A team at the church which I serve has been working on the
governing documents of the congregation for months. We are discovering how
important words can be, how a little shift in a phrase can affect the meaning.
Yes, we know that words matter as they are an expression of our understanding. Words
can build faith, express love, encourage, and inspire hope. They can also tear
down, wound, and demoralize. How are you using the words of your life?
There is one
confession that is critically important, words that have the power of life.
Those words? What you say about Jesus, what you truly believe
about Him!
Matthew tells us about a moment when Peter, the man who
often impulsively got things wrong, actually
got it right. Jesus commended his faith and told him that he had not ‘figured
it out’ but that God had revealed this important truth to him. "When Jesus came to the region of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man
is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still
others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who
do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was
not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." (Matthew
16:13-17, NIV)
This moment happened near the end of Jesus’ public ministry,
as He was preparing to hand off the work of the Gospel to those men. He was
their teacher, their friend, an amazing leader, a miracle worker. All those
things were wonderful, but there was more to Jesus than that and here it is – “You
are the Christ!” As God’s Spirit stirred
in Peter, he came to understand that the Man he rubbed shoulders with each day
was more than Mary’s son, more than a great rabbi. Jesus was God, come in
flesh, to save the world. To be sure, not all the theology around the divinity
of Jesus was settled in that moment, nor did Peter have perfect grasp of all
that was included in those words, but, in declaring that Jesus was God’s
Messiah, the Anointed One for whom the people of God had waited for centuries, he
was taking a huge step of faith.
Many people who claim to believe in Jesus fail to receive
the mystery of faith. They accept him as a great teacher, a philosopher who
laid a foundation for humanitarianism, but will not confess that He is God, the
Savior of the world. Thomas Jefferson famously created the “Jefferson Bible” from
which he excised all the reference to miracles of Jesus, His virgin birth, and
the Resurrection because he thought they were superstitious ideas that
detracted from the real value of Jesus teaching. He claimed to be a “Christian”
because of his goodness and his hope in a benevolent God but rejected the idea
of sin and the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Is this your understanding
of Jesus? There is more! The heart of the Gospel of Christ is found in faith,
not superstition, but the revelation that He is God in flesh, the unique
God-man, sinless Savior of the world, alive again as the Guarantor of our
eternal hope.
Here is what Paul was inspired to write to us - "But the way of getting right with God
through faith says, “You don’t need to go to heaven” (to find Christ and bring
him down to help you). And it says, “You don’t need to go to the place of the
dead” (to bring Christ back to life again). Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we
preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message
is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by
believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by
confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:6-10, NLT)
John helps us to understand that, like Peter, we don’t just figure
this out. We are touched by the Holy Spirit and respond with faith. "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even
now is already in the world." (1 John 4:2-3, NIV)
Who do you say He is?
Words do matter because they reveal our faith, our core understanding.
Let the Word inform you, the Spirit inspire you, and trust Christ, the Living God,
to transform you from death to life.
Here is a word from the Word. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who
is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been
tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
(Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV)
____________
(Worship Jesus, revealed as our Lord)
You were the Word at
the beginning
One with God the Lord
Most High
Your hidden glory in
creation
Now revealed in You
our Christ
What a beautiful Name
it is
What a beautiful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
Christ my King
What a beautiful Name
it is
Nothing compares to
this
What a beautiful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
You didn't want heaven
without us
So Jesus You brought
heaven down
My sin was great Your
love was greater
What could separate us
now
What a wonderful Name
it is
What a wonderful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus Christ
my King
What a wonderful Name
it is
Nothing compares to
this
What a wonderful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
Death could not hold
You
The veil tore before
You
You silence the boast
of sin and grave
The heavens are
roaring
The praise of Your
glory
For You are raised to
life again
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God
You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name
above all names
What a powerful Name
it is
What a powerful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
Christ my King
What a powerful Name
it is
Nothing can stand
against
What a powerful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name
it is
The Name of Jesus
Ben Fielding | Brooke Ligertwood
© 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG
Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055
No comments:
Post a Comment