#246 Open House Series# 2, God-The Son

#246 Open House Series# 2, God-The Son
By: Pastor Karl Thomas

Ephesians 2:19-20
“You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are His house,…” 

Any Concept of God that is built through a preconceived filter will limit your ability to connect with God.

Exodus 34:5-7
“God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn’t ignore sin … He holds … responsible…”  

Father Son And Holy Spirit
Matthew 3:16-17
Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

John 8:58 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” (Message)
“Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything.”

John 10:30,33
“I and My Father are one.”
“The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’”

John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Acts 4:12
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis considers this very common viewpoint and concludes his chapter “The Shocking Alternative” with these penetrating words:
“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 or 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 human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Passage describes a private conversation with His disciples toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. His last journey to Jerusalem is at hand, and he will soon face the horrors of the cross. Over the past 3 1/2 years, His disciples they have observed Jesus as He … taught and preached … healed the lame the sick and the blind … cast out demons … and raised the dead
Who do you believe that I am?

Location of discussion is set in the District of Caesarea Philippi, ……an area about 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee …… about 120 miles from Jerusalem.
The region was strongly identified with various religions:
It had been a center for Baal worship; ….. the Greek god Pan ……had shrines there.
And Herod the Great …… built a temple there …..to honor ….. Augustus Caesar.
It was in the midst of this pagan superstition
Before we move to the next stage of ministry we need to get this straight.   Who do you say that I am? 

Matthew 16:13-19
13 When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”   ALL WOULD BE REINCARNATIONS … Large % of world believe in Reincarnation today
15 He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17-18 Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
19 “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”

1. Blessing
    “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah!” The blessing is everything.
     Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2. Revelation
     “God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.”
     Tap into the expression of the Father. Divine connection.   1 Corinthians 2:16 “But we have the mind of Christ.”

3. Identity
     “…tell you who you are, really are.” 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God;”

4. Purpose
     “…the rock on which I will put together my church,” God created you on purpose.
    Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord … plans for good…”

5. Freedom
     “…not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
     You are powerful! Daniel 11:32   “…the people who know there God shall be strong and so exploits.”

6. Authority
     “…access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door:”
      You only give your keys to people you really know and trust.

Charles B. Williams, The New Testament:  A Translation:
“The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted].”

Matthew 16:19 “…whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in
heaven.”

Ghandi
“If the world knew the Christ of Christians they would accept him but because they know the Christians of Christ they reject him.”

Isaiah 22:22 “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder;”
Isaiah 9:6 “And the government will be upon His shoulder.”
What did Jesus carry on His shoulder? CROSS

Ephesians 1:7
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”       

Romans 8:15
“…but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

246 Open House Series# 2, The Son, PowerPoint Slides 

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