0:09 I'm just filled with joy this afternoon. I get to be with I hope you feel the same way about me. I hope you see me as family. I see you all as family. And so this feels, as much as it is a service, this feels like and I think Mark eight twenty seven.
0:49 We shouldn't be people of fear, but there is such thing as godly fear, and there is such thing as holy anxiety. Read these verses, I also want to pray and ask the Lord to help us with this message, because I really do not want to do anything apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. And I I'm sure you don't want anything to be done apart from the power, the grace, the wisdom, the love of the Holy Spirit. And so we will ask him to help us with these verses that our hearts will be transformed as a result of what God has to say. Mark eight twenty seven.
1:24 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way, he asked his disciples, who do people say that I am? And they told him John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, and others one of the prophets. And he asked them, but who do you say that I am? Peter answered them, you are the Christ. And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
1:56 Pray with me. Lord, help us even in this very moment realize who we are praying to, who it is that is hearing us as we seek you. Help us realize that you are the living one, that you are holy, that you have created all things, you have entered into your creation, You have saved humanity. And, Lord, you will return as judge, and you will reign forever and ever. Help us realize that this is all about you.
2:36 Everything, the universe, everything that we know comes back to you. And so this is a holy moment. We thank you that you've given us eyes to see. We pray that you would give us more ability to see and that we would be transformed further into the very same image that we are beholding. This is our heart cry together as a church.
2:59 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'm not sure if you're aware, but you will be now that we've reached the milestone in the book of Mark. And the reason why we've reached a milestone is because we've technically arrived at the center point, the halfway mark of this awesome gospel account. And the text before us in a sense is really the pinnacle.
3:21 It's the pinnacle of Mark's testimony about Jesus Christ of Nazareth. You can almost say that it's the climax. It's the high point of this riveting report of the Messiah. And you can also say that it's a significant hinge to the overall story because a lot of things are gonna change from this point. From this point, one of the things that Jesus is gonna do that he hasn't really done before is emphasize and prepare his own disciples concerning his death and his resurrection.
3:54 You're gonna see that even immediately after these verses. And so we see that this is a turning point, not just in our own reading of the story, but even in the ministry of Jesus. And the spirit of God masterfully puts this at the center. You know, we should be more than excited of the fact that we've made it this far and that we've crossed this significant point, but we should also relish at what it is that we see here at this threshold. What what is it here that Jesus is conveying?
4:24 What is it here that the Holy Spirit is trying to trying to say at the the core of what Mark is writing about? And really, what we discover at this pivotal juncture is one simple thing, a question asked by the Lord Jesus. A question. Not just any question. Let me say this.
4:45 The most important question that can ever be asked. There are a lot of inquiries that you will make in this life. You've probably received wisdom from a father, a mother, or a friend, a mentor of some sort to make sure that you ask certain questions concerning your life, concerning other people, because those answers will determine so much. And the lack of clarity can cost you so much. But there is no more significant question than what we have here in this text.
5:16 Nothing more vital, more crucial, more important than knowing the answer to what it is that Jesus asks. And why is that? Why does this question operate in a class of its own? Well, for one, because of its universal relevance. This question applies to absolutely everyone, every man, every woman of all cultures, of all societal classes.
5:43 It cannot be ignored. And if you choose to ignore it, if you choose even today to be nonchalant, if you choose to be like, this this doesn't seem relevant to me, even that willful ignorance has consequences. And so this is binding on all of humanity. This is a question that all of us in this place and beyond this place will be accountable to. And so this has a universal cross generational, cross cultural application.
6:16 It's not an invitation for a consideration whether you're interested or not. It applies to you whether you care about it or not. Why is that? Because you see how one responds to this question, as I said, even if it's absolute indifference, will frame the trajectory of the rest of your life. And not only will it frame the trajectory of the rest of your life, it will determine your life to come.
6:48 So we might understand this to be of most importance. We're not dealing with a secondary subject. We're not dealing with some kind of lighthearted thing that we can debate about. This is something that demands a personal verdict. This is something that will determine life or death.
7:08 What is that question? Verse 29. And he asked them, but who do you say that I am? That's the question. Let's frame it this way.
