Welcome to the official podcast of the Church
of Christ Wheeler area. We're so glad that you've
tuned in for today's message. Whether you're
on your morning commute or if you're relaxing
at home, we're here to share the strength and
truth of God's Word with our community. If you're
in the neighborhood, we'd love to meet you in
person. Come see us at 1500 South Allen L. Bean
Boulevard right here in Wheeler, Texas. We gather
every Sunday morning at 1030 a .m. and in the
afternoon at 230 p .m. We meet again on Wednesdays
at 7 p .m. Right now, let's open our Bibles together
and dive into today's sermon. We've been singing
about Jesus this morning. So let's talk about
Jesus. I appreciate the songs that we have sung
this morning You know, I suppose every song has
something about Jesus in it But these that we
have saying this morning were specific about
Jesus I suppose every sermon we preach has something
about Jesus or at least should have something
about Jesus in it But I want to talk specifically
about our Lord and our Savior this morning because
there is no greater thing as Monty prays in his
prayer we are most thankful for Jesus amen we
are certainly most thankful for Jesus because
without him nothing else matters Nothing else
matters. We're in a season of celebration and
we've had several graduates that have graduated
from this congregation and we celebrated them
last week and we celebrated them through their
ceremonies throughout this week. And I hear a
recurring theme at those graduations that people
say and they'll say, follow your dreams. And
it's great to follow your dreams, but I want
to tell you something this morning. If your dream
is not centered on Jesus, you better find a different
dream. Center your dreams on Jesus. Jesus is
all that matters and you can go and be successful
and do whatever you want to do and that's great
but Jesus must remain in the high place. Jesus
deserves to be the center of our universe. Jesus
deserves to be the focal point of everything
we do and everything must come below that. If
we're going to have a job and we're going to
contribute to society that's great but we do
that through the lens of Jesus we contribute
through Jesus and by his standards and when we
do that we will be the best at whatever it is
that we do because we'll do it hardly as unto
the Lord if we're going to go and have fun and
entertain ourselves we do that through the lens
of Jesus through understanding who Jesus is and
how he wants us to behave and what he wants us
to prioritize Jesus must be the center of our
universe As we think about how we would talk
about Jesus The Apostle John said in his, as
he concluded his writings, that there were many
other things that Jesus did of the which if they
would all be written down, the books or the scrolls
could not, the earth couldn't contain those books.
And so I could talk for a long time about Jesus.
I could talk for a long time about what Jesus
did in terms of the miracles he performed. And
we only have just a fraction of those things
recorded for us. If all those things were recorded,
we couldn't even put all the books in this building
or this town or this county or this or this world
because he did so much the power of his teaching
as he concluded the Sermon on the Mount it said
he taught them as one having authority and not
as the scribes when he spoke his words had power
And we could talk about a lot of different things,
but I think there's a verse that summarizes Jesus
very nicely. And it again is the Apostle John
as he begins his letter to the seven churches
in Asia in the book of Revelation. These people
are about to face some intense persecution. They're
about to go through a time frame in which they
were going to be terribly persecuted. Some of
them were going to have to give their lives.
They were going to sacrifice and sacrifice and
sacrifice. and John being inspired by the Holy
Spirit could have given them a political platform
in which they could have overthrown the Roman
government, took power, seized control, and set
up a society completely and totally based on
the principles of Christianity. John could have
gave them that platform, but he didn't. John
could have told them run for the hills, get out
of this place and go to some island somewhere
far, far away and there set up a society based
on the principles of Christianity and don't worry
about all this other stuff going on. But that's
not what John did. John told them about the only
thing that mattered. As he's getting ready to
prepare them for intense persecution, he tells
them about Jesus. And he says this in Revelation
1 and verse number 5, and from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness and the firstborn
from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of
the earth, to him that loved us and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and has made
us kings and priests to his God and father. To
him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
What a summary of our Lord. What a summary of
Jesus and what he is who he is and why we should
want to follow him and So that's what I want
to talk about I want to just take these points
that John talked about and and Expound on those
just a little bit this morning. Jesus Christ
is the faithful witness When something happens,
whether it's something good or something bad,
we want a witness to confirm what has happened,
don't we? The police are looking for the witness
that can say that person did the crime. and I
was there and I saw it and I know that person
did the crime. If Gage hits a hole in one, he
wants somebody to be there to see that and witness
because if he just comes back and starts telling
us I hit a hole in one, no, no, no, we don't
believe that. But if somebody was there and they
said I saw him do it, he did it, then we're like
okay. Somebody trustworthy, somebody we believe.
