BODY of WORK

Body of Work Part 4: King

Sunday December 21, 2014

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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom

Isaiah 9:6-7

 

What kind of King is Jesus?

 

A Humble King – Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the peoples chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born… After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

 

A Sacrificial King – John 18:28-38

Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?

Pilate answered, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. Therefore Pilate said to Him, So You are a king? Jesus answered, You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate *said to Him, What is truth?

 

An Almighty King – Revelation 19:11-16

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

A Righteous King Provides His People

Protection                                                                                                          

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27-28

Leadership                                                                                          

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truthit is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. John 16:13-14

Prosperity                                                                                                                                   

  Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

 

A Faithful Subject Owes the King

Loyalty                                                                                                                              

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God…Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. Luke 12:6-8

Worship                                                                                                                    

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

Obedience                                                                                                                         

  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Fathers commands and remain in his love. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:9-12

 

 

Body of Work Part 3: Savior 

Sunday December 14, 2014

 

Savior Story #1 Luke 4:14-21

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lords favor.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them,

Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

 

Truth: Jesus was crystal clear on His mission in life:

To bring freedom and salvation to EVERYONE under the captivity of sin.

Response: Acknowlege that I am in need of a Savior to lift me out of the spiritual and emotional prison of sin.

 

Savior Story #2 Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.

Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Truth: Jesus offers salvation not only of your soul for eternity but of your way of life here and now.

Response: What unhealthy barrier to faith are you clinging to that you need Jesus to save you from?

 

Savior Story #3 Luke 23:32-43

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminalsone on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, He saved others; let him save himself if he is Gods Messiah, the Chosen One. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:

Arent you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!

But the other criminal rebuked him. Dont you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.

Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Jesus answered him, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.

 Truth: Jesus will never give up on saving you no matter what it cost him and how far off you find yourself.

Response: Never hesitate to let Jesus pull you back on track through confessing whatever junk you have stuck to you.

 

 

Body of Work Part 2: Brother Galatians 4:1-7

Sunday December 7, 2014

 

Cur Deus Homo

(Why the God-Man?)

by St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

“But the debt was so great that while man alone owed it, only God could pay it, so that the same person must be both man and God. Thus it was necessary for God to take manhood into the unity of his person, so that he who in his own nature ought to pay and could not should be in a person who could.”

 

Gods Plan to Send His Son in order to include us as His children.

“For when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heirGalatians 4:4-7

 

Gods First Born Son Paves the Way for Us

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:28-29

 

In Gods Family We Are Called Jesus Brothers & Sisters

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same familySo Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sistersHebrews 2:10-11

 

What the Brotherhood of Jesus should mean for me:

  • I should never feel disconnected spiritually.                                                                                 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
  • Jesus is someone who totally gets me.                                                                       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 areyet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15                                  
  • God views me just like He views His First Born.                                                               The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are Gods children. Now if we are children, then we are heirsheirs of God and co-heirs with Christ Romans 8:16-17    

 

Body of Work Part 1: Servant Matthew 20:20-28

Sunday November 30, 2014

 

 

God Planned to Send a Servant

to Cleanse the World of Sin

Isaiah 52…53

See, my servant will act wisely;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Just as there were many who were appalled at him

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness

so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;cthe punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities…”

 

Gods Son Turns Out to be The Servant

Philippians 2:3-7

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

 

Jesus the Servant

Matthew 20:20-28

Then the mother of Zebedees sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

What is it you want? he asked.

She said, Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.

You dont know what you are asking, Jesus said to them.

Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?

We can, they answered.

Jesus said to them, You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

The Servanthood of Jesus calls for 2 responses:

  • I must let Jesus work on me.    
  • Jesus answered, Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”           John 13:8
  • I must then work like Jesus.                                                                     Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one anothers feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.   John 13:14-15