7:19 The most vital question that you could ever be asked, the most important question that you can ever answer is this, Who is Jesus Christ to you? Who is Jesus Christ to you? How would you answer that? What comes to mind? What springs up in your heart?
7:41 Is there peace? Is there anxiety? Is there certainty? Is there confusion? How do you respond to that question?
7:49 Who is Jesus Christ? And how you answer that question will ultimately affect so many things. One, it will affect and determine who you are and what you will experience, again, not just in this existence, but in an eternal one. And I wanna just for the sake of time tell you that that question being answered will determine two massive realities. Two.
8:20 Just two. I'm giving you two points today. Isn't that refreshing? Two points today. Two things that answering this question will ultimately determine.
8:31 But before that, let's glean a little bit around this. Let's go back to verse 27. I can't help but smile when I read the location of this conversation. It says, when Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples. On the way he asked.
8:48 So think about it. We're about to engage in this deep self reflecting spiritual conversation. And Jesus is engaging with his disciples, not in the context of a classroom, not in the context of a synagogue or a sanctuary. He's he's doing this en route. He's doing this while he's walking and while he's traveling and while he's transitioning with his boys, with this group of men.
9:15 And I looked at it and I stepped back and I just reflected on that simple phrase. He asked this on the way, and my mind, perhaps yours did too, race to a particular passage that is very, very familiar to you and I. In Deuteronomy chapter six in verse six, the God of Israel instructed his people upon entering into the promised land, something so important. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. I pray to God that God's word has your heart.
9:45 Shall be on your heart, not in your head, not in your notebook, not in your phone, on your heart shall be on your heart. And now what from there, you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Now, the the direct application is obvious. Right? It's a call for parents to disciple their children by rehearsing the promises of God, the commands of God, the warnings of God, upon a condition that you first have it on your heart.
10:27 Children are not interested in hypocritical parents anyway. It's on your heart as a parent, and then from your heart, you seek to impress it on the hearts of your little ones. That's the that's the direct context, but the principle can be borrowed. It can expand and extend beyond that. What's the principle of this?
10:45 What's the wisdom of God? What's his heart for this set of instructions? I believe it's this. Seek to connect all of life with the word. Seek to connect all of life with the word.
11:01 Don't limit discipleship to an official weekly one hour lunch with a colleague or a pastor. Trust and aim for something more than a few minutes of prayer with your children or with your spouse before you put your head on the pillow. Those are all wonderful things. But there's something more. There's something more that God is asking.
11:22 If there's some there's a greater experience of the word of God and of mutual encouragement, and it's found in this. What Deuteronomy is saying essentially is learn to conversationally apply God's commentary into all settings of life. Ain't that wonderful? So when you're driving in the car with a loved one, bring it up. Bring up how the word on Friday night or on Sunday morning was preached into your soul and there's something that touched you.
11:54 Bring it up while you're driving, while you're sitting at that dinner table with your family. Oh, oh, would you would you just for fun while you're eating and laughing and talking, bring up a random quiz and ask them a question from something that you read in your personal devotions. When your child knocks on your door, when your friend or someone, a sibling calls you with a distressing situation, please don't let your counsel, don't let your exhortation be void of the the scriptures. Have an example ready. Have an exhortation ready.
12:29 Seek to saturate life with the word of God. While you're playing, while you're eating, while you're traveling, while you're on vacation, seek to bring God in it. And this is the kind of lifestyle that we should have, not official gatherings and meetings and we turn it on and turn off. No. While you eat, and while you walk and when you rise and when you lie down.
12:57 And I can't help but think that Jesus here is indirectly modeling that with his own disciples. As a leader, as a friend, here they are walking and traveling, and here he is asking them a question. Here he is guiding them concerning a revelation about himself. That's a footnote. And so we ask, while they're on their way, Jesus gives a more general question before he gives a personal one.
13:25 Who do people say that I am? Let me tell you from from this point, Jesus isn't insecure. He's not asking for what the recent polls are concerning his popularity. He doesn't have this nagging desire to know that people are liking him more today than they did yesterday. He could care less.
