Looking at Jesus, part 3 of 5. What is Jesus doing today as he reign’s from his throne in Heaven?

1. Making our case heard

Jesus is right now making our case heard in the courts of Heaven. He stands as our High Priest as a mediator between us and God but he is also our Advocate, making a legal case for our good against the accusations of the enemy and the demands of God’s Holy law which he fulfilled in his life and paid for on the cross. see Romans 8:34 ESV and Hebrews 7:26 ESV

 

Looking at Jesus, part 2 of 5. What work did Jesus accomplish in his mission to Earth?

1. The Righteous Life

One of the mission objectives Jesus accomplished was that he lived a perfect life. He lived the life none of us could ever live. As the bible says in Romans 5:19 ESV his righteous life is given to us. That means God sees our lives as the perfect life of Christ when we put our faith in him. Also see Hebrews 4:15 ESV

2. The Cross

The most well-known mission that Jesus accomplished while on the earth was in the suffering he endured leading up to on and on the cross. Jesus suffered and died in our place on the cross so that we would be able to live in the same place as God forever through our belief, repentance and allegiance to him. See John 19:1–3 ESV and John 19:30 ESV

3. The Resurrection

Jesus rose from the dead. The mission would not have been completed without this. He defeated death and opened the way for us to rise from death and enter into the joy of God’s presence forever. Through Jesus, we have access to the newness of life that comes from the resurrection when the curse brought by Adam and Eve’s sin began to reverse. See Matthew 28:5–8 ESV and Romans 8:11 ESV

4. The Ascension

Jesus Ascended into heaven, he did not die again. He will come back in the same way he left so all those claiming Jesus has already returned in some form or other are either mistaken or deliberately deceiving the people. See Acts 1:11 ESV

5. The Enthronement

And finally, Jesus was enthroned as the God-Man. One like us is on the throne ruling over heaven and earth. He has the authority and has won the victory so we can stand on his word, person and work and pray to God in his name. See Ephesians 1:20–21 ESV

This is the first of five posts from the Message I delivered on Sunday 11th February 2018 about Jesus.

When we consider Jesus the person, here are 12 things to consider about him among the many we could list.

1. The Supreme

Jesus is the Supreme one above all Creation including the powerful Angelic spirit’s God created. See Hebrews 1:1–14

2. The Word

Jesus is God. At the same time, he was with God. This is where we get the doctrine of the Trinity, that God is One, with three distinct persons, Father, Son (The Word) and Spirit. Jesus is the one who Created everything. The Word was not created but is the creator of all. See John 1:1–5

3. God-Man

Jesus was both 100% Man and 100% God. This mystical union happened through the miracle of his incarnation and the virgin birth through which the Word became flesh. See John 1:14 ESV

4. The Messiah

Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the Anointed One, The Christ. The Prophets had foretold his coming for hundreds of years. We are not still waiting for the Messiah, he came 2000 years ago in the person of Jesus the Christ. See Matthew 16:15–16 ESV

5. The Servant

Jesus came as a Servant. He was the Suffering Servant that had been written about by the Prophets of Ancient Israel like Isiah. He came to serve all those in need and show us what it means to be a servant in God’s Kingdom. The greatest service he did was to die for our sins. See Mark 10:45 ESV

6. The King

Jesus is King. God has made the incarnate Son of God who has risen from the dead the undisputed King of Heaven and Earth. See Philippians 2:9–11 ESV and Revelation 19:16 ESV

7. The Fulfiller

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies concerning his first coming and fulfilled the law by living in perfect holiness and expounding on the law to reveal it’s heart and objective. See Matthew 5:17 ESV and Luke 4:21 ESV

8. The Lamb of God

Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the fulfilment of the Temple and Sacrificial system. He paid the price for our Sin when he died on the Cross. See John 1:29 ESV

9. The Shepherd

Jesus is not just the Lamb, he is also our good shepherd, who laid down his life for us. He cares for us as his sheep and so guides and corrects us. See John 10:11 ESV

10. The Saviour

Jesus didn’t just come to save a few people or a special group of People he came to save the World. Jesus is the Saviour for all those who believe regardless of their status in life, nation, tribe or tongue. See John 4:42 ESV

11. The Lord

Jesus is Lord. This goes hand in hand with Jesus being the saviour. He is Lord of all and in particular, he is Lord over the lives of his disciples. See Acts 2:36 ESV and Romans 10:9 ESV

12. The Answer

Jesus is the answer to our deepest human longings. He came as the answer to the biggest philosophical questions posed in the ancient world by Aristotle and others from the Greek Empire. He is the only way. His claim is completely exclusive. He is still the Answer to the biggest questions today. See John 14:6 ESV

Yesterday I preached a very simple message in our evening service, it was about Jesus. That’s a little on the nose, I know. However, that is what I felt God had laid on my heart to share with our people. You can only fit so much into a 60 minute Sermon so it was by no means an exhaustive look at all that Jesus is.

I broke the message down into 5 sections, which has become a habit of mine whenever I preach or deliver a course from the Bible. The areas were as follows:

1. The Person: Who is Jesus
2. The Mission: What has Jesus done
3. The Reign: What is Jesus doing
4. The Call: What does Jesus ask of us
5. The Response: Homework with Jesus

There was a lot to pack into one message but by God’s grace it flowed well and stayed within the time allotted. Many people shared with me afterwards that the message impacted them and we thanked God together.