Who better to believe than Jesus? Jesus is the
faithful witness. When Jesus said something,
when Jesus confirmed something, we know it was
the truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth
and the life. He is truth. And so when he says
something, we can trust it. We know that it's
truth. In a world where we're looking for truth,
we're looking for something to hold onto, something
to be secure in, something to grab ahold of,
it's Jesus. It's as simple as that. It is Jesus.
John 18 and 37, Pilate therefore said to him,
are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say
rightly that I am a king for this cause. I was
born for this cause. I came into the world that
I should bear witness of the truth or to the
truth. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of truth, he says, here's my
voice. When Jesus said something, it's the truth.
When Jesus said, This is how you follow me. It's
the truth. When Jesus said this is how I want
you to go and make disciples of all nations,
it's the truth. When Jesus said I'll blot your
sins out, it's the truth. It's the truth. Nobody
else can do that. Nobody else can take your sins
away, but Jesus said he could do it, and it's
the truth. John chapter 8 and verse 14, Jesus
answered and said to them, even if I bear witness
of myself, my witness is true. For I know where
I came from and where I'm going, but you do not
know where I came from and where I'm going. Jesus
said, I can bear witness of myself. I am the
truth. I can't bear witness of myself. You wouldn't
believe me. But we can believe Jesus. Jesus could
bear witness of himself. And if that wasn't enough,
there are so many other witnesses that bear witness
of him, that told of what happened, that he was
risen from the grave. They're witnesses. They
saw that happen. Eyewitness accounts. But Jesus
himself said, I'm going to die. I'm going to
be risen from the grave. That was the truth.
He predicted it. He did it. And when he says,
I'm coming again and to receive you unto myself,
that's the truth. We can count on that, that
someday that's going to happen, that he's going
to come back. And that if we've been faithful
to him, if we've been washed in his blood, then
he's going to take us back with him. That's the
truth. Jesus Christ is the firstborn or the first
begotten of the dead. What does that mean exactly?
Other people were risen from the dead before
Jesus we go back to the Old Testament Elisha
and Elijah both Resurrected someone from the
dead someone that was dead and they by a miracle
a miraculous thing Raised them from the dead
Jesus himself raised other people from the from
the dead People who who were confirmed to be
dead Lazarus was in the grave four days And Jesus
brought him forth from the grave. And so why
does it call Jesus the firstborn of the dead?
Here's the reality. Every one of those people
that were risen before Jesus, they died again.
Lazarus had two funerals. He died again. It is
a miraculous thing that he was brought forth
from the grave but he was still mortal and he
still tasted of death again. Jesus Christ did
not. Revelation 1 and 18, I am he who lives and
was dead and behold I am alive forevermore. Jesus
never died again. He tasted of death once, he
rose from the grave and he never died again.
He is sitting on the right hand of God in power
and in glory and he never died again and he is
the firstborn. He's the only one to do that.
The only one to do that and now listen to what
the Bible tells us in 1st Corinthians 15 and
20 but now Christ is risen from the dead and
has become the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep. For since by man came death by
man also came the resurrection of the dead for
as in Adam all die Even so in Christ shall all
be made alive, but each one in his own order
Christ the firstfruits afterward those who are
Christ that is coming the Bible tells us that
when Jesus Returns that the Trump is going to
sound and the dead in Christ will rise first
first Jesus overcame death. That's your Savior
That's your Lord. That's the one that you serve
and the one that you've submitted yourself to
no other Religion can say that there's not an
empty tomb for Mohammed There's not an empty
tomb for the Buddha. There's not an empty tomb
for any other World religion, but for Christ
there's an empty tomb He's risen from the grave
That's your Lord. That's your Savior. We ought
to rejoice in that every single day We ought
to rejoice in that what a glorious thought That
because he's risen someday will rise Because
he lives with God someday will live with God
because he's the first fruits. He's the firstborn.
He's not the only one Someday there will be many
more his children his people and that's the design.
