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Jesus is. Jesus Isn’t.
In life we need to know what IS and what ISN’T. This is especially true when it comes to areas of faith.
There is so much to learn about what Jesus is, but there is an amazing amount to learn about what He isn’t.
In the end we must decide if Jesus IS accepted by you.
Is Isn’t 1: Jesus Is, Jesus Isn’t from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
Is Isn’t 1 – Jesus
Sermon notes by Pastor Chris Fluitt
Redemption Church Plano Tx
**Bumper Video – Is Isn’t
Life requires you to know what IS and what ISN’T.
Many people have taken advantage of others… telling and selling them something that IS but it really ISN’T. Peddlers selling Snake oil and other tonics, saying, it IS a miraculous cure all, but it isn’t…
People have justified their actions by saying it ISN’T so bad. Rather than deal with our own issues we sometimes compare ourselves to others… We say, yeah we have a problem and need to do better, but at least it ISN’T as bad as their problem. It is easier for us to point out what ISN’T rather than face what IS.
It’s important to Recognize when it IS and ISN’T safe… 2 Snakes that look very similar… The non-venemous King snake and the venomous Coral Snake. They have the same coloring but a slightly different pattern.
“Red & Yellow kill a fellow… Red and black friend of Jack…” That rhyme helps us know what IS and what ISN’T deadly.
We are told so much unreliable information every day that we must sort through what IS and ISN’T.
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Life requires you to know what IS and what ISN’T.
Jesus Is Jesus Isn’t
Over the next weeks we will be talking about important things in life and faith and try to help us decide what Is and Isn’t. Today we will take a look at what Jesus is and what Jesus isn’t.
Jesus is influential, powerful, miraculous
I would think everyone would agree that Jesus is influential. He fed 5000 people… because he had 5000 people following him and listening to His teaching. Everyone in his day had an opinion on Jesus… They either loved Him or hated Him… The same is true today. Everyone has an opinion on Jesus. His influence has not waned in 2000 years.
We have even historically marked out our Time by using Jesus. BC means before Christ and AD means in the year of our Lord… Jesus is influential.
Jesus is Powerful & Miraculous. If you believe the historical account of the Bible you have to agree that He is powerful & and miraculous.
Jesus spoke with authority and power. He amazed the crowds.
Matthew 7:28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(NIV)
Matthew 7:29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.(NIV)
The 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, record 37 Miracles Jesus did for people. But Jesus did so many more miracles than this…
John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.(NIV)
Jesus is still doing miracles. He has never stopped doing miracles… There are people in this very room who could tell you that Jesus IS powerful and miraculous.
Jesus is influential, powerful, miraculous
Jesus isn’t power hungry
The problem with most humans is that we are greedy for power & influence.
Jesus isn’t greedy. We don’t have any stories about how he took things from people. We don’t read how he raised up an army and took over a kingdom and stole the land of a nation. Jesus didn’t take the lives of others…
Jesus isn’t power hungry. He didn’t come to take – He came to give!
According to Jesus He can’t have more power than He already has…
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(NIV)
You can trust Jesus – He isn’t power hungry.
Jesus is God & Man
We don’t have enough time today to adequately cover this.
Jesus was a man. He was born of a woman like every other human being. He felt pain, ate food, and could be killed like every other human being. Jesus was tempted by Satan… He could be tempted… Even more…
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.(NIV)
Jesus is Fully man so he can feel our weaknesses and also pay the price of our sin on Calvary.
But Jesus is also Fully God
Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.(NIV)
Jesus told the Pharisees.
John 8:58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”(NIV)
The Pharisees had a hard time believing that the man standing in front of them was the I AM, the God of Abraham.
Here is a prophecy about Jesus from the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6 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.(NIV)
The child born and the son given would be called the Mighty God and Everlasting Father. The child is the Mighty God! The son is the Everlasting Father.
