Parable of the pit!
Wesley Methodist Church Singapore
Bible text: Matthew 3:13-17
The identity of Jesus
MJC1 Meeting Jesus in the Zhisorls Campaign week one.
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming.
Overview of your role for MJC
READ the allocated daily bible passage: Ususally 2-3 chapters a day.
Don't try to study every detail.
Rather, listen to and hear what is Gid saying to you through that passage.
Use the ROAD strategy.
Read
Observe
Apply
Do
Hear what is saying to you today.
Participate in your MJC small group
Prepare
Share
Memorize the memory verses
A) for the whole campaign
B) for the week
As you read God's Word through the gospels, pray that the seeds will fall on good soil and take root and yield a great crop 100 fold.
IDENTITY OF JESUS
Why was Jesus baptised?
His baptism was recorded in the three synoptic gospels
and was alluded to in John's gospel.
John the Baptist preached repentance and his babptism was for repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Yest Jesus was without sin.
Matt 3:15"It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness"
Is 58: the suffering servant numbered with the transgressors
By being baptised, Jesus identified with sinners
The dove was the the sacrificial animal for poor people.
As the dove descended on esus, Jesus identifies wit the lowly, the sinner, the tax collector the prostitute, the marginalised.
IS THERE DARKENESS IN YOUR OWN SOUL?
Jesus says "I am standing with you in this.", for those who need to be cleansed.
However low you are in the pit
Jesus is with you.
“The Parable of the Pit,” (from John Maxwell)
A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
An objective person came along and said, “It’s logical that someone would fall down into that pit.”
A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into a pit.”
Confucius said, “If you would have listened to me you wouldn’t be in that pit.”
Buddha said, “Your pit is only a state of mind.”
A realist said, “Now that’s a pit!”
A scientist calculated the pressure necessary, pounds and square inches, to get him out of the pit.
A geologist told him to appreciate and study the rock strata in the pit
An evolutionist said, “You will die in the pit so you can’t produce any more pit-falling offspring.”
The country inspector said, “Did you have a permit to dig that pit?”
A professor gave him a lecture on the elementary principles of the pit.
A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit!”
An optimist said, “Things could get worse.”
A pessimist said, “Things are going to get worse.”
But Jesus saw the man in the pit, took him by the hand, and lifted him out.
[This passage is one of the earliest mention of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together from which we get the doctrine of the trinity]
From Matthew 3:17 we get a powerful message
And a voice from heaven said,"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased".
Three main points
A) This is my son
The Son
the only begotten son.
This statement was for us, addressed to us.
It was telling us that Jesus is the son of God
Mark 1:11 records
And a voice came from heaven,"You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased".
This was an affirmation from God to Jesus.
B) Whom I love.
God loves Jesus (just because God chooses to love his son)
C) "with whom I am well pleased."
I (God) delight in him
I (God) am delighted with Jesus.
And God who loves his son, loves us so much that he sacrifices his son for us.
Jesus is secure in his identity as God's son.
What about you?
Is your identity shaken by over demanding father?
achievments never enough?
sexually abused when young?
low self esteem?
still trying to delight your long dead father?
yet still filled with low self esteem?
God says to you
You are my son
you are my daughter
I love you
I am delighted in you.
This is possible because of God's grace.
God said this to Jesus before his ministry
(Jesus had not begun any good works)
God decided to love Jesus.
And also you..
There is nothing you need to do or can do to earn God's love.
Just accept that Jesus paid the price.
YET, for many of us these facts remain only as head knowledge
They do not transform into heart knowledge.
The life we lead does not tally.
As a child of God (not a slave)
there is open channels for conversation: Prayer.
Tell God what goes on in your life.
Galatians 4:7 No longer a slave but a son. Now an heir.
Yet we live mundane lives with our ownpower
Lacking God's power.
Experience out of this world peace.
The reality of God.
Giants fall down before your very eyes.
The Holy Spirit dewlls in you nce you are baptised.
How to tap this power?
By surrender.
Relationships
life partner
hildren
lifestyle
how you view yourself.
Is this are guarded?
your 'god'
blocked off to Jesus: you wont let him go there?
Do you need a fresh impartation of the Spirit?
Not living tothe full reality of being a Child of God?
CEASE STRIVING
Just know that God loes you just as you are.
Are you living out your heritage as God's son, God's daughter?
Pehaps some area of your life are locked to God.
Give him the key today.
As I listened to the sermn today, the main take home message for me was this:
God was giving me a personal affirmation through Matthew 3:17.
God says to me:
You Su Min are my son whom I love.
With you Su Min, I am well pleased.
God chooses to have a personal intimate family relationship with me. He decides that I am his son.
God chooses to love me just as I am.
There is nothing I can do to make God love me more.
There is nothing I can do to make God love me less.
God the Creator is pleased with me the created,
specifically, uniquely me, Su Min.
He enjoys me.
he is happy with me.
I bring him joy.
What a God!
No comments:
Post a Comment