That's what it's all about He's the ruler over
the kings of the earth There are a lot of people
that fight really hard for power And they struggle
their entire life to get into power Maybe for
four years maybe for eight years Maybe for most
of a lifetime in in other countries they rule
and they have power and they have authority and
people in Some places bow down to them For sure
they obey them they do what they say, but you
know really their power is limited their power
is limited People could rebel and overthrow them
you may rebel against Christ, but you will not
overthrow him You may rebel against his teachings
you will not overthrow him the promise was that
in the days in which Jesus came to this world
That God would set up a kingdom that would never
fall that kingdom will never fall that kingdom
will go on through eternity It will never be
overthrown. There's not a ruler that's ever lived
that has that kind of power to rule forever in
eternity And that's the Lord you serve That's
our Master, that's our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28 and 18, Jesus came and spoke to them
saying, all authority or all power has been given
unto me in heaven and in earth. every bit of
it. There's nothing left out. He has all power,
and it's easy to look at Jesus as he lived. Jesus
in bodily form, how the miracles that he performed,
he showed power over life and death. He brought
people back from the grave. He showed power over
nature itself. When he spoke and said, for the
winds to stop blowing, the winds stop blowing.
that's the power that he had and even his own
apostles marveled at that and they said how can
this be that he just speaks and the winds obey
his voice that's the power that he had because
he's the creator of the universe he's the creator
in John chapter 1 it talks about the fact that
he was there with God in the beginning all things
were made by him and without him was not anything
made that was made He's the ruler of the kings
of the earth. And those kings may have temporary
power. Jesus is the ruler. He's the king of kings.
1st Timothy chapter 6 and verse 15. He who is
the blessed and the only potentate, the king
of kings, the Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man
has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting
power. Amen. That's our Lord That's our Savior
The light in which he now dwells is unapproachable
We haven't seen light like that. We haven't seen
light so amazing so magnificent that light was
so bright that even Moses as he approached God
on the mountain when he came down they had to
put a veil over his face because it was so bright
just the reflection from Being in that presence,
not seeing it, but being in that presence. That's
the power of our Savior. You serve a powerful
Lord. Be thankful that we're on His side. That's
who He is. Now what has He done for us? He loved
us. We sing the song, Jesus loves me. I'll be
honest. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around
that. Why? Why in the world does Jesus love me?
You see, you don't know everything I've done.
You don't know everything I've done, but he does.
He knows everything I've done and loves me still.
Loves me still. Loved me so much that he was
willing to die on the cross. Loved me so much
that he was willing to shed his blood. If I had
done to you what I have done to Jesus you would
not love me You would not I Know you're a forgiving
group of people But you wouldn't love me if you
had done to me What you have done to Jesus? I
wouldn't love you Wouldn't know how Wouldn't
know wouldn't know how to grasp that level of
forgiveness, but your Lord loves you He loves
you He cares for you He left a pattern for you
to follow so you could have a relationship with
him so that he could justify you so that he could
Purify you so that he could make you holy so
that someday he could take you home to be with
God That's how much he loves you Galatians 2
and verse 20, I've been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh,
I live by the faith of the Son of God, listen,
who loved me and gave himself for me. It's the
bottom line of it all that Christ loves you.
He wants a relationship with you. He died. to
preserve a relationship with you. If he hadn't
done that, there's no hope. There's no life.
There's no overcoming death. There's no anything
beyond the grave. But Christ loved you and he
gave himself for you to make a pathway through
his death, burial, and resurrection, that you
could enter into a relationship with him, that
you could be justified, that you could be sanctified,
that you could be glorified in him. Ephesians
chapter 5 and verse 2, and walk in love as Christ
has loved us and given himself for us an offering
and sacrifice for a sweet smelling aroma. Christ
came to this earth to be a sacrifice. He was
born among the animals that would be sacrificed
and he became a sacrifice. sacrifice for us a
sweet smelling aroma that when God looks at me
and my pitiful nature he can forgive me he can
love me because of his son that when he looks
at you and all the mistakes you've made and all
the things you've done that he can forgive you
because of the blood of the lamb because of the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ he loved you don't
ever forget that He loves you when you're on
top of the mountain and when everything's going
your way and you can do no wrong Everything's
perfect. He loves you and he loves you when you're
in the valley when you're in the gutter when
Everything is going wrong and you just can't
seem to do anything right. He loves you still
He wants a relationship with you and he's made
away. He's made away. You don't have to stay
there You can crawl out of the gutter Because
Jesus loves you He washed us from our sins. He
loved you so much that he washed you from your
sins. Sin is the ultimate problem, isn't it?
It's the ultimate problem. Adam and Eve started
that problem way back in the garden. They severed
a perfect relationship with God. Can you imagine?