13:42 Here's Jesus asking this question and the disciples are fully aware of the popular opinions that are circling, and so they don't hesitate to give him the report. Some say you're John. Come back to life. Some say you're like Elijah. People that can't really comprehend you being the messiah that they believe the messiah to be, so they try to fit you into the mold of the one who's coming to usher in the great and awesome day of the Lord.
14:06 Others are content to just put you in a class of any one of the prophets of old. And all those different shades of answers, though they may be different, have one thing in common, they're all wrong. They're all wrong. They all missed who Jesus was. And again, Jesus isn't just curious of what's happening around in the neighborhood.
14:28 Jesus is preparing his disciples to answer a question. And he is using that first question as a backdrop to challenge them for the next question that will demand an answer. And the challenge of asking what do other people and what are other people saying about me is a challenge for you and I as well in preparation to answer that question for ourselves. What do I mean? Well, here here's the idea.
14:54 The disciples in resurfacing what is being said are now ready to make their own confession, and they have to determine will the variety of the popular and prevalent ideas of who Jesus Christ is shape what I believe Jesus Christ to be. In other words, before you can even answer the question, who is Jesus Christ? You have to first identify the source of your answer. What you believe about the person of Jesus Christ, where does that come from? Where does it come from?
15:30 Is it a secondary source? Is it something that you heard from others? Is it something that was regurgitated? Where does that source of who Jesus has come from in your mind, in your heart? Let me tell you something that I've heard over the years and it's immediately a flag.
15:47 Well, to me, Jesus Christ is. Unless you're about to follow that up with what you believe the Bible says, you're already in the wrong direction. But if you're confident even today as you hear me preach that your comprehension of Christ is established from the one place that it should, the only place that it should, the word of God, then be prepared to believe and follow a Jesus that most of the world disagrees with. More than that, most of the world hates with all of their hearts. This is what he's saying.
16:29 He first presents or asks them to represent what the people are believing, and then from there saying, okay, now what do you believe? Is what you believe shaped by what they believe? And if it's not, are you prepared to believe the truth even though the rest of the world doesn't agree with you? And Peter answers, you're the Christ. He's right.
16:53 Jesus praises him in Matthew. But what's at stake here? A. W. Tozer said, what comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about you.
17:05 What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most in not your salary, not your looks, not your body, not your health, not anything else. The most important thing is when you think about God, whatever comes to your mind, that is the most important thing about who you are. And I told you that there are two two things two things that come to my two reasons why answering the person of Jesus Christ and his identity is absolutely crucial, and these are pretty obvious. The first one probably more than the second. The answer to that question will ultimately determine one's eternal destiny.
17:43 Turn with me to John eight twenty three to 24 and listen to what Jesus says concerning how important that answer is. John eight twenty three to 24. Jesus is dealing with the hostile Jews, and he said to them in verse 23, you are from below. I am from above. You are of this world.
18:14 I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and he gives them a solemn warning. And interestingly, the word he in the Greek is not included.
18:38 So it more accurately reads, for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. That is an absolute claim to deity. Jesus ascribing unto himself the name and the identity that exclusively belongs to the God of Israel. Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. But notice also the link between the necessity of believing who he is and who he said to be and determining that determining your everlasting fate.
19:09 For unless you believe I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins. And if you die in your sins, you die with condemnation. To die free from my sins, listen to this, is contingent upon my belief in the right Jesus. To die free from my sins is contingent upon my belief in the right Jesus. Not just Jesus.
19:35 Massive implication for our our world today. Think about the millions of Muslims, the millions of Mormons, the hundreds of thousands of Jehovah witnesses, the secularist, the humanist, the philosophers, the psychologists who have no problem claiming a Jesus, but is he the Jesus? There's a big difference. Just the other day, I checked my mail and and the mail was a personal letter. It was handwritten, lined paper with a pamphlet in it.
20:08 Nice handwriting, nice calligraphy, I had to admit. Joel and I read it and it was a handwritten letter from somebody in the neighborhood who was a Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witness inviting us and praising us for being new in the neighborhood and asking us to join them in one of their conferences. And they had the pamphlet for it. Zeal, passion, sincerity, but it doesn't matter which Jesus are you speaking about.
