https://rlcf.church/media/sermons/proving-ive-been-with-jesus
River of Life Christian Fellowship
1306 N Lincoln Avenue
Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker emphasizes that true spiritual connection with Jesus goes beyond merely reading the Bible; one must genuinely meet with the Lord. He uses the example of the Pharisees to illustrate that mere knowledge of scripture does not equate to true understanding or relationship. Ultimately, the message encourages believers to move past intellectual knowledge to personally experience and know God, comparing this to the shepherd diligently seeking out the one lost sheep.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Are we meeting with the Lord or just the Bible?The speaker reflects on whether reading God's word translates to truly meeting with the humble person of Jesus, which should produce increasing humility in our lives.
The Pharisees knew the scriptures but missed JesusThe Pharisees knew the scriptures so well that they confidently challenged Nicodemus, yet they completely failed to recognize Jesus when he came.John 7:52
Searching the scriptures without coming to ChristJesus points out that people search the scriptures thinking they have eternal life in them, yet they are unwilling to come directly to him to have life.John 5:39–40
The undeniable testimony of being with JesusObservers recognized that Peter and John were uneducated men, but they were amazed because they realized these men had spent time with Jesus.
Entering a world of perishing and condemned peopleGod sent His Son into a perishing world not to condemn it further, since people were already condemned, but to save them from their sins.John 3:16–18
Jesus takes great pains to find the helplessJesus actively seeks out those who are weak, broken, helpless, physically sick, and demon-possessed, just as a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost one.
Eternal life is knowing God personallyEternal life is defined as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ personally, moving beyond a secondhand belief like hearing about ice cream to actually tasting that the Lord is good.John 17:3
Leaving religious traditions to meet the desperateAfter correcting the Pharisees for replacing God's commands with human traditions, Jesus walked thirty-five miles to Tyre where a desperate Canaanite woman fell at his feet.Mark 7:1
Recognizing our true lowliness before GodCompared to the vastness of the nations, human beings are like a speck of dust on a scale, and it is prideful to think highly of our own accomplishments.Isaiah 40:15
God has never failed those who trust His promisesEvery single good promise of God to Israel came to pass, and God puts us in difficult circumstances so we can prove our trust in Him.Joshua 21:45
God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humbleGod opposes proud individuals, even causing Satan to fall from heaven, but He gives unmeasured grace and support to those who walk in humility.
Trimming our strength so we depend on God aloneGod reduced Gideon's army down to three hundred men against a massive host so that Israel would not boast in their own power.Judges 7:2
Hudson Taylor's deep personal knowledge of GodYoung Hudson Taylor faced intense storms on his journey to China because he knew God personally through the scriptures he memorized in his youth.
Visible evidence of meeting with GodJust as Moses' face shone and Stephen's face looked like the face of an angel, meeting with God leaves an undeniable outward evidence in a person's life.
John recognized the risen Lord through intimate knowledgeJohn believed in the resurrection upon seeing the neatly folded grave clothes because he knew his Lord's personal habits from three and a half years of walking together.
Hearing for yourself and knowing Him firsthandGod's promise is that all will know Him from the least to the greatest, urging every listener to move past secondhand knowledge and experience the Savior for themselves.
https://rlcf.church/media/sermons/proving-ive-been-with-jesus
River of Life Christian Fellowship
1306 N Lincoln Avenue
Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker emphasizes that true spiritual connection with Jesus goes beyond merely reading the Bible; one must genuinely meet with the Lord. He uses the example of the Pharisees to illustrate that mere knowledge of scripture does not equate to true understanding or relationship. Ultimately, the message encourages believers to move past intellectual knowledge to personally experience and know God, comparing this to the shepherd diligently seeking out the one lost sheep.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Are we meeting with the Lord or just the Bible?The speaker reflects on whether reading God's word translates to truly meeting with the humble person of Jesus, which should produce increasing humility in our lives.
The Pharisees knew the scriptures but missed JesusThe Pharisees knew the scriptures so well that they confidently challenged Nicodemus, yet they completely failed to recognize Jesus when he came.John 7:52
Searching the scriptures without coming to ChristJesus points out that people search the scriptures thinking they have eternal life in them, yet they are unwilling to come directly to him to have life.John 5:39–40
The undeniable testimony of being with JesusObservers recognized that Peter and John were uneducated men, but they were amazed because they realized these men had spent time with Jesus.
Entering a world of perishing and condemned peopleGod sent His Son into a perishing world not to condemn it further, since people were already condemned, but to save them from their sins.John 3:16–18
Jesus takes great pains to find the helplessJesus actively seeks out those who are weak, broken, helpless, physically sick, and demon-possessed, just as a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost one.
Eternal life is knowing God personallyEternal life is defined as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ personally, moving beyond a secondhand belief like hearing about ice cream to actually tasting that the Lord is good.John 17:3
Leaving religious traditions to meet the desperateAfter correcting the Pharisees for replacing God's commands with human traditions, Jesus walked thirty-five miles to Tyre where a desperate Canaanite woman fell at his feet.Mark 7:1
Recognizing our true lowliness before GodCompared to the vastness of the nations, human beings are like a speck of dust on a scale, and it is prideful to think highly of our own accomplishments.Isaiah 40:15
God has never failed those who trust His promisesEvery single good promise of God to Israel came to pass, and God puts us in difficult circumstances so we can prove our trust in Him.Joshua 21:45
God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humbleGod opposes proud individuals, even causing Satan to fall from heaven, but He gives unmeasured grace and support to those who walk in humility.
Trimming our strength so we depend on God aloneGod reduced Gideon's army down to three hundred men against a massive host so that Israel would not boast in their own power.Judges 7:2
Hudson Taylor's deep personal knowledge of GodYoung Hudson Taylor faced intense storms on his journey to China because he knew God personally through the scriptures he memorized in his youth.
Visible evidence of meeting with GodJust as Moses' face shone and Stephen's face looked like the face of an angel, meeting with God leaves an undeniable outward evidence in a person's life.
John recognized the risen Lord through intimate knowledgeJohn believed in the resurrection upon seeing the neatly folded grave clothes because he knew his Lord's personal habits from three and a half years of walking together.
Hearing for yourself and knowing Him firsthandGod's promise is that all will know Him from the least to the greatest, urging every listener to move past secondhand knowledge and experience the Savior for themselves.
