Weekend Sermon -- Jesus Is The Word of God And God's Final Word

      Welcome once again to the posting of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you are all having a very good week.  I thank the Lord for giving me another opportunity to post a message for Him. 

     For the last couple of weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the titles and names of Jesus found in the Bible.  Last week, we saw that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. 

     Today, I want to focus on the fact that Jesus is called the Word of God and in Hebrews, He is identified as God's final and ultimate Word to this world. Let's examine what this means.

     The Gospel John is where Jesus is clearly presented as the Word of God. John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14 tells us, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us."

     I believe that John first of all is stating that Jesus is divine. Jesus is God. He existed with the Father before all time. This divine one, this always existing one, took up human flesh and came to this earth to be with us. At His birth, Jesus was called Immanuel meaning God with us. 

     The Second Person of the Holy Trinity became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is therefore fully human and fully divine. He is the Word of God come in the flesh. What this means, is that Jesus is the embodied communication of God. Jesus came to communicate the message of God to us in a clear, full and understandable way. Jesus is the Word. What He says is the will of God in all things. His teachings and the way in which He lived are the way that God wants us to live and act in this world. Jesus came to fully proclaim the love and the mercy of God. 

     Now, Jesus is not only the Word of God, He is God's final Word in these last days. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors 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 has appointed as heir of all things, and through Him He also made the universe."

     Jesus is God's final and ultimate Word. He is the one that we are to listen to, and He is the one that we are to follow. Everything else in the Bible should be interpreted through the framework of the life and teachings of Jesus. He came to give the ultimate message of what God is like and what He expects out of us. 

     There is one final place where Jesus is referred to as the Word of God. Revelation 19:13 says, "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." This is a reference to the end of time. Jesus is coming again, and when He comes again He is coming in power and great glory. He will defeat the forces of evil, and He will establish His kingdom here on earth. Sin will be no more. God's Word will be in charge of the entire universe, and God's Word in the person of Jesus will reign forevermore. 

     Jesus is the Word made flesh. He has told us clearly that He loves us and wants us to come to Him in order that we might experience His forgiveness and the life and light that He can bring into our lives. I hope that you will come to know the Word made flesh today. And if you have come to Jesus in repentance and faith, I hope that you will listen to His teachings for they are the very words of God. Amen,

Prayer Requests

     I know that you may get tired of hearing about it, but I am having a lot of health problems. I am having a lot of pain in my legs, and I am having other health difficulties. Please pray that I will get better. May God's will be done. 

     There is a lot of turmoil and war in the world right now. Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Israel, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, Haiti, Congo, and Myanmar are just of few of the places that are having problems. Please pray for peace in these places and other places where you may know of war and conflict. 

     Pray for the safety of migrants and refugees.

     Continue to pray for those who need aid as a result of natural disasters.

     Try to find a couple of people this week that you know don't know Jesus as Savior and Lord and pray that they might come to know Jesus.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Sierra Leone and Bahrain. Pray that many will come to know the Lord. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I might have a review midweek. May God bless you all. Amen. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 100:2 -- "Serve the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful singing."

Acts 2:46 -- "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart."

Weekend Sermon -- Jesus Is The Good And Chief Shepherd

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I had to delay the sermon posting until today because of some issues at the library where I normally use the computer to post the sermon. I hope that everyone is having a good week so far. 

     Last week, we began a new series of messages on the names and titles of Jesus found in the Bible. In last week's message, we focused on the fact that Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, and we looked at what that title entails. 

     Today, I want us to look at two titles for Jesus that go along with each other. First of all, in John 10, Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. We read in verse, 11 of that chapter, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Verse 14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."

     The Bible often refers to those of us in this world as sheep. In Isaiah, people are referred to as sheep who have gone astray. Jesus said that the people were like sheep without a shepherd. 

     One thing is for certain, if sheep don't have someone to properly look after them, they will get into a lot of trouble. They have a lot of health concerns that need to be checked on, and they can't really protect themselves from harms that might come their way. They are a very vulnerable animal.