20:33 And this should motivate us to know what makes the true Jesus different from these damning variations and to lovingly, informatively present the true Jesus so that people would be saved. This is the condition that Christ sets. You must believe that I am he. I am who I say I am. If you reject the clear revelation of I am, then you do not have eternal life.
20:59 And I hope we know that it's not enough for somebody, as I said, to include Jesus Christ in their belief system. Which Jesus you believe is the difference maker? Now it would be wrong for us to interpret what Jesus is saying here as this, that in order to be saved, you have to have this ability to sophisticatedly articulate his nature, his attributes, his works. It's it's not a quiz here. Jesus is not saying, if you don't impressively explain the complexities of my nature, then you won't pass.
21:30 And if you don't pass, then you don't get heaven. That that's not what Christ is communicating. Because you be amazed how many people feel intimidated that just because they may not be able to conjure up and to lace and to present a truth determines the depth of their spirituality. I know a lot of people who can explain things very, very well, but their character doesn't display Christ likeness at all. And I know people who are illiterate and they are more saints than the PhD.
22:00 This Jesus isn't saying here that you have to you have to be able to explain theology and doctrine to a certain level if you're gonna be accepted. What he is saying is you have to be willing to wholeheartedly embrace what has been clearly made known to you in the one place where you can really know him. But to what extent, right? Pay attention to this. To what extent?
22:24 What do I need to believe about Jesus in order for me to be saved? What is it about his person? What is it about his attributes? What is it about his work? Okay.
22:36 Jesus. Believe in Jesus. What? What? What about him?
22:39 What's demanded of me? What truths must I acknowledge and submit to? Have you ever asked that question? Have you ever been asked that question? If you remember here, you you you probably have caught on that when we interview you.
22:51 We ask you to explain what you believe. Because what you explain reveals whether or not you have the true Jesus or not. And it seems intimidating. Right? Like, do I have to memorize certain things?
23:07 Do I have to cover a systematic theology from beginning to end? Do I need to have the eschatology in place? Do I need to have my right view of this in place? What is demanded of me to know that my name is inscribed in the Lamb's book of life? That's the question I wanna answer.
23:22 And I believe there's one verse that eloquently and sufficiently supplies what we need to know. And you know you probably memorize it. We don't even have to turn it. We can all just quote it together. But maybe you haven't seen it in this light.
23:35 In Romans ten nine, what does Paul say that you need to do to be saved? Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. You will be saved. So how do we do this? Usually, when we tell somebody to, invite somebody to be saved, we have them we we usually quote that verse and we have them repeat that verse or just ask them, you know, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
24:06 But if you really pay attention to this verse, there are two categories. Paul is defining two categories about Christ that must be acknowledged in order for one to assure themselves of salvation. Two categories. I hope you never forget it. The first category deals with the nature of Jesus Christ.
24:27 That is what he says here. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is something. He is someone. He occupies a certain position. Jesus is Lord.
24:39 That is his nature. That is his prerogative. And not just the nature of Jesus, now the second category, the mission of Jesus, which is inferred by this, that God raised him from the dead. That God raised him from the dead, which implies something about he came into this world to do something. He accomplished something and God approved of it by resurrecting him.
25:08 And so what does it take? What is it about he that I must believe will has to deal with his nature and it has to deal with his mission? And listen, if you don't understand what is required of you concerning his nature, in other words, if you misunderstand or skew key components of who he is, then that will ultimately affect the mission part. Let me give you an example. If I don't believe that Jesus lived a sinless life, then how can I also claim that his sacrifice satisfies?
25:47 In light of the requirement of what a sacrifice that atones demands. If he did have blemish, if he did have spots, if he did have error, then the nature of Jesus Christ in my understanding will affect the mission of Jesus Christ. It affects the mission of Jesus Christ and it affects my salvation. If I don't believe that Jesus Christ is God, then how can I also understand that the infinite payment for humanity sin can be sufficiently taken care of? Because it requires an infinite person to pay for it.
