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Have you ever thought “that took way to long to realize?” Life is full of lessons that we need to learn quickly if we are to go further, faster.
Pastor Chris Fluitt shares with us some lessons that personally took him way to long to learn, in hopes that we can hear the voice of wisdom and gain a much needed edge.
Gain the edge as Pastor Fluitt tells us how Jesus is both God & the son of God.
Welcome back to Redemption Church in Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am happy to be with everyone online and everyone here in person.
Today we are starting a brand new series we are calling…
It took too long to realize
Have you ever learned something and then thought, why did it take me so long to learn this?
There is a saying/meme idea on the internet called “today years old.” Have you seen this? Here are a few examples.
Little Caesar
I was today years old when I realized that Little Caesar’s toga has an L and a C for Little Caesars.
Staples
I was today years old when I found out the “L” in “Staples” is really a half open staple.
Marvin the Martian
I was today years old when I found out the reason Marvin the Martian was the ref in “Space Jam”; it is because he is both an alien and a Looney Toon.
Oven
How old were you when you found out about the cleaning slot to clean between the panes of glass on your oven? I was today years old.
Screwdriver
I was today years old when I found out screwdriver handles are designed for a wrench to be added in order to loosen particularly troublesome screws.
It took too long to realize
To put it simply… you don’t know what you don’t know. All throughout life there are these pieces of knowledge that we overlook for way too long. On the day we realize the revelation, on the day we are “today years old” we wonder why it took so long to realize.
Some of these “today years old” examples are silly… But some can be really serious. You can be today years old when you find out a truth in God’s Word you have been lacking. You can be today years old when you realize how to forgive & love your spouse. You can be today years old when you realize you have been messing up your career, your schooling, your finances, and your health all from a lack of knowledge.
Wisdom > Experience
Here is a simple principle we want you to learn. Wisdom is better than experience.
Most people learn by experience. Experience most often teaches us through failure, suffering, disappointment, and barely surviving. Experience is really a crummy teacher.
In school, what kind of teacher would give you the test, grade it, and then teach you the lesson? That would be a terrible teacher, but that is what experience does. Experience gives you the test, grades you, and then teaches the lesson.
Wisdom is a far better teacher. Wisdom gives you the lesson first, teaches you the knowledge first. Then you are able to take that knowledge into the test and succeed.
In this sermon series I am going to try to share some knowledge & wisdom I have learned from personal experience… I am going to take lessons that it took me too long to realize and give them to you, so that you can go further, faster.
Today we are going to start with a very theological issue. This issue is central to faith and understanding God’s plan. It is a question…
How is Jesus both God & the Son of God?
This is a heavy theological question. It is a question that I pondered for way too long and never had the courage to ask. I hope to unravel the mystery today.
There is a religious group who often knock on your doors, they are called Jehovah’s Witnesses. They will try to confuse you by asking; is Jesus God, or the Son of God. They present the question as an “either or” instead of “both and.” They do this because they deny the deity of Jesus and actually believe Jesus is an angel.
Deception will often pull at the strings of confusion. So let us not be confused. Let us be armed with the knowledge of the Truth.
Jesus is God
Scripture is clear about the deity of Jesus. Jesus is God. Here are just a few verses to show this.
Colossians 2:9 (NIV) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
In the Old Testament God said this…
Isaiah 44:6 (NIV) “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
In the New Testament Jesus said the same…
Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV) When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
John 20:28 (NIV) Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Jesus is God
These scriptures, and many more teach clearly that Jesus is more than merely a man. Jesus is God
For many people, the simple knowledge that Jesus is more than a man, a good teacher, or a prophet is something that they lack. If you could realize this today for the first time it would be an amazing revelation.
Yet Jesus is also the Son of God
Jesus is the Son of God
How would you show someone is scripture that Jesus is the son of God? There are many scriptures.
The Angel Gabriel declared Jesus to be the son of God.
Luke 1:31-32 (NIV) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…
Luke 1:35 (NIV) The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Demons declared Jesus the son of God.
Mark 3:11 (NIV) Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
Prophets declared Jesus the son of God. This is John the Baptist.
John 1:34 (KJV) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
The apostles declared Jesus to be the son of God.
Matthew 16:16 (NIV) Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Then a voice from heaven speaks audibly at the baptism of Jesus.
Matthew 3:17 (NIV) And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Scripture is clear that Jesus is God and the Son of God. We believe that the Word of God is true, but it is totally fair to ask “how?” How is it true that Jesus is both God and Son of God? Let’s learn.