     Jesus is the Good Shepherd, because He is the one who leads us and looks after us if we are willing to let Him do that. Jesus came to give His life for the sheep that had gone astray. He died on the cross to make sure that the sheep would be free from sin and have the security that comes from having a relationship with Him. 

     With Jesus as our Good Shepherd, we don't need to fear what comes our way in this life or in the world to come. Jesus is always with us and providing for our needs in this life. He is watching over us and helping us to make it through the troubles and the problems that this world throws at us. 

     When we reach the end of this life, Jesus has prepared a place for us so that we can be with Him in the Father's House for all of eternity. Those who are willing to bring themselves under the love and guidance of the Good Shepherd can know that that they are forgiven and provided for in this world and the next. Jesus will never leave us, and He will never forsake us. He is with to help us and to be our peace. 

     Jesus used the title of Good Shepherd for a prophetic reason as well. In Ezekiel chapter 34, God says that His sheep had been abused by bad shepherds. In order to remedy the situation, God said that He would be the shepherd and take care of His flock. Jesus was identifying Himself as the Divine One who has come to be the true shepherd that would properly look after the people of Israel and all those who would come to Him in repentance and faith. 

     Now, in addition to being the Good Shepherd, Jesus is also called the Chief Shepherd in I Peter 5:4. This is in reference to the fact that pastors are to be under shepherds to the Chief Shepherd Jesus. Pastors in the church are to faithfully look after and help take care of the flock. They are not to abuse or harm those who are placed within their care. If they do, they will have to answer to Jesus for what they have done. 

     Remember this, Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. To me, that means that no matter what, we always look to Him and keep our focus on Him. He is the only one in this world that we can trust no matter what. Jesus is always looking out for our best interest. He loves us with an everlasting love that led Him to the cross. He will always take care of the sheep that are part of His flock. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am once again having a lot of health issues. It is really getting me down. Also, I've been depressed about not being with my family and friends as they are all gone on to Heaven. Please pray for me that I will get to feeling better. 

     I did want to mention something to be thankful for. Here in the US, it seems that we've gotten through the worst of Covid, RSV and the flu. I want to thank the Lord for that. I know that there are other places in this world dealing with health problems, and we need to keep praying that those who are sick will recover and will get the medical aid and assistance that they need. 

     Let us also continue to pray for those around the world who are recovering from natural disasters. 

     We need to keep praying for peace. Sudan is a mess right now, and we need to keep praying for peace in Ukraine. Wherever there is war and conflict, let us pray and work for peace. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Suriname and Ivory Coast. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week,  we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Monday. I may post midweek. In the near future, I hope to start posting my new book on the Minor Prophets. May God bless you all. Amen. 

Update

 I will be posting the sermon tomorrow instead of today. Thank you. 

Verses For The Week

 Colossians 4:2 -- "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Jeremiah 10:12 -- "But the Lord made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. With His own understanding, He stretched out the Heavens."

The Weekend Sermon -- Jesus Is The Son Of Man

      Welcome to a new series on the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you are all doing well and that you had a good Easter weekend. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message.

     Just before Holy Week, we finished a sermon series dealing with the attributes of God. Starting today, we are beginning a new sermon series. In this series of messages, I want to focus on the different names and titles that Jesus is given in the Bible. 

     The term that Jesus often used to describe Himself in the Gospels is the Son of Man. The title Son of Man has some important meanings that I want us to look into today. 

     Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man many times. For instance, we read in Matthew 20:28 that the, "Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  In Mark 2:28 Jesus says referring to Himself, "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." These are just two of the many times Jesus called Himself Son of Man.

     The title Son of Man tells us two things about Jesus. First of all, the title Son of Man identifies Jesus as a human being. Son of Man is a term in the Old Testament that is used to refer to a human being. This term is used extensively of the prophet Ezekiel in his prophetic book. By referring to Himself as Son of Man, Jesus is making clear that He is fully human. The Bible tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. Because He was fully man, Jesus could be our Great High Priest. He could succeed in every area where Adam failed. Jesus could live a life as a man without sin in order to be the one to take our place and redeem us from our sins. 

