Incarnation; Follow Jesus ~ 20131229 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

12/29/13 Theology of the Incarnation; How Should We Respond to This Jesus? Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20131229_follow-jesus.mp3

We have spent the last few weeks looking at the theology of the incarnation. Jesus, the eternally existent creative omnipotent sovereign Word of God. The one who always was with his Father and who is himself God, the only God who is at the Father's side, the one who has come to make God known. This eternal Son, at a point in history became what he was not, he humbled himself by becoming human, being born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He lived a perfect human life, being tempted in every way that we all are, yet without ever sinning. He died a real human death on a Roman cross, and he he rose from the dead and ascended back to the right hand of his Father in his real human body, where he lives forever to make intercession for us. Remaining what he was, he became what he was not.

How do we respond to this Jesus? What do we do with him? If we really believe that he is who he claimed to be, we cannot ignore him. We cannot simply go back to life as usual. If Jesus really is God from all eternity come down to be with us, it changes everything! We must think differently, feel differently, believe differently, act differently. Everything must change.

Let's take some time to evaluate where we are in light of who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish, and move forward eager to have our minds and hearts and lives reshaped by Jesus.

Our Need

One of the first things that Jesus did when he came was to hold up a mirror so that we can see ourselves clearly. Jesus said

Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (cf. Matt.9:13; Mk.2:17)

There is none righteous, no not one (Rom.3:10). By Jesus' perfect sinless life, he intended to show us what perfection looks like, and how far we fall short. As long as we continue under the delusion that we are not really that bad, we will never come to him for rescue. We will never repent, never turn. We desperately need to see what true holiness is, and that our self-righteousness is offensive to the all-holy God. We must confess, which means to agree with him about our sinfulness and need. J.C. Ryle wrote:

“The plain truth is that a right understanding of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity. Without it such doctrines as justification, conversion, sanctification, are "words and names" which convey no meaning to the mind. The first thing, therefore, that God does when He makes anyone a new creature in Christ is to send light into his heart and show him that he is a guilty sinner. The material creation in Genesis began with "light," and so also does the spiritual creation. God "shines into our hearts" by the work of the Holy Spirit and then spiritual life begins (2 Cor. 4:6). Dim or indistinct views of sin are the origin of most of the errors, heresies and false doctrines of the present day. If a man does not realize the dangerous nature of his soul’s disease, you cannot wonder if he is content with false or imperfect remedies. I believe that one of the chief wants of the contemporary church has been, and is, clearer, fuller teaching about sin.” [J.C.Ryle, Holiness, 1879. p.1]

John introduces Jesus as the light who shines in the darkness (Jn.1:4-5), reminding us that we are those Isaiah spoke of,

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Jesus said:

John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Not only do we walk in darkness, but we hate the light and choose to remain in the dark, because we love the darkness. Light exposes our wickedness, and we don't want to be exposed.

John tells us that:

John 2:24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

And this is speaking of those who were believing in him! Jesus did not entrust himself to people, because we are not to be trusted, we are untrustworthy. Jesus teaches us that we should be suspicious of our own hearts.

Jesus warned against our tendency toward greed.

Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

He warned of our defection toward short-term pleasure over lasting joy.

Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Jesus warned against our tendency to seek the praise of men.

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (cf. Jn.12:43)

He questioned our sense of justice.

Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Jesus confronted our blind hypocrisy.

Matthew 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

And our blatant disobedience.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Jesus told us that we are sick.

Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

And lost.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He said that we are warped and unbelieving.

Matthew 17:17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”

He told his followers after his resurrection.

Luke 24:25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

So, according to Jesus, we are untrustworthy, greedy, hypocritical, disobedient, lovers of pleasure, lovers of praise, lovers of darkness, with a warped sense of justice, sick, lost, unbelieving, foolish, and slow of heart. To the church Jesus said:

Revelation 3:17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Friends, hear what Jesus has to say about you! Do not be afraid to look in the mirror, feel the gravity of your situation, and then in true desperation cry out to Jesus for rescue!