Jesus is God and Man
Jesus isn’t like the Pharisees
Jesus loved the Pharisees. He came to die for them.
The Pharisees hated Jesus. They nailed Him to a cross.
They argued with Jesus… He loved them. They tried to trick Jesus… He loved them. They lied about Jesus… He loved them. They schemed to kill Jesus… He loved them. They nailed Him to the cross… He loved them.
Wake up Pharisees! You killed the messiah you had been waiting and hoping for!
Jesus isn’t like the Pharisees. Look at the difference between Jesus and the Pharisees in..
John 8:3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group(NIV)
John 8:4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.(NIV)
John 8:5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”(NIV)
John 8:6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.(NIV)
John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”(NIV)
John 8:8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.(NIV)
John 8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.(NIV)
John 8:10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”(NIV)
John 8:11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(NIV)
The Pharisees would have killed this woman. They would look into the Word of God and think that they had the right to kill. They felt superior in every way to this woman caught in the act.
But what did Jesus do? When offered an opportunity to kill and punish someone who had sinned… what did Jesus do?
Jesus stooped down to where the woman was in verse 8 to comfort and defend her. And in verse 10 he stands with her straightening her up and revealed to her that she is not condemned.
Jesus isn’t like the Pharisees
Jesus isn’t going to pick up stones
You need to know this about Jesus. He isn’t set out to kill you.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(NIV)
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.(NIV)
Religion has often sold Snake Oil when it comes to Jesus… We have told people that Jesus IS going to get you and punish you. Jesus IS watching and you better watch out sinner. We have told people that Jesus ISN’T going to accept you or forgive you.
That my friends, is snake oil… Jesus isn’t going to pick up stones
Jesus invites anyone without sin to cast the first stone. Jesus is the only one standing there that is without sin… He is the only one who could have picked up a stone against this woman… But instead he stoops down and writes in the dirt…
We don’t know exactly what Jesus wrote in that sand. It is one of the great mysteries of scripture. What is certain is that Jesus came to her defense.
Jesus will come to your defense today. Jesus is merciful. Instead of destroying you he comes to your defense.
Those Pharisees would tell lies about Jesus… But you ask that woman caught in the act of adultery. She would tell you… Jesus is Savior
Jesus didn’t just come to show his power. He didn’t come to just heal a few people or stir up Judaism. He didn’t come to be worshipped as God or be crowned King. He came to be our Savior.
All of us need saving.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,(NIV)
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(NIV)
He came to save us from Sin and defend us against the enemy. That is who Jesus IS…
Jesus is wonderful… He IS all these great things and so much more…
But Jesus isn’t accepted by everyone
Isaiah 53 prophesies about Jesus.
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?(NIV)
The prophesy about Jesus prophesies that not everyone will receive or believe this message of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.(NIV)
He is despised and rejected. The very ones that Jesus came to save will hide their faces from Him.
Is Jesus accepted by you today?
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.(NIV)
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.(NIV)
Do you accept this Jesus?
We are going to be having a time of prayer in a few short minutes. If you have felt a tugging at your heart today to know Jesus better, we want to pray with you. If you have never fully believed in Him as Savior… If you have believed some false things about Jesus… perhaps you believed he would pick up stones against you… You need to take some time to talk to this Jesus today.
Life requires you to know what IS and what ISN’T.
Musician-
Jesus isn’t a museum
I love museums. You can learn a lot of knowledge at a museum. You can learn some history and some facts.
But there is something sad about museums… Everything in a museum is dead and gone. You can learn great knowledge about America’s founding fathers… You can hear some of the things they said and learn how they lived and thought… But you will never be able to talk to them… Museums are for dead things..
Jesus isn’t a museum. He isn’t dead.
Jesus is alive
I hope you learned some great information about Jesus today… but I want us to go further. I want us to realize that Jesus is here right now. He is alive and just as powerful!
Do you really believe Jesus is Alive? Do you really believe He is here? Answer yes by coming to talk with him.