Good Morning, I’m Jay Brooks, Pastoral Care Minister here at Lakeside. In the past few weeks leading up to Christmas Jon has been helping us see who Jesus is through His titles in the Jesus: Son sermon series. The Bible is so rich, even the titles given to Jesus reveal so much about Him. Here we are about a week after Christmas. Now is a good time to thank God for these titles of Jesus and for the gifts each title brings us.
Now, many people we encounter in our daily lives know the name Jesus They are aware of who the baby in the nativity manger is on some level. Many have been to church at some point or have a relative that attends. In fact, they may throw His name around a bit casually. They might even have a bumper sticker with his name on it. You could say there are quite a few fans of Jesus, who really don’t know Him all that well. We want you to know Jesus well.
In the month of December, we've dug deep into this name that is above all names. Jesus is son of Abraham, son of David, son of Man, son of God. The biggest implication of all these titles of Jesus is that God sent his one and only unique Son, Jesus... It is only through faith in this Jesus we now have opportunity to become sons and daughters of the living God! We can become children of God.
Listen to this amazing verse from Galatians 3:26-29. It says, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Notice that by faith, through our baptism, we've clothed ourselves with Christ. We have marked ourselves as His. In Old Testament times the people were circumcised as a mark of their longing for the Messiah, the Christ, King Jesus to come…so in New Testament times, after Jesus came, it was the mark of baptism through which they celebrated His arrival. At Christmas we remember Jesus’ birth into this world. On the day of our baptism, we are born again and receive the life of Jesus. That is when we become a child of Abraham just like Jesus.
This morning I want to share some personal reasons I not only trusted Jesus, but was baptized into his name, confessed His name, turned from sin, and have offered myself to Jesus.
Jesus, Son of Abraham.
One of the titles of Jesus we’ve looked in our Christmas series of messages is Jesus, Son of Abraham. One verse stands out in bold as it relates to the life of Abraham. In Romans 4:18-21 we hear this about Abraham: In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
We can look at our faith just as Abraham did. He looked at his situation and how hopeless it was without God’s life-giving power. How likely was it that this 100-year old, childless man was going to become the father of multitudes of descendants? But he had faith.
What about Jesus? This carpenter from the tiny village of Nazareth had managed to enrage the religious and political leaders of his country and get himself nailed to a cross. But He had faith. Only through God’s resurrecting power could Jesus hope to live beyond his death sentence on the cross. We all come to points of faith in our lives.
Melani and I have both seen our parents live life through good times and hard times. Melani’s dad, Mike was my HS biology teacher, ran his own taxidermy shop, he farmed a little, and was an avid hunter. Her mom, Myrna, was a great cook, kept everything going on the home front, and as my girls know well, loved to go shopping. My dad, Harold, was a State Trooper, he loved gardening, was a community leader, and loved being a servant-leader in our church. My mom, Maxine was a stay at home mom for seven children, cooking, canning, sewing, and more. They were a joy to be around and we loved them deeply.
We also were witnesses as each of them approached death. We were witnesses of their faith. In their last moments weakened by disease, it was hard from a purely human standpoint to see any hope. And without faith in Jesus, they would have had no hope. But with Jesus, death was just a passing from what had become a painful life for them…into a life beyond description. They were children of God. They went before us and their faith was a personal testimony of our need for a life-giving faith in Jesus. When you lose someone, it becomes really real.
Now, Melani and I have our turn at faith. Do we really believe in the life Jesus offers, are we willing to stake our lives on the promises of God? Even through hardships and death? Do we claim to be Son’s of Abraham, like Jesus did, and place our hopes in God’s promises? And are we preparing our three girls to trust Jesus with their lives? And so, How about you? Do you have a faith that can face death with confidence like Abraham and Jesus? The title “Jesus, Son of Abraham,” reminds us of the many promises of God that come true through Jesus. You can think of these each of these titles as Christmas gifts we open. This title gives us the gift of faith and security in our relationship with Jesus.
