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Gets it All | |||||||||||||||||
| John 10:30-33 |
That winter the young man had to leave to fight for his country. After only a few short weeks, his father got a telegram. His son had been killed while helping another soldier get to a hospital.
The old man was very lonely. On Christmas morning a man came, knocked on the door and said, "I was a friend of your son. I am an artist, and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, there was a painting of his son. Tears came to the old man's eyes. He thanked the soldier and went and put it above the fireplace. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.
A little later the man also died and art collectors from all over the world came to buy his valuable paintings. The auction began with the painting of the man's son. The auctioneer said, "We have to sell this one first." Someone said, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son." Finally, the old man's neighbor spoke. "I'll give you ten dollars." After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice, gone." The gavel fell. Then the auctioneer looked at the audience and said ... that the auction was over.
Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean, it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of somebody's son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars worth of art here! I demand that you explain what is going on!"
The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. Before the man died he left a will. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son gets it all." It's the same way with God. According to the will of God, whoever "Believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36). To be a Christian what must you believe about Jesus? You have to believe that Jesus is God (John 8:24). You have to believe that He died on the cross for you and rose again. What do you believe about Jesus?
1. WHO IS JESUS? A. He was 100% Man.
Jesus Christ did not grow up in a wealthy or influential family but as a baby He surprised a king; as a child He puzzled doctors and as a man He influenced more people than anyone else in human history. He did not lead a country or have an army but more people have followed Him than all the armies of Alexander the Great, Napoleon or anyone. He never wrote a book but more books, songs, poems and works of art have been written about Him than of any other subject. He never started a school but more schools (including Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Oxford) have been started because of Him than anyone else. Who was this man Jesus?
(1). He Called Himself a Man.
(2). He had Human Characteristics. He had a physical body. He was born to Mary. He grew physically "in stature"
(Luke 2:52) as other humans do. He got hungry
(Matthew 4:2). He got thirsty (John 19:28). He got tired (John 4:6). He went to sleep (Matthew 8:24). He felt troubled (John 12:27). He had compassion (Matthew 9:36). He got angry (Mark 3:5). He cried (John 11:35).
B. He was 100% God
(1). He was Called God. Thomas called Jesus, "My Lord and My God" (John 20:28).Paul called Jesus "our great God and Savior" (Titus 2:13). John called Jesus "the true God" (1 John 5:20).
(2). He Accepted Worship as God. In John 5:23 Jesus said "That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father." When the blind man who was healed by Jesus met Him and discovered who Jesus was, the healed man worshiped Him (John 9:38). Jesus did not reject this man's worship saying He is God.
(3). He had the Supernatural Characteristics of God. (A) Eternal. John 1:1 says that Jesus was in the beginning with God. (B) Omnipresent. In Matthew 28:20 Christ promised the disciples, "I am with you always." (C) Omniscient. In John 16:30 Jesus's disciples told Him, "We are sure that You know all things, and ... that You came from God." Jesus didn't deny this. (D) Omnipotent. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, "All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
(4). He did Things Only God could Do. (A) He created everything (Colossians 1:16); (B) He forgives sins (Mark 2:5-12; Luke 7:48); He gives eternal life (John 10:28); He raises the dead (John 6:40; 11:25,26).
(5). He said He was equal with God. Imagine that today I came and publicly announced in this city that "I am the Son of God. No one can get to God except through Me (John 14:6). To know Me is to know God (John 8:19; 14:7). To see Me is to see God (John 12:45; 14:9). To believe in Me is to believe in God (John 12:44; 14:1). To receive Me is to receive God (Mark 9:37). To hate Me is to hate God (John 15:23). To honor Me is to honor God (John 5:23). I have never sinned. I can forgive you of all your sins. One day I will die but I will rise from the dead (Matthew 20:18-19). I and God are one (John 10:30)" If I said all of these things what would you think? In John 10:31-33 the Jews picked up stones to kill him. As they did Jesus said, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?' The Jews answered Him, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, because You, being a man, make Yourself God.'"
2. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?
In Acts 17 Paul talked about God with philosophers in Athens, Greece. He ended by saying that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Verse 32 says that when these Greeks heard this that ...
(A) Rejection. First, "some mocked" and rejected the message.
(B) Reluctance. Second, "others said, 'We will hear you again.'" They didn't reject the Gospel but weren't yet ready to believe either.
(C) Reception. Third, "some men joined him and believed." And among these new believers was even one of the leaders of the Athenian religious world, "Dionysius the Areopagite!" Who are you? Are you a believer? Are you a listener? Are you a rejector?
Whoever has the Son gets it all - a full life with Jesus here on earth, a real purpose for living and a full life with Jesus in Heaven forever. What more do you want?
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by Steve Nicholes
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