Answering
Christmas – Part 5:
How
do you Know Jesus? - HOFC
Pastor
Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church
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| www.TruthDigest.org
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
Over
the last few weeks we discussed the truths and falsehoods of Christmas, to gain
a better understanding of the scripture, and how we can joyfully celebrate the
birth of our Lord and Savior without offense to God.
The
series focused on what I consider to be “keys” to understanding.
As
Christians, we need have no fear of those who hate and despise the Word of God,
and we need not have any fear of those who cry “foul”, or in other ways try to
make a mockery of God.
The
series answered important questions about WHEN
Jesus was born, WHY Jesus was born, WHAT led up to His birth, WHO Jesus was born for, and the most
important key of all understanding, HOW
do you KNOW Jesus?
My goal
in this series was to answer once for all, all of the questions, doubts and
misconceptions about Christmas, Jesus’ birth, why we celebrate and return this
season to the former glory and celebration we remember from our youth!
Family,
love, peace, time together, and a celebration of the bond formed between Christ
our Lord and those who belong to Him!
SERMON SERIES
Part 1 - When was
Jesus Born?
Part 2 - Why was
Jesus Born?
Part 3 - What led up
to Jesus’ Birth?
Part 4 - Who did
Jesus Die For?
TODAY’S SERMON
Part 5 - How do you
Know Jesus?
SCRIPTURE READING
John 10:1-10
“Very truly I tell you
Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in
by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is
the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the
sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep
follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a
stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a
stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did
not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said
again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come
before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I
am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go
out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I
have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
I.
THE
LORD DIVIDED THEM AND CREATED A SANCTUARY THAT WILL NEVER BE DEFILED
a. God’s Will from the beginning was for us
to live in Paradise for eternity with Him
i.
God revealed His eternal plan to Adam in
Genesis
ii.
God shows that Adam can have Paradise
through obedience to God
iii.
And all was good
iv.
Until the choice to be disobedient
became a reality
v.
Then the consequences to disobedience
became their reality…outside of Paradise
vi.
It was then God revealed His plan of
Salvation, to “save” those who chose to be obedient to Him
b. For this to happen, those willing to
live according to the rules of Paradise must be separated from those unwilling
to serve others
i.
It would not be a Paradise if sin (evil)
were allowed to exist within it
ii.
There has got to be a separation of
those who are obedient from those who are disobedient
iii.
Each with their own everlasting abode
c. To prevent sin (evil) from ever touching
Paradise, it had to be put away eternally
i.
Therefore, Gehenna was created
ii.
An everlasting home for the devil, the beast, the false prophet,
where they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation
20:10)
iii.
Death and
Hades (Sheol – place of departed spirits, where torment is across from
Abraham’s bosom – Luke 16, Used as a holding place for the dead until Judgment no
longer needed after Judgment Day. Obedient who died before Christ went to
Abraham’s bosom, now go to be with the Lord – II Corinthians 5:6-10, disobedient
who died before Judgment waited in Sheol.)
iv.
Revelation 20:14b-15 “The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name
was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
v.
Whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of
Life? Those Obedient to Him.
vi.
So in the end, there is Paradise &
Gehenna (Lake of Fire)
1. Paradise
for the Obedient
2. Gehenna
(Lake of Eternal Fire) for the devil, beast, false prophet, death, Sheol, and
disobedient
II.
WE WERE
ALL CREATED TO LIVE EVERLASTING
a. We are all created to be everlasting
beings
i.
God has shown His plan from the
beginning in Genesis that we were created to live forever.
ii.
The question is not “Is there an
afterlife?”, or “Am I going to live forever?”, rather, “Where will I spend
eternity?”
b. We are all given the choice (free will)
to choose the Lord as our Master
i.
Do we choose obedience, or disobedience?
ii.
That choice determines our destination
in the afterlife
iii.
And we must all make it.
iv.
As it states in the song “Free Will” by
RUSH,
1. You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
c. Just like any child, we can choose to be
obedient or disobedient
i.
If you chose not to obey the Lord, you
have made a choice to be disobedient.
ii.
What is obedience to Christ?
1. Matthew
28:16-20
(The Great Commission) “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the
mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When
they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.18 Then
Jesus came to them and said,
2. 49 commands
Jesus gave them. This will be our next series starting next Sunday!
III.
HOW
DO YOU “KNOW” JESUS?
a. The Lord has made Himself the gate to
Paradise, there is no other way in
i.
“I am the gate” John 10
ii.
“I am the narrow gate” Matthew
7
iii.
“I am the narrow way” John
14
iv.
“I am the way, the Truth and the life” John
14
b. He has given us “The Way” in His Word
i.
John 14:5-7 “Thomas said to Jesus “Lord, we don’t
know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
ii.
Jesus
answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. 7 If
you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you
do know him and have seen him.”
iii.
Jesus is the way, the gate, the path,
the only way to the Father, the only way to eternal Paradise. For Jesus to be your Lord, you must be His
servant.
c. If we chose obedience to the Lord, He
becomes our Good Shepherd
i.
And He promises to lead us through the
gate as the Good Shepherd
CONCLUSION
How do you Know Jesus?
Salvation has been
simplified over the years because as humans we tend to complicate things.
Salvation in the Lord is
simple,
·
Romans 10:17 -
First we must hear the Gospel, our
faith comes by hearing, this faith and hearing the Gospel reveals to us our sin
against God (10 Commands)
·
Matthew 10:32-33 –
We must CONFESS our sin, and Profess that Jesus IS Christ
·
Matthew 16:16 –
Then we must believe (put our trust in)
Jesus as Christ, our Lord, savior and only way to Paradise
·
Acts 17:30-31 –
Then we must repent of our sin,
living no longer for and in sin, but for and in the Spirit of God
·
Once we submit to the Lord, we will receive
the Promise of the Father (The Holy Spirit) and be baptized
·
Romans 10:13 –
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
Want to learn more about
Salvation and Getting Saved?
Want to hear the audio to this sermon?
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