26:26 So I'm just giving and I can give you 10 other examples that if I don't have the accurate understanding of who he is, then I can't also have the confidence in what he has done. And if I don't have confidence in what he has done, then I don't have confidence for salvation. And so concerning who he is and connections especially to what he has done is what is necessary for me to be at rest and knowing that I am accepted in the beloved. So his nature, but then his work. What do you believe Jesus Christ has done and what do you believe about the implications of what he's done?
27:04 You know it well. He came into this world through the womb of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He died a real death. He was buried.
27:13 He was raised and when he was raised, it was God's sign to the world that he has accepted what he has done in his life and in his death. And it's a sign of hope for the repentant believer that you also can expect a resurrection like his. His nature and his mission. So if you can understand those two things on a foundational level concerning the ultimate mission, then you can be secure. This is what it means to confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
27:44 This is what John says at the end of his gospel, that he has written these things that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in him, you would have everlasting life. I have to believe he's the son of God. And then I have to believe that him being the son of God, he came into this world for something. And so it is quite simple. It is quite simple.
28:09 And I'm sure there are many questions. Well, what about the secondary issues? What about the other aspects of the nature of God? Based on what I see from the scripture, this this is what suffices. And if there's anything that's brought further from that basic truth that is clear in the word of God that a person would deny, then there are more questions that need to be asked about what they truly believe.
28:31 So a person can say, I believe, I I believe in who Jesus is and what he has done, but I don't believe in the trinity. Okay. Now we gotta pause here, though the trinity has been clearly proven in the word of God. Not that you may not have to be able to explain, but if you clearly deny that there is the person of the Holy Spirit, once that's been made known to you, then we gotta sit down and we gotta have a conversation. So what is this about?
28:55 Listen carefully. This is where a lot of people get in trouble. So are you saying that what Jesus says in John eight, that if you unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. That everything depend upon my salvation is a creedal confession. Are you saying that what makes me saved is the acceptance of certain facts?
29:14 Yes and no. Yes and no. And this is where, again, I say people are dangerously deceived because they've made a confession. They have a wonderful ability to explain historical Jesus, theological Jesus, practical Jesus. But at the end of the day, they will stand before Jesus and he will say, I never knew you.
29:41 What what kind of confession is Christ after? Well, go back to Mark and you'll understand. In Mark eight, in the same place where he says, but who do you say that I am? Scroll down in the same context and see what he says in verse 34 of Mark eight. Mark eight thirty four.
30:08 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Forever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. For what is a profit of man if he gains the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? Here's what I'm trying to illustrate to you.
30:38 Jesus has a certain quality of confession in mind. The confession about his nature and his person is a confession of truth, but it's also confession of surrender. I am making my allegiance to this person once this revelation has been made known to me. And so to say I believe in his nature and I believe in his work, but I don't die to myself as a result of that truth, your fate is no different than the Jehovah's Witness. Your fate is no different than the Muslims.
31:15 It's no different because Jesus clarifies here that there is a standard in this confession. There is a transformation that occurs. Yes. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, but not just in an objective way. Is he your Lord?
31:32 If he's the Lord, is he your Lord now? You can't make up and you can't deny that he's the Lord, but it's up to you to make him your Lord. And so this confession the confession is connected to conviction and ultimately, consecration transformation. That's the gospel. Determining who Jesus Christ is will determine your eternal fate.
32:06 But secondly, to answer that question will not only determine the life to come, it will determine this is fascinating. The depth of your transformation. The depth of your transformation. So once you ask the question and you receive the foundational knowledge and then you embrace it of who Jesus Christ is, you have to also understand that there's a deeper understanding of Christ that awaits you. And the deeper understanding of Jesus Christ that awaits you is dependent upon you answering that question again and again and again and again.
32:44 What do I mean by that? To ask the question, who is Jesus Christ? And to answer it rightly is wonderful, but you don't stop asking it once you believe it. You keep asking it. In in fact, as a true Christian, your quest for the rest of your life is discovering more and more and more of the person of Jesus Christ.
33:11 Who is he? Who is he? When Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, he asked this question, who are you, Lord? Who are you, Lord? And you can ask that from a introductory standpoint, but I can guarantee you that you will continue to ask that if you're really born again.