     Now, the title Son of Man as it relates to Jesus means more than the fact that Jesus is a human being. Son of Man is a title given to the Messiah and the Divine One in the Old Testament. We see this in the book of Daniel in chapter 7. In chapter 7, one called the Son of Man comes in the clouds and comes before the Ancient of Days. This is a reference to God the Father. The Ancient of Days gives dominion over all to the Son of Man.

     When Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man, He was claiming to be the Messiah and God come in the flesh. Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man from Daniel's prophecy on two different occasions. When giving the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Jesus said that they would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds. Jesus is referring to Himself. When Jesus was on trial before He was crucified He said as found in Mark 14:61-62, "... Again the High Priest asked Him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One.'"  "I am," said Jesus, "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven." When Jesus said this, the High Priest tore his clothes and accused Jesus of blasphemy. He knew exactly what Jesus was saying. Jesus was stating unequivocally that He was the Messiah and God. 

     As we can clearly see, the title Son of Man lets us know that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. He came to show us how to live an authentic human life as our perfect example. He died on the cross to take our sins and the punishment for sin that we rightly deserved. He rose from the dead, and is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high. One day, He will come again and rule and reign forever and ever just as He said and as was prophesied in the book of Daniel. Jesus is Lord. He calls on you to make Him your Lord today. Amen.

Prayer Request

     I have been feeling better. Please keep praying that I will do better and better. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Please pray for my friend at work who is having heart problems.

     Continue to pray for those affected by natural disasters around the world. Pray that people will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Let us pray for peace. Ukraine, Syria, Haiti and Yemen all really need our prayers.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those in nations of  Indonesia and Iran. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue with our sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I may have a midweek post. May God bless you all.  

Verses For The Week

 I Corinthians 15:3-5 -- "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

Matthew 28:19-20 -- "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Weekend Sermon -- Easter

      Christ is Risen! May His name be praised. Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon for Easter. I hope that you are all having a great week.

     On Easter, we celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. Because He lives, we shall live also. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated the consequences of sin. Due to sin, death passed upon all because all have sinned. However, because Jesus rose from the dead, those who put their faith and trust in the risen Lord Jesus do not have to fear death. Death has no hold on those who are in Christ. 

     What I want to focus upon specifically in this Easter message is the fact that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. One of the things that I like to do is to listen to sermons from a lot of different places. Something that I find troubling is that there are quite a few ministers who do not preach the bodily resurrection of Jesus. I've heard them say things like the resurrection of Jesus means that the message of Jesus is alive in our hearts, or Jesus is alive spiritually in the church. This is not the clear teaching of Scripture. The Bible tells us that Jesus rose bodily from the dead, and that is very important to us. 

     First of all, let us look at Matthew chapter 28 where we read one of the resurrection accounts. Jesus has risen from the dead and the women who came to the tomb have found the tomb to be empty. As they were going to tell the disciples what they had seen, Jesus appeared to them. They fell down before Him and worshipped Him. The Bible tells us that they clasped His feet. This demonstrates that Jesus rose from the dead with a physical body. 

     In his great chapter on the resurrection found in I Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. He was seen by the disciples, by James and by over 500 other people. He was seen bodily not as a spirit. He ate and drank with those to whom He appeared. 

     Why is it so important to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus? It is the basis of our hope and in the victory over death, hell and the grave. Paul tells us that Jesus is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Because Jesus rose bodily from the grave, we too shall rise because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. 

     Paul makes it quite clear in I Corinthians 15 that the body that died will be raised and we will receive a glorified body like unto the glorified body of the Risen Lord. Since Jesus rose bodily from the grave, He is the victor over death. He can now raise us up to be with Him. 