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1Tim.1:15). Until we recognize the depth of our own sinfulness, we will miss the whole reason for his coming. God came down to show us our need for him. Once we see clearly our own lost condition, we are ready to see and enjoy the overwhelming grace and truth that comes through Jesus Christ.

His Supply

Jesus came down to reveal to us our true needs and to satisfy them fully in himself. Joseph was told by the angel:

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus came to save us from our sins. John the Baptist:

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus is the one who meets our deepest need; he demonstrated with the woman caught in the act of adultery, with the paralyzed man let down through the roof, with the woman of the city who washed his feet with her tears, that he has authority to forgive sins. By his once for all death on the cross, Jesus satisfied his Father's wrath against our sins. This is the reason he became human. Jesus said:

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

For some of you what we are saying today might be new information. I would invite you to believe, receive, trust this Jesus who is everything we need. But for most of you, I expect this is old news. You've heard it all before. I would especially challenge you to listen with fresh ears, to really drink in who Jesus is and let him satisfy and nourish your souls. He is here! Experience his presence. Enjoy him. Let him touch you. Let him serve you today.

Jesus is the one who satisfies our deepest thirst. He said to the woman at the well:

John 4:13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Jesus fills our emptiness.

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jesus overcomes our darkness.

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus is our protection and abundant provision

John 10:7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Jesus is our absolute security.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus grants us access to the Father.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is the true rest for weary souls

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus is the source of our fruitfulness and joy.

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ...4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ...8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ...11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ...16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Jesus revolutionizes our thinking and worldview.

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Jesus re-shapes what true happiness consists of among his followers. Spirit-poverty, mourning, meekness, longing for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, persecution. Joy comes through our connection with Jesus, not from our circumstances. In Jesus, our sins are forgiven, our soul's hunger and thirst is satisfied, our darkness is overcome, we find in him protection, provision, security, access to the Father, rest for our souls, fruitfulness and real joy. Jesus came that we might have life, and life abundantly.

Our Response

Jesus came to transform everything. He came to rescue and restore how we think, how we feel, how we live. He came so that we can experience real human life as it was meant to be. He came to restore our purpose.

Jesus called some fishermen.

Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are to follow Jesus. We were created to follow. We were created to live under God's good rule, to obey. Instead, we rebelled, rejected God's good rule, and chose to live according to our own twisted desires. We became slaves to sin. A fisherman takes a fish out of its natural element where it will eventually suffocate and become dinner. But as fishers of men, we lure men and women out of the sewage of sin and set them free to live and thrive in their true element, restored to a right relationship with God. Fishermen employ fake lures and deceptive bait. But we are to attract people with the real thing; real life, real light, real joy, real peace, real fruitfulness, real love.

Jesus said that we are to be the salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

Salt preserves things from spoiling, gives flavor, and makes people thirsty. We are to live in such a way that people become thirsty for God.

Jesus said that we are the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Light is meant to shine out and overcome darkness. The light of our good works is meant to bring glory to God, to attract people to God, to put on display the transformation that only God can produce.

Jesus intends that as we abide in him we will bear good fruit.

Luke 6:43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

As we follow Jesus our lives will have a firm foundation.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus came so that we would follow him. Jesus came so that our lives would reflect his life. This is a life of wisdom. This is a life founded on the Rock of Jesus. Listen to how he describes it:

Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ….35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

While we were his enemies, Jesus loved us. Jesus extended mercy to sinners who rightly deserved the fury of his wrath. Jesus accepted undeserved abuse. Jesus freely gave us the greatest gift at great cost to himself, expecting nothing in return. Instead of condemning us, Jesus came to rescue us, to forgive our sins, and to transform us.

As we look to Jesus, as we see Jesus for who he is, allow him to reveal the sin in your heart, let him apply the cure and satisfy your soul, and allow him to totally transform how you think, how you feel, how you live.