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Jesus: Sermon Guide

Watermark • Sep 3, 2018 • 5 min
Jesus: Sermon Guide Hero Image Jesus: Sermon Guide Hero Image

The following blog post contains notes and application questions from our September 2, 2018 message, The 7: Jesus. This message is part of our series, "The 7." See other messages in this series.

Summary

Who is Jesus? Do you have a biblical understanding of who He is? How you answer those two questions will have great implications for your life and for your relationships. Ephesians 4 shows us that Jesus proves who He is by changing our relationships, by giving people purpose, and by making people new.

Key Takeaways

Watermark’s Belief Statement – Jesus

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God, fulfill prophecy and redeem sinful man. We believe He accomplished our redemption through His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection. We believe our redemption and salvation are guaranteed by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and that He is the only means of salvation (John 1:1, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 2:5).

We believe that Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, and the Head of the church. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, exalted to the right hand of God where, as High Priest to His people, He serves as our Advocate and intercedes for us (Colossians 1:15-19; Hebrews 1:3; 3:1; 7:23-25; 1 John 2:1-2).

Jesus proves who He is by changing relationships (Ephesians 4:1-6)

  • The very first implication of Jesus in our lives that Paul addresses in Ephesians 4 is relationships
  • Chances are, if you mapped out your life, the highs and lows would probably have less to do with circumstances and more to do with the quality of your relationships
  • When people ask to meet with staff or elders at Watermark, we always ask for someone from their community—if not their entire community—to join. It’s much easier to get clarity about someone’s walk with Jesus by hearing how they’re treating those closest to them.

Jesus proves who He is by giving people purpose (Ephesians 4:11-15)

  • “Our greatest fear should not be of failure…but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” -Francis Chan
  • Purpose is found when you realize life isn’t about you.
  • No one is beyond purpose because no one is beyond the love and grace of Jesus.
  • Giving your life away for Jesus is the adventure you were made for.

Jesus proves who He is by making people new (Ephesians 4:17-24)

  • Jesus doesn’t make you over or make you different…He makes you new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  • We must continually die to our flesh and walk in new life, a life surrendered to the kindness of Jesus.
  • The battle for change starts in your mind—what you believe and how you think—and then it moves to your will, which you must surrender daily.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” -C.S. Lewis

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  • Who is Jesus to you? What impact has Jesus had in the relationships in your life?
  • Ask the five people in your life you are closest to what they think you are best at…what you spend the most time, money, and energy trying to succeed at. Did their answers surprise you? In the next week, what’s one thing you can do to focus on succeeding at eternal things?
  • What area of your life are you most prone to believe the lie that Jesus didn’t make you new (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that your sin still defines you? Share this with your community group, and then, memorize and meditate on 2 Corinthians 5:17 whenever you are tempted.