don't live this life. 00:22:40.630 --> 00:22:41.950 We don't follow God. 00:22:42.289 --> 00:22:46.509 There's a lot of people that He died for that will not take up His cross. 00:22:47.349 --> 00:22:48.829 He did it for a chance. 00:22:50.190 --> 00:22:52.329 Those are not the actions of a lunatic. 00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:54.809 Lunatics love chaos. 00:22:54.869 --> 00:22:55.769 I think of the Joker. 00:22:56.289 --> 00:22:57.589 The Joker was a lunatic. 00:22:58.930 --> 00:23:01.609 He just wanted to see the world burn. 00:23:02.130 --> 00:23:04.490 He did anything to create chaos. 00:23:06.309 --> 00:23:12.549 And if Jesus was a liar, He had every chance known to man to save His own skin. 00:23:14.329 --> 00:23:16.130 Satan tempted Him in the desert. 00:23:16.130 --> 00:23:21.150 If you eat this bread, I'll give you the kingdom of the earth. 00:23:21.950 --> 00:23:24.369 I'll give you everything you ever wanted. 00:23:24.650 --> 00:23:25.849 You're rightfully divine. 00:23:25.970 --> 00:23:27.089 You said it yourself, Jesus. 00:23:27.230 --> 00:23:31.109 You are worthy to rule this world. 00:23:34.029 --> 00:23:35.130 Jesus chose obedience. 00:23:36.529 --> 00:23:44.279 Jesus knew His divinity was worthless if there was no one to love and cherish in heaven. 00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:47.180 His obedience made that happen. 00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:52.240 Let us never forget that in our own walk with God. 00:23:54.589 --> 00:23:58.970 And this is why Jesus inspires me. 00:23:59.529 --> 00:24:03.930 I think this is the reason that Jesus spurs my heart. 00:24:06.369 --> 00:24:16.390 Because if we just lived our lives thinking that Jesus is love and He's a good guy, that's not worth changing our whole lives over. 00:24:18.089 --> 00:24:19.970 We want to change our lives. 00:24:19.970 --> 00:24:21.349 We want to be obedient. 00:24:22.450 --> 00:24:26.710 Because Jesus did everything in His right to give us that chance. 00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:28.430 He humbled Himself. 00:24:29.730 --> 00:24:31.849 He was in every right. 00:24:32.250 --> 00:24:35.369 The king of kings could have ruled over this earth for millennia. 00:24:36.349 --> 00:24:41.730 But He chose to die so that we may have a chance to live a better life than the one we live in our own sin. 00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:49.420 So as we embark on this new series of Jesus, which I'm just so excited about. 00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:53.140 I'm excited about what God is going to do in this next year. 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:55.220 What He's going to teach us about His Son. 00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:57.400 What we're going to learn more and more. 00:24:57.480 --> 00:24:59.400 The deeper appreciation that we have for Him. 00:25:00.700 --> 00:25:02.339 I think about our own personal lives. 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:05.039 Think about what kind of reverence we have for Jesus. 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:09.720 So as we go on today, are you inspired by His boldness? 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:15.059 When someone references Jesus, what's your response? 00:25:15.140 --> 00:25:16.240 How do you talk about it? 00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:20.400 Are you captivated by His obedience? 00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:27.539 Are you willing to look at the things that are stubborn in your life, that you see as mountain hills? 00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:29.279 I can't take that. 00:25:29.400 --> 00:25:30.920 I can't get over this sin. 00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:33.920 I can't get along with this person. 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:35.539 I can't change this in my life. 00:25:35.779 --> 00:25:38.720 Are you going to look back at how Jesus was obedient? 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:40.740 Are you going to be captivated by it? 00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:42.460 Are you going to change your life because of it? 00:25:43.619 --> 00:25:48.119 Jesus should inspire our walk with God if we view Him in this light. 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:54.380 Then as we share our faith and talk about Jesus with others, what kind of Jesus are you showing people? 00:25:55.180 --> 00:25:57.700 What kind of Jesus are you showing people? 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:00.279 Jesus is our Savior. 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:01.500 The light and the darkness. 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:06.259 Do not undersell that to someone who doesn't know the truth. 00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:20.259 You know, I have this thought, and I think this prayer, for as we do this series, for this thread, I really want us to pray, to think about, as we get into this year. 00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:20.960 Right? 00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:21.859 And it's this. 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:26.920 The Kalamazoo Church of Christ is a beacon for who Jesus really is. 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:42.220 Then when we talk about Jesus, we do it with the number one conviction in our heart that Jesus is first and foremost Yahweh, the light and the darkness, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, our Lord and Savior. 00:26:43.099 --> 00:26:45.099 Let us pray for our community. 00:26:48.089 --> 00:26:50.630 Dear God, I'm grateful. 00:26:50.869 --> 00:26:59.009 I'm grateful that we have a divine and powerful creator who loves us. 00:27:00.029 --> 00:27:19.849 The world and religions share so much about how we need to, you know, fear deities, and they have the power over us to kill us at any moment and not have any relationship with us and pray to altars and statues from far away. 00:27:20.809 --> 00:27:22.769 But you know Jesus was so much different than that. 00:27:24.029 --> 00:27:30.450 Obviously he had every right to be rightfully divine, to live a life that he ruled. 00:27:30.849 --> 00:27:36.349 He could have ruled over all of this, God, and he would have been rightfully, he would have been right to do so, God. 00:27:37.069 --> 00:27:39.910 But we know with his boldness, he was also obedient. 00:27:39.910 --> 00:27:45.690 He was obedient to you, he was obedient to your plan, to your will to love us, God. 00:27:46.509 --> 00:28:01.400 Let us remember this week, this month, this year, for as many years as we have on this earth, God, that your son came down on this earth and he shed his blood for our lives. 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:04.119 Let us never take that for granted. 00:28:04.660 --> 00:28:08.880 Let us never talk about Jesus as if he's just some good guy. 00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:10.680 He is our maker. 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:12.140 He's our creator. 00:28:12.259 --> 00:28:12.940 He's our savior. 00:28:13.460 --> 00:28:22.759 Let us be humble, reverent, respectful, and obedient to that because he did all that and more so that we had a chance to be with you in heaven. 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:27.960 So as we take this communion, let us reflect on that, reflect on the gratefulness that we have. 00:28:28.359 --> 00:28:35.140 And if we're here and we don't know where we're going, we don't know where we stand with Jesus, let us take that jump. 00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:36.180 Let us grow. 00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:45.259 Let us be more willing to love, be more willing to sacrifice so that we may know a bigger depth of who Jesus is in our lives. 00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:47.000 I pray this in your name.