Someone could say that this is all just theory and question whether I’ve got evidence or results regarding the things I affirm about Jesus. I want to make it clear here and now that this is no theory. Jesus is real and my relationship with him as one of his followers is real. The evidence of this reality is in my own life and the lives of those around me. We live before the face of God to bring him glory by using all he has given to us in the way his Spirit leads us to in Christ.

Put your faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Do not fear what man thinks or has to say. You will be ridiculed and mocked for your belief but that is ok. Believing in Jesus won’t make your rich in this life or a success in the eyes of man, but that is not what it is about, it is about a humble, grateful and truly fruitful relationship with God.

Over the next few days, I’m going to post a few blogs about some of the content of this rudimentary message about Jesus the Christ which I pray will be a source of encouragement and realignment for us all.

I’ve just refreshed my blog with a new look and feel… check it out at placemakers.blog

This got me thinking about refreshing things in general. It’s always good to review where we are and what we are doing and then asking the question is this the best, most fulfilling and God glorifying way to do this?

Be bold and brave, step out in faith and change things up. God is there to catch you if you fall… don’t just drift along to the humdrum of a life that is only a means to an end… which is itself never reached… instead live life to the full before the face of God.

What can you refresh, rearrange, revamp and reignite today. Take some time to think and pay about it and then do it.

Consider the words of the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost in Acts 3:19–21

¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

²⁰that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

²¹whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

You can start again, you can repent, follow Jesus and live the abundant life he intended you to live. A life that passionately loves God above all else.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  – The words of Jesus the Christ recorded in John 10:10

I set myself a few personal goals at the start of the year… January flew by and we are already in February.

I’ve been thinking about momentum, organisation and motivation for work in all spheres of life recently. This includes my department in the company I work for, the ministries I serve in at my church, my own work as an Author and of course at home with my family.

One of the things that helps me to get things done is “the line”. I set a finish line that I need to cross on a particular day and then move heaven and earth to get across the line with a quality result on time. I almost always set these goals myself but run to get my self over the line as though someone else had set it for me.

One of my goals was to blog more, which I’m doing now. One of the others was to release more books. I released the first one for 2018 yesterday. It’s part of a series of short books on simple but important subjects. You can already order it on Amazon. I’ll post more about it another time.

Paul encourages us to apply this attitude to our lives and in particular our walk with the Lord Jesus in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (ESV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Try setting a finish line in your mind and work to cross it. This will help you to get stuff done. Get your head down and run.

Ok… I’ve not blogged for a few weeks now. I’ve been caught up with work… and then trying to unwind from work… I really enjoy the work I do but have found it challenging in the last few weeks to have  good time and energy management to write consistently… but I’m working on that.

Over the weekend I started work on a new short book, one of a series I’m writing this year. It will be out soon and is based in part on the series I released at the start of the year on Humility.

Make time and more importantly energy available to pursue the desires God has put in your heart… no one is going to do it for you.

I recently listened to a book by Andre Crouch on Culture Making which was really good. We are all called to make something of the world, to do something that will make a difference in this world… don’t drift along… make up your mind and put your body into action to contribute something to the world today.

I’m reminded of the parable Jesus taught about the faithful servants who got up and did something with what he gave them vs the selfish and lazy servant who didn’t in Matthew 25:14-30 … let’s be the former.

 

I want to finish my posts on humility this week with a simple look at what the scriptures have to say on the subject.

Articles so far have included:

1. Humility: What is it?
2. Humility: The war against pride
3. Humility: That’s not it

I’m simply going to lay out selected bible passages on humility. I’m not adding any commentary to these verses, they are for your own deep thinking, introspection and meditation on being a humble person before God and humanity. This is the call of all God’s Place Makers.

Old Testament

 Psalm 25:9

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Proverbs 18:12

Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4

The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.

Isaiah 57:15

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

New Testament

Matthew 11:28–30

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.”

Matthew 18:4

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 18:13–14

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Philippians 2:3–11

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Ephesians 4:1–2

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Colossians 3:12–13

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

1 Peter 5:5–6

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

You can, of course, take the study further using a physical or digital concordance and look under words like humble, humility, lowly etc.

Soli Deo Gloria.

In our series on humility, we began by defining what we mean by humility and what humility wars against. Today we will take a brief look at the things that pass for humility but are not.

Here are some of the things mistaken for humility:

• Speaking softly is not humility, you can speak with volume, firmness and conviction and still be humble.
• Avoiding conflict is not humility, there are many things in life that we need to confront, we should do so in the right spirit rather than avoiding confrontation altogether.
• Praising others or speaking negatively about yourself is not humility, despite common misconceptions humility is not a negative view of yourself, just an honest one in the light of God and his word.
• Displaying a lack of confidence is not humility, we should put our trust in the Lord and so be confident in his ability for us and in us.
• Avoiding eye contact is not humility, we should be able to look someone in the eye and remain humble.
• Having a sad demeanour is not humility, nor is having downcast body language.

To be truly humble as believers we need to submit ourselves to God’s word revealed in the bible and allow our lives to be governed by God the Holy Spirit.

It is only when we cultivate and keep on working at walking in the spirit of humility that we will be in a position to be good place makers, bringing God’s presence wherever we go and expanding his kingdom through the proclamation of the truth and acts of service powered by God’s love.

So don’t fake humility, actually be humble from the very core of your being by applying God’s word to your life. A good place to start will be to meditate on the beatitudes and the famous love chapter.

Mathew 5 – 7 and 1 Corinthians 13

Lets not fake it, let’s really be it by God’s grace.