You know, we talk about understanding the presence
of God. God is among us today. We know that,
that He is among us. And we feel his presence
in some way in that regard but can you imagine
in the Garden of Eden as God came down and walked
with them in the cool of the day? The presence
of God what that must have felt like and yet
they committed sin and they severed that relationship
and God drove them out and he put He made it
where they could not get back there. They could
not come back into his presence knowing that
someday the only way to fix that was through
Jesus and Jesus came and he died so that we could
have that relationship again and someday we're
going to enjoy God in that sense of his presence
if we'll let Jesus wash our sins away Titus chapter
3 and verse 5 not by works of righteousness which
ye have done but according to his mercy he saved
us through the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the holy ghost or Holy Spirit. The washing
of regeneration. We gotta have that washing.
You think about blood, it's not known to be something
that cleanses, is it? From a physical standpoint.
You get a nosebleed and you drop a drop of blood
on the carpet and you got to get down there and
scrub and scrub and scrub because it doesn't
clean the carpet. It makes it a whole lot worse.
You got it on your face. I had a couple things
where I hit my head and I bled on my head and
I just scrubbed and scrubbed trying to get all
that blood off. It's not clean, but it talks
about the blood of Jesus as a cleansing agent.
It cleanses. And that's part of God's plan going
all the way back to the beginning when he asked
for a sacrifice from Cain and Abel. He wanted
blood sacrifice. And that's just carried all
the way through until Jesus had to shed his blood
on the cross. And it says we're washed and we're
regenerated. How do we do that? Acts 22 and 16
says, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized
and wash away your sins, calling on the name
of the Lord. When we're baptized, we come in
contact with the blood of Jesus through a spiritual
sense. It washes us. It cleanses us. That's how
he takes our sins away. And then when God looks
at you, he sees the perfect blood of the lamb,
he who washed us and cleansed us from our sins
in his own blood. He sees the blood of the lamb.
He sees the blood over the doorpost and he passes
by and he gives us life and he gives us hope
because we're Christ's. We serve a Lord that
loved us and gave himself for us. And it says
that he washed us from our sins and made us kings
and priests. When you think about that, you're
not some lowly servant. Now we talk about serving
Jesus a lot, and certainly we're servants, and
we're to be slaves to righteousness. We're to
be bound in that way. But it's very, very different.
The Bible tells us that we'll be joint heirs
with Christ. He's not made us just some nobody.
He's made you a king and a priest. When you put
on his blood you put on the priestly robe and
you put on Christ you are his and you are a king
and a priest 1st Peter chapter 2 in verse 9 you're
a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy
nation his own Special people that you may proclaim
the praises of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light Wow Think about the
power of that verse of that scripture. Who are
you? You're a royal priesthood a chosen generation
Holy nation you are God's people People look
at what's going on for four across the the earth
on the other side of the earth to say they say
that's God's chosen people The reality is your
God's chosen people. You're the royal priesthood
You're the holy nation and you're all of those
things not because of anything you did Not because
of any work you have done But because you've
chosen to put on Christ When you put on Christ,
you're his You're his people Romans chapter 5
and verse 17, for if by one man's offense death
reigns through the one, much more those who receive
the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
We reign through him, only through Jesus. So
as we look at these things, this is the God,
this is the Christ we serve. This is our Savior,
our Lord. Do you know Him? Do you have a relationship
with Him? He's the faithful witness. He's the
firstborn of the dead. He's the ruler over the
kings of the earth. That's somebody you need
a relationship with. That's somebody who can
move things for you. That's somebody who can
make you right with God. You need a relationship
with Him. Do you know Him? The one that loves
you, that's willing to wash you from your sins.
Maybe he's washed you today, maybe he hasn't.
I don't know. You need him to wash you from your
sins. And if you need him to wash you from your
sins, what are you waiting for? Rise and be baptized
and wash away those sins. Enjoy the washing of
regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
That's what the Bible says. He'll make you a
king and a priest. And for those reasons, John
said to him, be glory and dominion forever. Amen.
Let's glorify Jesus in our daily walk. Let's
glorify him in everything that we do in word
or deed. Let's glorify him. Let's give him praise.
Let's give him honor. Let's put him in the high
place where he belongs. Don't let anything come
before Jesus in your life. Study his word. Make
that a priority. Be in His church. Make that
a priority. Tell people about Him. Make that
a priority because to Him is glory and dominion
forever. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's
sermon from the Church of Christ Wheeler area.
We hope this message encouraged you and strengthened
you in your faith this week. Don't forget the
door is always open at 1500 South Allen L. Bean
Boulevard. at 10 30 a .m on sundays 2 30 p .m
on sunday afternoons and recharge with us midweek
on wednesdays at 7 p .m for more information
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we hope you have a blessed week and we'll see
you next time