Jesus, Son of David.
Another title we’ve considered is Jesus, son of David. King David wrote many of the Psalms and many of them point to a coming Messiah. Psalm 2 speaks of Jesus as the perfect and final king who would ultimately fill the throne after David. David was looking forward to a time when this ultimate king would reign. The Psalm concludes this way, “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. [Psalm 2:10-12]. At the end of the New Testament we read this in Revelation 17 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Now, I am married to Melani and we have three girls, Faith, Anna & Sophia. Each of us have claimed Jesus as Savior and been baptized into Him. Having Jesus as Savior makes all the difference in our lives. We know that death, disease, disaster could strike our family at any time, but through Jesus we are saved from sin and death. But we also know that Jesus is more than a Savior, he is the greatest King. That’s why we call him Lord. He is in charge. There is a sense in which Jesus saves us because He is our King and his reign in our lives is so life giving.
Daily submitting to Jesus as King doesn’t come easily. You might think that my being a minister means our house is full of peace and tranquility at all times. You’d be wrong. Each of us have a tendency to think of ourselves as king and we live in a house together. A house with five kings doesn’t work well. So, each of us have to work daily to submit and make Jesus our King. We can only find peace when Jesus is King in our lives. How about your home? Is Jesus King when you try to live with the idiosyncrasies of others in your home, when you make financial decisions, when you choose the entertainment for the evening, or when you are choosing whether to sit on the couch or get out and do the hard work of serving others in his name? The title Jesus, Son of David, reminds us that Jesus is the ultimate King over our lives. This title gives us the gift of awe and reverence for Jesus and helps us reorient our lives around his Lordship.
Jesus, Son of Man
The third title we’ve been considering is “Jesus, Son of Man”. The Old Testament anticipated the Messiah, Jesus coming and suffering greatly, ultimately becoming God'ssacrifice, atoning for our sin. Throughout His life, Jesus kept telling people that as a Son of Man He had come to suffer and die but on third day be raised. This title, that Jesus is the Son of Man who came in flesh, helps me realize when I pray to Him there isn't any hardship, trial, pain, temptation, amount of agony or suffering he didn’t suffer. He can relate to my life. He is my great high priest. Hebrews 4 says, "Therefore, since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that 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".
Jesus the Son of Man is intimately familiar with what living the human life is like. Jesus is not a busy, preoccupied King of the Universe. He’s not cold, distant, detached and only transcendent…He chose to enter our world and know our struggles and temptations. He lived in a family where He encountered squabbles and even questions about His sanity. People in His small town questioned His parentage, made fun of Him, and even tried to stone Him to death. Religious leaders called Him a Son of Beelzebub and eventually killed Him. Everyone He met misunderstood who He was and what He came to do.
When I pray to the Father through Jesus the Son of Man, I know that He is eager and intent on hearing my struggles, my worries, hearing me confess my sins. He is close to me and wants to bring healing and life and joy and peace. Who else on earth is so eager to hear me and help me? What about you? When you pray, do you understand just how receptive Jesus is to hearing your voice? Do you understand how He Himself experienced life in our fallen world? He can empathize with us. He gets it. The title, Jesus, Son of Man reminds us that the Father sent His Son among us to know what life on earth is like. This title gives us the gifts of empathy and courage to live like Jesus.
Jesus, Son of God!
The last title of Jesus we’ve examined is Jesus, Son of God. Though Jesus became like us, He is over and above us. He is the son of God, high and lifted up. He's been exalted to right hand of God. He is King of kings and Lord of lord's. Because of His resurrection and ascension into heaven I have every confidence as a child of God, that God will do exactly what He's promised. There is power in Jesus name. He rescues us from sin and death by faith. He powerfully and capably leads us as our Lord and King. He stands with us as we pray, when we confess our sin, He empathizes and even prays alongside us.