33:32 Why? Because the saint Paul who said at the beginning facing Christ, who are you, Lord? Was the same one in Philippians three who said, oh, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. So Paul didn't stop asking the question when he met Christ, the real Christ, the true Christ, the Messiah. He lived to discover more of him.
33:55 And so this question that Jesus says, but who do you say that I am? Yes. It's the entry point. But it's also the essence of your Christian existence. But Lord, I I thank you.
34:05 I know your nature. I know your work. I know what you've done. I know who you are to save me. But Lord, who are you?
34:13 I wanna know you. I wanna discover more of you. I wanna joyfully investigate your glories. And listen, that hunger and that discipline is the primary means of your supernatural transformation as an individual. Let me prove it to you.
34:36 You know this I'm bringing very familiar passages to you in second Corinthians three eighteen. Paul says, and we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. This is one of my personal favorite verses about sanctification. Beholding the glory of the Lord is not a one time thing.
35:12 It's a continual act. That's actually the tense of the verb. And being transformed from one degree of glory to another is also a continuous consequence, not a one time reality. And notice what Paul is saying here. He's saying that when you behold the glory of the Lord, there is a reward as a result of you choosing to fix yourself on who he is.
35:43 So you know what that tells me? Christian transformation is not by you behaving, it's by you first beholding. Big difference. People get it the opposite. People believe, if I'm a Christian, I must if I wanna strive for more Christ like this, I must behave.
36:04 True. But if you wanna really, really behave, you will first behold. The art of beholding the glory of God is virtually lost. It's virtually lost. And yet, Paul says here that it is the instrument, it is the force that remodels you and renews you from the inside out.
36:31 So if you fail to behold his glory, you will not become what he wants you to become. No wonder you're exhausted. No wonder you're discouraged. You've made your Christian life all about behaving. Just do this, don't do this, and when you don't do the thing that you're supposed to do or you do the things that you're not supposed to, just try again.
36:56 You're exhausted. No wonder. You're miserable. Why? Because you didn't realize that what the Holy Spirit's inviting you is to behold before anything else.
37:09 Behold. What are we beholding? What aspect what aspect of the glory of God? The glory of God is so hard to describe. What aspect of his glory?
37:20 His heavenly glory? His divine glory? His creative glow? What about his glory? You know, Paul actually gives the answer.
37:28 Go to second Corinthians, the same place, not three, but chapter four. Look at verse six. This is the glory that Paul has in mind for you to behold, to put before the eyes of your heart and to absorb with affection and attention. Second Corinthians four six. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
38:03 What what am I pointing my eyes to? What aspect of God's glory? The face of Jesus Christ. The exact imprint of his nature, the perfect reflection of the reflection of the glory of the father is found in the face of the son of God. What Paul wants you to behold day in and day out is the face of the savior.
38:31 And as you behold that face and as you admire that face and as you study that face, something, if your heart is truly transformed, will begin to yearn for that face to be mirrored on your face. And we're told in second Corinthians three eighteen that this comes by the spirit. This comes from the Lord who is the spirit when he realizes that this precious soul has been transformed because he he knew who Jesus Christ was and is and what he has done for him, is now seeking to behold. He will honor that pursuit and he will imprint on you the image of the very thing that you cherish and relish in more than anything else. When you read your Bible, which is the canvas, the portrait frame of where the face of Jesus Christ is shown, when you read it, please please hear me, please, are you looking for the glory of Jesus?
39:35 I'm not talking about are you looking for things to glorify Jesus. I'm not asking if you're looking for things I'm asking are you looking for the when I say glory, I'm talking about his beauty, his majesty, his splendor, his awesomeness, his holiness. Are you trying to behold that? Or are you just looking for doctrine? Big difference.
39:56 Are you looking for platitudes? Are you looking for practical wisdom? Those things are fine, but if you're not looking for the face of Jesus Christ, you will not be transformed the way he wants you to be transformed. This is the point that I'm trying to get at. And as I thought about this, I said, well, how can I exemplify?
40:15 How can I explain this in practical terms? I don't wanna sound poetic. I don't wanna sound theoretical. I wanna be real. I I like practical.
