BLESSINGS GREETINGS VISIONS OF JESUS!

“1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must [a]shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”  (Revelation 1:1-3)

Many miss out on the blessing of Jesus because of misguided methods of interpreting the scriptures. Too many just listen to every book writer, to every preacher, and ever family member, and miss the mark of understanding because they don’t simply let the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus, do the interpretating. 

GLORY OF GOD AND GLORY OF CREATION

John wrote, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). At verse 14 we know that through the Holy Spirit John tells us exactly who this is referring to — that is Jesus. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (v.14).

Yes, Jesus was the One whom God created all things. Paul confirmed this in his letter to the Colossians, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or [e]principalities or [f]powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16). The speaks of Christ’s preeminence, or the fact of His surpassing all others in superiority. 

Let’s hear of God’s amazing power, love and glory in His being, and His creation…

HIS DEATH – OUR LIFE

We will look at the scripture and see the significance of the death of Christ and the how it applies to the church. Consider Jesus’ words, “25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). 

The best way that we can represent Him, is to understand the power of the gospel. His death brings resurrection power into our lives, and brings within us the ability to resist and stand strong and even stand as light in this dark world. 

CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH – A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Paul’s referring to Christ in this passage, He is the image of the invisible God. It pleased God to send His Son into the world that He might redeem His people. It pleased Him to bruise His own Son, put Him to death, as Isaiah said, and not for His own sake but for ours. 

How much more personal can that be, and that is the relationship that God through Christ wants with you…

CHRIST & HIS CHURCH – FROM THE BEGINNING

Did you know that Jesus Christ the one Who created all things? Including you, and that all things were created for God, for His glory, and that includes you and the church which Christ built which you are a member of if you have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, having been baptized into His body the church (Col. 1:18, 24). We are the elect, members of one another. We have a purpose to benefit one another and those who do not know Christ. Paul wrote, “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 [a]principalities or [b]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.” (Col. 1:16-18). 

In Christ all things consist, He is the Head of the body, the church, and God must have preeminence in all believers hearts, who are living springs of the body of Christ.  

We need to make the connection between Christ and His Church. In this lesson brother Calvin addresses three things that will help us better understand the church and it’s relationship to Christ and salvation. 
1. Sign Seeking
2. Preoccupation
3. Saving Faith
Listen in as these three topics are revealed by the word of God

“13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed  this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not [a]prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13-18). 

Christ and His church is a prevailing theme from the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  In our lesson today we will examine the scriptures to see what this is all about with a goal to make application to our lives as individuals. 

Let us focus on the church–who do we say that He is? For we will be defined as a church by the way we define this. 

We are the church that belongs to God, we know Him, we obey Him.

IN THIS LESSON WE WILL LOOK AT THREE THINGS: (1) The Rock upon which the church is built (2) The Rock upon which the church stands and (3) The Rock which is our Redemption.

THE HEBREW WRITER WROTE, “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME— IN THE VOLUME OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME— TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’ ”” (HEBREWS 10:7). 

Luke records Jesus saying, “…that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:24-25). Everything that happen on that day of Christ, was a fulfillment of all of the old testament scriptures that was leading us and telling us of that moment when Christ had given His life, and when He had rose from the dead. 

Who do you say that I am is the infamous question that Jesus poses, not only to His disciples at that time, but for all time. This question is posed to every man, woman and child who has ever graced God’s green earth today. 

 In this lesson we will be examining three aspects of the life of Christ.  First, the life that He lived. Secondly, the death that He died and third, the grace that He offers. 

The Discipline of the Lord. Discipline as defined by the Oxford Language Dictionary is, “training people to obey rules and orders and punishing them if they do not”. From our text in Hebrews twelve and other passages we will be looking at discipline from a biblical perspective, and Lord willing we will be looking at the different ways to properly respond to God’s discipline and produce the results the please Him.