Who do you say Jesus is?

In the Old Testament, the Israelites had at least 12 different Hebrew and Aramaic names for God. Each of the names had a specific meaning.

I. The most Holy name for God in the Bible is Jehovah
• Jehovah = “Self-existent, eternal God”

In the New Testament, the angel told Mary that she was to name her baby…JESUS! Matthew 1:21
• Jesus = “Jehovah Saves” – God had come down to man!

II. The Jesus in the New Testament is the Jehovah in the Old.
When the Lord Jesus asked the disciples whom men said He was, various answers came back. Just think if these people were asked…
1. Blind Bartimaeus: He would have said that Jesus was…
i. Jehovah – Rophe – “The God that heals me.”

2. The boy with the sack lunch: He would have said Jesus was…
1. Jehovah-Jireh: “God my Provider.”

3. The Woman caught in Adultery would have said that Jesus was…
1. Jehovah-Tsidkenu: “God is my Righteousness” “Forgiver”

4. The Apostle Paul would say that Jesus was his…
1. Jehovah-M’Kiddish: “The God who Sanctifies me, makes me Holy”

5. The man called Legion would say that Jesus was his…
1. Jehovah-Shalom: “The God who gives me Peace.”

6. Lazarus would say that Jesus was his…
1. Jehovah-Shammah: “The God who is Always with Me.”
Even in death, Lazarus was not alone!

7. Andrew and Peter could have said that Jesus was…
1. Jehovah-Rohi: “God is my Shepherd” He leads me and guides me.

8. John the Baptist could have said that Jesus was…
1. Jehovah-Nissi: “God is my Banner” He is my Victory!

Oh! But there’s more….If you were to ask…
9. The disciples on the boat during the great storm they would have said that Jesus was…
1. Adonai: “Master of All”

10. Paul and Silas in the Philippians’ jail would say Jesus was their…
1. EL: ‘Strong One”

11. The birds of the air, the animals of the land and the fish of the Sea, they would say He is…
1. Elohim: “The All powerful Creator”

Let me give you just ONE MORE!!
If you were to ask Barabbas, he would say… HE IS MY SUBSTITUTE!
He is Heaven’s Sacrificial Lamb!!!

III. Jesus is All These Wrapped into One!
Jesus said unto them, “But whom do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Matthew 16:15-16

He is the Christ! The Messiah! He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings! He is all the Old Testament Names wrapped into One!

Revelation 22:13: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." NKJV

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Giant Slaying

This week I am preaching a Revival at Antioch General Baptist Church just outside of Leitchfield, KY. As I was praying, studying and pondering as to what the Holy Spirit wanted me to begin this series of meetings with, the Lord led me to 1 Samuel chapter 17. Here is a short summary of the message I preached on Monday night. God wants you to slay the Giants in your life!

1 Samuel 17: 20-24:
David had no clue as to what awaited him on this fateful day as he crawled out of bed. The day began like any other ordinary day. Yet, shortly after getting up, his father, Jesse, told David to take some bread and cheese down to his brothers who were fighting with King Saul against the Philistines. Shortly after arriving at camp, David heard the voice of Goliath the giant as he stood in defiance of the army of Israel and against God Himself.

A day that seemed to be an ordinary day, turned into a day that David would have to face a Giant. How about you? Have you ever experienced a day when you thought everything was normal, everything was o.k. only to find yourself face to face with a giant? Giants come when you lest expect them. Friend, what is your Giant?

1 Samuel 17: 25-29:
As David heard the giant defy God and the Israelites, David noticed a troubling condition in the hearts of the soldiers..."FEAR!" The armies were at a standstill, they were in array. No one was fighting and when the giant spoke, the men trembled.

Friends, that happens to us too! The Bible teaches us that we are in Spiritual Warfare. Ephesians chapter 6 tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Yet, many of us are no longer fighting, we are standing around, abiding our time and allowing the giants in our lives put fear in our hearts!

And until we get mad at the devil, Nothing Will Change!!!

1 Samuel 17: 25:
David learns a valuable lesson. David learns that whoever kills the giant gets riches, gets to marry the King's daughter and that his family will be free from taxes. David says; "Man! There are some things worth fighting for!!!" (paraphrase mine).

Friends, do you know that there are some things worth fighting for?!! Let me give you a few examples. When you know the freedom Christ gives from your sin, you will never again be satisfied with unconfessed sin in your heart! When you know the joy of a happy relationship, you will never be happy with trouble in the home. When you know the peace of God, you will never be satisfied living a life of worry! Friends, whatever your giants are, freedom from your giants is worth the fight!!! Jesus came that we may be free from the giants of the enemy.

You can't run from your Giants, You Must Face Them!

1 Samuel 17: 34-37:
I am sure David was nervous about facing Goliath. However, he found the courage to fight his giant. Where did he find strength and courage? He found it in reminding himself of the past victories that God had given him. He remembered how God delivered the lion and the bear into his hands and he said; "...He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

Where do you find courage to fight your giants? You find courage in the past victories God has given you!

Spiritual Trees

Let me ask you a very important question, “How did you come to faith in Jesus Christ?” Each of us have a “Spiritual Tree,” a heritage we can trace back and see how God used various people and events to get us to Christ.

As believers, the Apostle Paul taught that God wants to use each of us in building the spiritual trees of others. Paul said that some of us “plant the seeds” and some of us “water the seeds” but it is God using us to grow new Christians (1 Cor. 3:6).

I found this account of a spiritual tree very interesting and wanted to share it with you…
“It was July 1, 1885 when Edward Kimball felt the tugging of the Spirit to share his faith with a young shoe salesman. Kimball was nervous, but he finally mustered his courage and went into the shoe store. There Kimball found the salesman in the back room stocking shoes, and he began to share his faith with him. As a result, the young shoe salesman prayed and received Jesus Christ. That shoe salesman's name was Dwight L. Moody, and he became the greatest evangelist of his generation.

The story doesn't end there. Several years later a pastor and well-known author by the name of Frederick B. Meyer heard Moody preach. Meyer was so deeply stirred by Moody's preaching that he himself embarked on a far-reaching evangelistic ministry. Once when Meyer was preaching, a college student named Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ as a result of his presentation of the gospel. Chapman later employed a baseball player to help him prepare to conduct an evangelistic crusade. That ballplayer, who later became a powerful evangelist himself, was Billy Sunday.

In 1924 a group of businessmen invited Billy Sunday to hold an evangelistic campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, which resulted in many people coming to Christ. Out of that revival meeting a group of men formed a men's prayer group to pray for the world. They prayed for Charlotte to have another great revival. God sent another evangelist named Mordecai Hamm. Hamm went to Charlotte in 1934 to hold a crusade. Ham's crusade went well, even though it did not have many converts. On one of the last nights under the big tent one tall, lanky young man walked up the aisle to receive Christ. That man's name was Billy Graham.

Talk about a chain of events! And it all started with an ordinary Christian named Edward Kimball, who reached D.L. Moody, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who reached Billy Sunday, who reached Mordecai Ham, who reached Billy Graham.

Billy Graham’s spiritual tree goes back to one man sharing Christ with a shoe salesman. My friend, you have no idea what God can do with your witness. When you are faithful to share Christ with your family, friends, co-workers, classmates, or even a stranger on the street, you may just be sharing Christ with the next Billy Graham.

As we come to the final months of 2009, I want to encourage you to finish the year strong for Christ. Keep your focus on Him and share your love for Him with others.

Prettiest girls in the Pumpkin patch