40:23 I like hands on. I like examples. So I'll give you one. I'm personally, I'm reading the book of Matthew. I'm in the gospel of Matthew.
40:34 I mean, how much more can you get the face of Jesus Christ than in the gospel accounts. Right? So there I am looking at Jesus, reading about Jesus. Things that I've, like you, familiar with. But asking the Lord, continue, Lord, I wanna see and maybe I've seen it before, but remind me, I wanna see the glory of Jesus.
40:51 I wanna see facets of who he is that I haven't seen before, and not just the things that we might know. Not as glorious as those things is, right? The concerning his entrance into this world and his sinless life and his sacrifice on the cross, his resurrection, his ascension. No. No.
41:05 I I wanna see all that he is, everything. Everything that's been inscribed here in the word. Let me see the glory of Jesus Christ. And I'll give you an example. This is just for my personal reading.
41:16 And I hope that it it gives you an idea of what it means to behold the glory of Jesus and then from beholding that glory, your heart is inspired to imitate that very same image that you are admiring and loving and worshiping. Go to Matthew 17. This is what I my reading of this week. I wanna just give you inspiration. Matthew seventeen twenty four to 27.
41:47 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of two the 2 drachma tax went up to Peter and said, does your teacher not pay the tax? He said, yes. When he came to the house, Jesus spoke to him first saying, what do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?
42:10 And when he said from others, Jesus said to him, then the sons are free. Pause. Here's what's happening. The people are coming. The Jews are asking Peter, hey, you're you're a rabbi there.
42:19 Does he pay the temple tax? Does he pay the tax that funds and supports the temple, the activity, and the sustenance of the place of worship? And Peter says yes, and he goes back to find Jesus. Jesus is omniscient. He doesn't have to wait for Peter.
42:32 He goes, hey, Peter. I heard the conversation, by the way. And he asked this important question. He says, when the kings of the earth, when they take toll or tax, do they take it from their sons or from others? And Peter answers rightly, he goes, others.
42:48 He goes, and the sons are free. What is he saying? I'm not required to give the temple tax. Do you know why? Because it's my father's temple.
43:01 In fact, the temple points to me. In fact, I'm greater than the temple. So I'm not required to give this because I'm above it. It's actually all for me. So the sons are free.
43:13 In the same way in the world today, a king wouldn't tax his family, he would tax the citizens of the land. I'm exempt from this, Peter, and he establishes that truth. You say, is that where you see the glory of Jesus? Well, you could, but look at verse 27. Jesus continues.
43:29 However, not to give offense to them. Go to the sea and cast the hook and take the first fish that comes up and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself. And that's where I saw the glory of Jesus Christ. You said where?
43:47 I say, however, not to give offense to them. The glory of Jesus Christ. Say, brother, I don't get it. Don't you see it? Here's a man who establishes before Peter and before us that he is free from this duty, and yet he is operating with a different frame of mind.
44:08 Here's Jesus saying, I'm surrendering my right for the sake of a greater cause. And though I am not obligated to do this, I want to do this. Do you know why? Because Jesus knows how to choose his battles. Do you know why?
44:27 Because Jesus is not needlessly offensive. Do you know why? Because Jesus is extremely wise. How is he wise? He already has enemies.
44:39 And he gave Peter a revelation about himself. I am the son of the one who owns this temple. Did other people have that revelation? No. Did did other people get that explanation?
44:49 No. They didn't get that explanation. And if they did, they most of them didn't wanna believe it. So what is Jesus saying? Why create more controversy than necessary?
45:01 Why create offense and give more ammunition to our enemies? This is not an evil thing per se. This is a neutral thing. And because of that, not to offend them, let's just give the tax. That's glorious.
45:17 That's glorious. And I behold and I look at that and I go, Lord, I wanna be like that. I wanna be like that. I don't want my existence to orbit about my rights. Everything revolving around what I believe that I should have and all these things, I don't want that.
45:37 Lord, help me live like you lived based upon a cause greater than myself. To live not for my rights, but for my testimony. And even if I have to give up my right for the sake of my testimony, then so be it. Do you see how that works now? You see something glorious about Jesus Christ.
