August 27-28, 2005, Selected

HARD ROCK CHANDLER!
ROCK’N ROLL!

QUESTION NUMBER 1: WHO IS JESUS?
WHO IS JESUS? GOD IN THE FLESH!
*** Titus 2:13 “...while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ....” [New International Version]
*** John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” [NIV]
● HE IS OMNISCIENT: John 6:64 “For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.” [NIV]
● HE IS OMNIPRESENT: John 8:58 “I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" [NIV]
● HE IS OMNIPOTENT: Matthew 8:26-27 “He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" [NIV]

HE CALLS HIMSELF, GOD!
***John 5:16-18 “So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” [NIV]

HIS ENEMIES CALL HIM GOD!
Mark 14:60-64 “The high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus,..."Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.” [NIV]

HIS FRIENDS ACKNOWLEDGED HIM AS GOD!
*** Matthew 16:13-18 “When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his followers, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked them, "And who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered, "You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because no person taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who I am. So I tell you, you are Peter. On this rock I will build my church, and the power of death will not be able to defeat it.” [New Century Version]
*** 1 Peter 2:7-8 “You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn't precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over that stone, because they were doomed.” [Contemporary English Version]

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT YOU CAN EVER KNOW IS WHO JESUS IS!
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU CAN MAKE IS WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?

QUESTION NUMBER 2: HOW CAN I KNOW IT'S TRUE?
THE EVIDENCE OF HISTORY!
- EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT or MORE THAN A CARPENTER by Josh McDowell
- THE CASE FOR CHRIST by Lee Strobel

THE EVIDENCE OF HIS LIFE!

● HE LIVED A SINLESS LIFE!
*** John 8:45-46 “So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me?”

● HE PERFORMED MIRACLES!
*** John 11:47-48 “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They asked. "Here is this man [Jesus] performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him….” [NIV]

THE EVIDENCE OF HIS RESURRECTION!

● THE EMPTY TOMB!

PEOPLE DON’T CONSISTENTLY DIE FOR A LIE!

● THE EYEWITNESSES!
*** Matthew 28:1-7 “The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead. The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn't here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life ...." [CEV]

THE EVIDENCE OF HOPE!

QUESTION NUMBER 3: WHAT MUST I DO ABOUT IT?

BELIEVE! ADMIT! SURRENDER! EXPRESS!

CELEBRATE! - Col. 1:27 “For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you..... For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.” [New Living Translation]

CONSECRATE! - 1 Cor. 15:55-58 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” [New American Standard Version]

COMMUNICATE! - 2 Cor. 5:19-20 “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" [NLT]