Jesus teaches us about flesh & spirit.
John 3:6 (NIV) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Flesh & Spirit
Flesh gives birth to… flesh. Spirit gives birth to… spirit.
Scripture goes on to teach us that flesh & spirit are contrary to one another.
Galatians 5:17 (NIV) For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
What is mankind’s nature? Man’s nature is flesh & blood. Man cannot give birth to spirit, only to flesh.
What is God’s nature? God’s nature is spirit.
John 4:24 (NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
God is not flesh & blood, but spirit.
God created angels. Are angels flesh or spirit?
Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
God is SPIRIT and spirit gives birth to spirit!
Man is FLESH and flesh gives birth to flesh!
In Genesis 1 God created a man named Adam from the dust of the ground. God breathed into Him… the word for breath is SPIRIT (pnuema). Here we see a unity of spirit and flesh and when the spirit and the flesh join, then Adam becomes a living soul. Scripture calls Adam the son of God.
Luke 3:38 (NIV) the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Jesus is not the only son of God. Adam was a son of God and we also should become sons & daughters of God. (Rom 8:15)
In the Gospels we see another Adam, the last Adam according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:45. This last Adam is Jesus.
Who was the last Adam, Jesus’, mother? Her name was Mary.
Who was the last Adam, Jesus’, father? No earthly father, but Creator God was His father.
Unlike the first Adam who was completely created from the hands of the creator, here with Jesus, his body was formed by God & Mary. For this reason when scripture talks about Jesus it often calls him “the only begotten son of God.” (John 3:16) Adam is not called begotten. We are called children of God, but not begotten children. We are not physically born of God… we are spiritually born of God.
Could Mary give birth to the flesh? Yes. Flesh gives birth to flesh.
Could Mary give birth to the spirit? No. Only Spirit can give birth to the spirit.
You here today. Your mom and dad gave birth to your flesh… but not your spirit. Do you understand God the creator gave birth to your spirit?
Flesh & Spirit
I am talking to you about flesh & spirit.
God & a young virgin girl, together created a little baby boy. That baby’s mother was Mary. That baby’s father was God. The man who hung on the cross was the SON OF GOD.
Now Jesus is the son of God… but does this mean Mary is the Mother of God?
Scripture never calls anyone the “Father of God.” It definitely does not call anyone the “Mother of God.”
Mary is flesh and can only give birth to flesh.
And you would not use the term FATHER OF GOD, because God did not give birth to another deity… There is only 1 God (Deut. 6:4). God the creator gave birth to the man.
Jesus in a Manger
I want you to picture Jesus as a baby in the manger. That physical baby is born of God & Mary… but what is inside this baby?
What is inside you and me? We receive a spirit & a soul from God. That is what is inside us? What was inside this baby Jesus? Unlike you & me, God Himself was inside the baby.
2 Corinthians 5:19 (KJV) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
When you see Jesus you are seeing a man, but you are also seeing God in human form.
Colossians 1:15-16 (NIV) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
The son… does son reference the spirit or the flesh? The son always represents the flesh/physical.
God is a Spirit and spirits are invisible… But in Jesus Christ you have the invisible God within. Reconciling the world to Himself.
Who is Jesus? God or the Son of God? He is both!
Through being born a son, God is reconciling the world TO HIMSELF.
Why?
As I close I want to tell you why.
Jesus is God – Fully God.
Jesus is man – Fully man.
What does it mean to be fully man? Let me talk to you about the legitimate human experience.
Legitimate Human Experience
What are somethings that are required to partake of a legitimate human experience?
Happiness, joy, & laughter. I would say so.
What about pain? Hunger?
Disappointment?
Love?
What about death?
Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV) Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
God, the invisible Spirit could not ever experience pain. He could never experience suffering or hunger. He definitely could not experience death…
But when God stepped into a man named Jesus, his own son… through Jesus, He experienced everything humans like you and I could experience.
This is how much God loves you. He was willing to experience all of it for you.
Some more to add… We are told that Blood is required to forgive sin. (Hebrews 9:22)
How was God, who is a Spirit, how would he have ever shed His own blood… except that He became a man.
Acts 20:28 (NIV) …Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
God did send His son… But also, God was in that son paying the price Himself.
1 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
It took me too long to realize… but once I realized I knew…
God really loves me.
God would experience the worst to save me.
When I see Jesus, I am seeing God in the flesh
When I see Jesus, I am seeing that God wants to be my best friend.
Where you today years old when you realized something today? Do something with this knowledge…