45:57 And from seeing how awesome it is, you now want to imitate it and that's a Holy Spirit thing. The Holy Spirit doesn't just show it, the Holy Spirit inspires you and says, strive for that and I'll empower you to do it. So I look at Jesus here and I say, oh, I want that for myself. This is glorious. Okay.
46:16 Let me give you another example. This one came to mind this morning. In John chapter eight, notice what happens to Jesus in John eight. He's again with the religious leaders, and they're going back and forth, and Jesus is just making one good point after the next to the point where these men get so frustrated, they insult Jesus. Whenever somebody insults you personally in a debate or an argument or a conversation, it means that they don't have substantial arguments left.
46:41 Just to give you a hint. Right? And so they now begin to hurl insults to Jesus. In John eight forty eight, the Jews answered him, are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? Jesus answered, I do not have a demon but I honor my father and and you dishonor me.
47:08 Glory. Glory. Glorious Jesus. You're saying, what are you talking about? This is not describing the eloquent doxology that Paul tends to give in his letters of his creative power and of his lordship of the universe.
47:22 Where's the glory? Oh, it's there. So here's what they say. You're a Samaritan. And, hey, aren't we right in saying you also have a demon?
47:30 K. When you're saying you're a Samaritan, you you realize the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans. Right? That's not that's not a compliment by any means. They actually put Samaritan in the same category as a demon.
47:43 Are we not right? And you're You're a Samaritan. You're false. You're you're you're off. And and on top of that, you probably have a demon with it.
47:53 You're saying, what's the glory? Did you see Jesus' answer? Jesus answered, I do not have a demon. But he doesn't address the Samaritan part. He doesn't he doesn't defend himself when they call him a Samaritan.
48:08 When it came to the demon, yes. You're saying, why? Because Jesus is glorious and Jesus and his glory and his humanity and his service to God, he knew that criticisms would come and he knew which criticisms to answer and which ones to ignore. He knew which ones were important to address for the sake of the validity and the testimony of his ministry and which ones to just fall off his back. There are some accusations worth defending, and there are some that are not worth defending.
48:45 I look at Jesus in John eight and I say, that's glorious. And I say, Lord, I wanna be like that. I wanna be like that. Serve God long enough. Serve God long enough in the front lines.
48:58 You're gonna know slander. You're gonna know accusations. You're gonna know gossip. You're gonna know false reports. So how do you imitate the glory of Jesus?
49:08 Well, I see it here. He knew what to say to defend, what he needed to defend, and he knew what to ignore because it had no value in addressing. Beholding the glory of the Lord. Beholding the glory in the obvious and the not so obvious. And then the Holy Spirit as he sees you engaging with the glory of the Lord, he assures you, now I'm gonna make you like that very thing.
49:34 Not in his divinity, not in his exclusive prerogative, in his moral majesty. I'm gonna polish you, I'm gonna chisel you, but you can't become unless you first behold. So the question, who is Jesus Christ, is essential for your salvation and it is inseparable from your sanctification. You keep asking, who is Jesus Christ? And I pray leaving this place, you have a fresh lens to read your Bible, and as you read your Bible, you're looking for the glory of Jesus Christ.
50:07 In the epistles, in the Proverbs, in the Old Testament, in the gospels, Jesus, I wanna see your glory and I want it to rub off on me. I wanna become like the very thing I'm beholding. Lord, we ask that you would help us arrive there from one degree of glory to another. We thank you that it is not an instantaneous work. It is something that takes a lifetime.
50:31 You open our eyes in one season, and the next, you open our eyes again to something that we didn't see in the previous one. But, Lord, we just pray that there will be this new ambition to ask the question, who is Jesus Christ? Not just in his nature and his mission concerning the gospel, but concerning his person, his character, his attitude, his example. And so for the person here who has not answered the first type of question concerning their redemption, may they ask it and know the answer to it and be saved today. And for the person who has the confidence that they have the right answer to who is Jesus Christ, may they now be excited to know that there's so much more to know about him.
51:15 We worship you in this house today, giving you all glory and honor in Jesus' name. That name that saves, that name that transforms. Amen. Amen. Let's stand and worship the Lord.