     Where is Jesus now? Jesus is in Heaven with the Father. When he was being martyred, Stephen saw Jesus standing next to the Father. Jesus was in Heaven in bodily form. Peter tells us that Jesus will remain in Heaven until it is time for Him to come and restore all things. At that time, Jesus will come in power and great glory. Those of us who have put our faith and trust in the Risen Lord will rule and reign with Him forever. 

     You can come to know Jesus Christ today. He died on the cross to take away your sins. He rose bodily from the grave to defeat death. Jesus invites you to come to Him in repentance and faith. He wants you to trust in Him and invite Him to be your Savior and Lord. I hope that you will do that on this Easter weekend. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that my health will improve. I am doing some better, and I thank you for your prayers. 

     Let us all pray for those who are recovering from the many natural disasters around the world. Here in my country, there have been many who have been in tornadoes. Pray that they will get the aid and help that they need. There are places in Africa still recovering from storms, and we need to remember them in prayer as well. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Syria, Israel, Ukraine, Yemen and Libya all need our prayers at this time. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Malaysia and Azerbaijan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will begin a new sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday, and I may have a midweek post. May God bless you all. 

Good Friday

      Today is the day when Christians remember that Jesus was crucified and bore our sins in His body on the cross in order that we might be redeemed and that our sins might be forgiven. I want us to focus on one of the statements that Jesus made while on the cross. John 19:30 records that just before Jesus died, He said, "It is finished." What did Jesus mean when He said this?

     Jesus came to this earth to give His life as a ransom for our sins. He had a mission to perform to be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins and to pay the penalty for our sins. All of our sins were placed on Jesus while we was on the cross. He took our punishment that we rightly deserved because we had rebelled and sinned against a Holy God. 

      Jesus said it is finished because He had completed the task of being the sacrifice for our sins. He bore our sins and died in our place. Whoever places their faith and trust in Jesus and in His finished work on the cross will receive the forgiveness of sins and a new life in Jesus Christ. 

     Jesus died so that we might be redeemed. No one is excluded from the Lord Jesus' offer of salvation. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Amen. 

Maundy Thursday

      Today, I want to present a shorter post about Maundy Thursday. This is the day on the Christian calendar when we remember a couple of different things. First of all, this is the night before Jesus was crucified. On this night, Jesus met with His disciples in the Upper Room. During the course of the evening, Jesus washed His disciples' feet. This wasn't something that Jesus would be expected to do. 

     In Jesus' day, the task of washing people's feet was left for the servants in the household to perform. Jesus washed the disciples' feet as an example to show them how they should live in the world after He was gone from them. They were to follow His example of taking the place of the servant. In other words, their ministry was to go about and be of service to those to whom they were to take the message of Jesus' love. They were to go into the world and help to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of those in the world. Wherever they went and whatever they did, they were to remember the example of Jesus that He came to serve and not to be served. They were to have a humble heart like unto the humble heart of Jesus the Lord. 

     On Maundy Thursday, Jesus also instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus said that the bread represented His body that was broken and the cup represented His shed blood. Whenever we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we are remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of world. When we accept what Jesus has done for us, the judgment of God passes over us because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Amen.

Update

      Just an update about last night's storms to begin with. The storms were not terrible in my area. Thank you for your prayers. 

      On Thursday, there will be a Maundy Thursday short message, and there will be a short message for Good Friday posted on Friday. With that in mind, I will be posting the Weekend Sermon on Saturday this week as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. 

Prayer Requests

      Please continue to pray for those who were affected by the bad tornadoes and storms here in the US. With that in mind, the weather forecast is for more bad storms tonight in those same places and in my area that is farther to the west. Please pray that there won't be bad storms. I had a minor amount of roof damage in the last round, so please pray that nothing else will happen. Thank you. 

Verses For The Week

 I Peter 2:24 -- "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed."

I Corinthians 15:20 -- "But Christ has been raised to life. And He makes us certain that others will also be raised to life."

John 11:25 -- "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live even after dying."