Listen to Romans 8:14-17 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.) But this reality that Jesus is son of God for me is captured in these verses from 1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.... Or 1 John 4:15-16 says, "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.…
When I consider this title, Jesus Son of God, I focus on His power. He provides power for living and abiding in Him day to day. There are many things that Jay Brooks cannot do on his own. But there are many more things that I can do as Jesus empowers me. When I would criticize, belittle, or ignore the needs of others, He gives me the power to show His kind of love. He helps me live His kind of life, to do His kind of ministry.
I’ve heard it described this way. We are like a chisel. A chisel is a pretty simple tool. You hit it with a hammer and it cuts into stone. But when a master sculptor takes a chisel in his hands and works creatively in three-dimensional space he can create a sculpture as intricate, detailed and beautiful as Michanlego’s masterpiece, David.
I want to be an instrument in the hands of God. I want to be used for noble and redemptive purposes. I want my life to count for God and others beyond my short lifespan. I know that God also provides His resurrection power for my life beyond the flesh. He has power over the grave. Through Him, death has lost its sting. How about you? Would you like to know the thrill of being an instrument in the hands of God…of accomplishing eternal things that you could never do in your own power? The title, Jesus Son of God, reminds us that we have placed our lives in the hands of the all-powerful Jesus. This title gives us the gift of confidence and prepares us to be used for His glory.
Over 40 years ago, I became a child of God by placing my faith in Jesus. I married a young woman who had taken that same step of faith. One of the greatest joys of my life was seeing my three girls trust Jesus and submit to baptism. I’m their earthly father, but now they have a much better Father in heaven. He’s adopted them with joy. He has great things in store for them, an inheritance far beyond what I can give them.
Over 16 years of ministry here at Lakeside, I have been privileged to baptize many of you as you took that step of faith. It is quite humbling. It is always a joy to set up the baptistry. Can you imagine the joy God the loving Father has to see each of us as we claim Him as Father, and claim Jesus as Savior and Lord? And think of the reunion we will have on the other side of this present life. In Christ, we can be together and enjoy God’s love in ways we can’t even begin to imagine from our current vantage point.
Our Jesus: Son sermon series was about the titles of Jesus. Jesus is the son of Abraham, son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God. And those are just a few of His titles. I’ve mentioned the gifts these titles give us. Jesus, son of Abraham gives us Faith & Security, Jesus, Son of David gives us Awe & Reverence, Jesus, Son of Man gives us Empathy & Courage, and Jesus, Son of God gives us Confidence & Preparedness. That’s a great list of things to be happy about this Christmas.
We are coming into a new year. In addition to all these gifts, God is offering you a new title of your own. You can become a child of God. If you want to place your faith in Jesus and take on this title, Child of God, we have a Pathway class today at 10:30 in the Chapel and another coming up January 28th. If you want to respond more quickly, you can contact any of the ministers, elders, teachers, group leaders or the church office and we’ll gladly set up a time to talk with you.
As the New Year starts, maybe your next step is to make Lakeside your church home. Every child of God needs a church home. Next Sunday at 10:30 our two-week Welcome to Lakeside class will meet in the chapel. We’d love to have you join us and consider a deeper involvement among God’s people here at Lakeside.
Maybe you’ve trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior…you are a child of God…but you see a need to grow in your relationship with Him. In a couple weeks, on January 14th, we’ll be restarting our small groups…there is a table in the lobby with folks who can help you find a group. It is so important that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we spend time together encouraging and challenging each other to grow as children of God. So please take a moment to visit that table in the lobby.
All of these opportunities are listed on your connection card, so please take a moment to fill your card out. We’d love to have you share your prayer requests on the card as well. As we start this new year, let’s all work at making Jesus the center of our lives and elevating Him to His proper place as indicated by the titles we have been studying.
Father, you desire to make us your children. You long to adopt us into your family. You went to great lengths to make it possible through Jesus. Help us respond to your love by trusting in Jesus.