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Acts 5:42 - And daily in the temple, and in
every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is
the center of the entire Bible
The "success" of the early church can be summed up
in these words. Their success was not based on programs, plans, or promotions.
They simply taught and preached Jesus Christ.
Peter preached Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost and 3,000
souls were saved.
Peter and John preached Jesus Christ in Acts 3 when the lame
man was healed.
Acts 4 when the early church was commanded to not speak in the
name of Christ, they continued preaching and teaching Jesus Christ, who he is
and what he has come to do.
Acts 5 When the Ananias and Sapphira died because they
wanted the pre-eminence, the early church continued to preach and teach Jesus
Christ.
Peter and John preached Jesus Christ when they were
persecuted.
All the church continued in one accord, preaching and teaching
Jesus Christ.
Paul taught Jesus Christ, proving from the scriptures that
Jesus is the Christ.
Many today might major on some doctrines, but the doctrine of
Christ is, by far, the most important doctrine of all. Rev. 2:4 The
doctrine of Christ is so important that if we lose our first love, we are in
danger of ceasing to be a church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many might deny that Jesus every existed, but they are all
liars. Many might declare that the stories about Jesus have grown, as they are
told and retold. They are all liars. The Bible declares who Jesus is and
what he came to do. The Bible is the word of God, and is absolutely true.
I. He is the promised seed.
A. Gen. 3:15 "And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
1. Gen. 12:7 - as explained in Gal. 3:16 - the
promise is to seed, not seeds.
II. He is the Son of God, whose earthly body
developed in the womb of Mary.
A. Matt. 1:18 - Born of a virgin, which was
prophesied.
1. Matt. 1:23 - "Behold
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with
us."
2. Phil. 2:6-8 - Jesus Christ was in the form of
God, yet left all heaven and its glories to come to the earth and die for
unworthy sinners.
B. Jesus is the creator, who left all heaven and
came to the earth as a part of his creation, his earthly body being formed
in the womb of one of the women he created.
1. John 1:1-3 "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
2. Verse 14 "And
the Word was made 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."
3. Colossians 1:16 (and verses 12-16) reveals
that Jesus Christ not only created everything, but also shed his blood
that we might have redemption of sins.
4. Our sins have separated us from God, not from people.
David said in Psalms 51:4, "Against thee,
thee only, have I sinned
"
C. Jesus is the one who makes it possible for us to
"get to" God.
1. Eph. 2:11-22 Use verse by verse show
how Christ made it possible for us to contact God.
2. The resurrection from the dead reveals that Jesus is
God.
a. Acts 17:32 Mars Hill When Paul declared the
resurrection of the dead, some mocked, others wanted to hear more, and
some rebelled.
b. Acts 26:24 Festus declared that Paul was mad
when he preached about the resurrection from the dead.
III. He is the Son of God. I am my
father are one. John 10:30 (To say that Jesus is the son of God is the
same thing as saying he is God.)
A. Jesus and God have many of the same characteristics.
1. John 5:21 Same attributes "For
as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son
quickeneth whom he will."
2. John 5:23 Same honor "That
all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that
honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."
3. John 5:24 Same life "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
4. John 14:1 Same belief "Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
5. Luke 5:18-24 Same works "And,
behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they
sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they
could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the
multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the
tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw
their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the
scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which
speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But
when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What
reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be
forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that
the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the
sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go
into thine house."
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