What will you do with Jesus?

2. What will you do with Jesus? Church of Christ at Medina July 27th, 2014

3. believe in Him? Will you… • The purpose of the gospel letters – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – is to produce faith or belief in Jesus. • “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31, ESV)

4. believe in Him? Will you… • There are numerous witnesses recorded in the gospels to produce belief in Jesus as the Son of God. • Prophecies • John 5:30-47 • His Works • John 5:36 – “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. (John 5:36, ESV) • John 10:22-30 • The Father • John 5:37 – “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,…” (ESV)

5. believe in Him? Will you… • Having completed the work of God, Jesus went back to the Father. • “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:9-11, ESV) • Ephesians 1:15-23 • “ Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:21-22, ESV)

6. believe in Him? Will you… • Though in heaven, Jesus left witnesses still which included the apostles and the words they wrote for us. • “ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV) • “ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:1-4, ESV)

7. What will you do with Jesus? • If this is what the Bible says, then the question still is – what will you do with Jesus? • Don’t Believe

8. What will you do with Jesus? • “So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:21-24)

9. What will you do with Jesus? • If this is what the Bible says, then the question still is – what will you do with Jesus? • Don’t Believe • I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24) • Believe, but don’t return His love • John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” • James 2:18-20 – “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?” • John 3:36 – “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

10. What will you do with Jesus? • If this is what the Bible says, then the question still is – what will you do with Jesus? • Believe, but don’t return His love • There are a number of items that will keep us from acting on our belief in Jesus. • Worldliness • John 12:42-43 • Thorny Ground (Matthew 13:22) • Judas (Matthew 26:14-16) • Fear • John 7:10-13 • Peter (Matthew 26:69-75) • Apathy

11. What will you do with Jesus? • If this is what the Bible says, then the question still is – what will you do with Jesus? • Believe and Obey • Obedience is an act of love. • Matthew 22:37-38 – ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” • John 14:12-15 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

12. What will you do with Jesus? • When you are obeying Jesus, you will find yourself… • …dying with Him. • Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV) • Romans 6:1-4 – “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (ESV)

13. What will you do with Jesus? • When you are obeying Jesus, you will find yourself… • …walking with Him. • 1 John 1:6-9 – “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” • 1 Peter 2:21 • Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

14. What will you do with Jesus? “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” Hebrews 5:8-9, ESV