The GREAT "I AM"!!!
Our pastor, is taking us through a series of "I AM" sermons at SIBC (Seoul International Baptist Church). Christians should automatically recognize the "I AM statements" as referring to the times Jesus made it very clear that He was not just a "good man" or "holy prophet" but was indeed making it quite clear that He was claiming to be God Almighty.
-I AM the bread of life (that came down from heaven) (John 6:25-59)
-I AM the light of the world (John 8:12)
-before Abraham was, I AM! (John 8:48-59)
-I AM the gate to heaven (John 10:7-10)
-I AM the good shepherd (John 10:11-18)
-I AM the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26)
-I AM the vine... (John 15:5)
-I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Last Sunday (August 28th) the sermon was on John 8:31-59 - "before Abraham was, I AM!"
It is important when reading the "I AM" statements by Jesus to recognize that Jesus was directly referring to the name of God Almighty from Exodus Chapter 3 when Moses spoke to God in the burning bush.
"Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, "The LORD, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you." This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." (Exodus 3:13-15)
(On a personal note, I find it very sad that Catholics and other "Orthodox churches" aren't able to make the spiritual connection with this idea and that therefore Jesus could just as easily said, "before Mary was, I AM!" instead of focusing on "The Mother of God"...)
This Sunday, Tim preached on John 8:12 - "I AM the light of the world..."
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The main points of the sermon were that:
1) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see God; and
2) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see yourself
Jesus' main point was that He was one with the Father.
Do we really need Jesus to know the Father?
Romans 1 says that creation gives evidence of God BUT...it is incomplete.
We needed someone to tell us about God and His true nature/character.
The prophets spoke of a just God and a coming judgment on deserving sinners. If that is your full revelation of God you will be likely to be the type of person who blows up abortion clinics and rides airplanes into buildings!
Jesus came to declare/show the true nature of God.
We cannot rely on our own intelligence to find God.
To see God, we must have light - Jesus is the light!
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Do not make the eternal mistake of thinking that Jesus was just a man!
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (Colossians 1:15)
"Being in the form of God..." (Philippians 2:6)
Jesus is God and became like us. In Jesus alone do we see that God is love. We desperately need this FULL revelation of the Living God!
"Phillip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered, "Don't you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father?" Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work." (John 14:8-10)
Jesus did not leave us with the option of seeing Him as "a nice guy who did some nice things". You either believe His words or you call him a liar....
You have 2 choices: You can follow (step into the light) or CHOOSE to stay in darkness...
"Most people are open to God through suffering. Because hell is a real place of eternal suffering, it is a loving God that allows suffering in our lives now in order to bring us to Him."
-I AM the bread of life (that came down from heaven) (John 6:25-59)
-I AM the light of the world (John 8:12)
-before Abraham was, I AM! (John 8:48-59)
-I AM the gate to heaven (John 10:7-10)
-I AM the good shepherd (John 10:11-18)
-I AM the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26)
-I AM the vine... (John 15:5)
-I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Last Sunday (August 28th) the sermon was on John 8:31-59 - "before Abraham was, I AM!"
It is important when reading the "I AM" statements by Jesus to recognize that Jesus was directly referring to the name of God Almighty from Exodus Chapter 3 when Moses spoke to God in the burning bush.
"Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, "The LORD, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you." This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." (Exodus 3:13-15)
(On a personal note, I find it very sad that Catholics and other "Orthodox churches" aren't able to make the spiritual connection with this idea and that therefore Jesus could just as easily said, "before Mary was, I AM!" instead of focusing on "The Mother of God"...)
This Sunday, Tim preached on John 8:12 - "I AM the light of the world..."
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The main points of the sermon were that:
1) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see God; and
2) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see yourself
Jesus' main point was that He was one with the Father.
Do we really need Jesus to know the Father?
Romans 1 says that creation gives evidence of God BUT...it is incomplete.
We needed someone to tell us about God and His true nature/character.
The prophets spoke of a just God and a coming judgment on deserving sinners. If that is your full revelation of God you will be likely to be the type of person who blows up abortion clinics and rides airplanes into buildings!
Jesus came to declare/show the true nature of God.
We cannot rely on our own intelligence to find God.
To see God, we must have light - Jesus is the light!
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Do not make the eternal mistake of thinking that Jesus was just a man!
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (Colossians 1:15)
"Being in the form of God..." (Philippians 2:6)
Jesus is God and became like us. In Jesus alone do we see that God is love. We desperately need this FULL revelation of the Living God!
"Phillip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered, "Don't you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father?" Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work." (John 14:8-10)
Jesus did not leave us with the option of seeing Him as "a nice guy who did some nice things". You either believe His words or you call him a liar....
You have 2 choices: You can follow (step into the light) or CHOOSE to stay in darkness...
"Most people are open to God through suffering. Because hell is a real place of eternal suffering, it is a loving God that allows suffering in our lives now in order to bring us to Him."
posted by Andrew Brown at 7:08 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home