Jesus

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT HE IS?

Nearly 2.000 years ago, Jesus asked the question, "What do you think of Christ? Whose Son is He?" (Matthew 22:42). A person's answer to that question can determine his or her eternal destiny.

JESUS' PREEXISTENCE

The Apostle John declares Jesus' preexistence in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus says He is "the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 1:8). Jesus reigns eternally (Hebrews 1:8), and He exists before all thins (Colossians 1:17).

JESUS' DEITY

Jesus did not become God-He has always been God (John 5:18), and is the second Person of the Trinity. (Also see: "What We Believe: The Trinity.") Referring to His deity, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I Am" (John 8:58). The preexistence of Jesus Christ and the deity of Jesus Christ are inseparable. It is impossible to accept one and deny the other.

JESUS' INCARNATION

The word incarnation means "in flesh." It denotes the act in which the son of God took to Himself the nature of humanity through the Virgin Birth (Matthew 1:23). John writes, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

JESUS' HUMANITY

For Jesus to represent sinful humanity, He had to become a man. His Virgin Birth, which was essential for Him to be sinless, was prophesied long before it occurred (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18, 23; Luke 1:34-35; and Galatians 4:4). Jesus experienced everything in life that we do: pain, suffering, thirst, hunger, sorrow, anger, and so on. However, Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

JESUS' DEATH

The penalty for our sins is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus died in our place and paid our penalty (Matthew 20:28; John 10:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). Jesus' death on the cross laid the foundation for a righteous God to pardon guilty and sinful people without compromising His righteousness in any way.

JESUS' RESURRECTION

Jesus' resurrection assures us of our future resurrection. Because of His victory over death, we have victory as well. Without the resurrection, there would be no gospel message. His resurrection has been proven beyond a shadow of doubt (Matthew 28:5-8; Luke 24:39; John 20:27028). The empty tomb, the shape of His linen wrappings, and His appearances to many after His crucifixion were just a few of the credible evidences of His resurrection.

JESUS' ASCENSION AND EXALTATION

After His resurrection, Jesus visibly departed from His disciples into heaven (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). His ascension and exaltation were necessary to complete the redemptive work of God. His work was not complete when He rose from the dead (Mark 16:19; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:3).

JESUS' PERSONAL PRAYER

Jesus Christ will return to this earth and receive His church, the body of Christ, to Himself (John 14:4; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7).
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Worship

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

God created humanity with a capacity to know, love, and worship Him. Worship is that place where the heart of God and the heart of His child meet.

Oswald Chambers said, "Worship is giving God the best He has given you." Worship carries the idea of showing reverence to God. It's an active, adoring response whereby we declare His worth, or "worth-ship". To worship means to bow down and pay homage to God: "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalm 95:6).

WHO DO WE WORSHIP?

Jesus said, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve" (Matthew 4:10). People are not worthy of worship, and neither are the idols which people make. God alone is deserving of our worship.

WHY DO WE WORSHIP?

We worship not to get something for ourselves, but because God is the Lord and is worthy of our worship (Psalm 45:11). The Bible declares, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power" (Revelation 4:11). We worship God because of the splendor of His being. God always has sought after worshipers, and continues to do so. He doesn't need our worship, but He desires it-not for His benefit, but for ours.

HOW DO WE WORSHIP?

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Worshiping in spirit means giving God the homage of an enlightened mind and an affectionate heart. Worshiping in truth is to worship God according to the truth He has revealed in His Word, the Bible.

FORMS OF WORSHIP

Worship is not a "spectator sport" where we sit and watch others. Worship requires participation. We worship the Lord through our words of praise and exaltation of God; by giving thanks to God in all things; by blessing His name through living a godly life; and by sharing His love and with others. In short, we worship God with our entire life.

Worship is a sacrifice. The Apostle Paul instructed believers, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1 NIV).

We can make every day a worship experience when we yield ourselves to the Lord. God has created each of us with a mind, heart, and spirit-and wants us to use them for His glory. True worship is not lip service, but life service. Worship can be demonstrated in every area of our lives, every day of our lives.

EXPRESSIONS OF WORSHIP

We express our worship as we read the Bible (Psalm 119), pray give tithes and offerings, and offer praise through music. But the greatest demonstration of worship is through the lives we live.

RESULTS OF WORSHIP

True worship always magnifies God and our outlook toward Him. As God is magnified, everything else becomes insignificant. We begin to see beyond our circumstances and limitations, our fears diminish, and our spirits become refreshed.

SO WHY SHOULD WE WORSHIP GOD?

1. He deserves it.
   Revelation 4:10 - "You are worthy O Lord to receive glory honor and power for you created all things and by Your will they exist and were created".
2. He desires it.
   John 4:23-24 - "the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit adn in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him".
3. He designed us for it.
   1 Peter 2:9 - "You are a chose generation, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of HIm who called you ourt of darkness into HIs marvelous light."
4. He demands it.
   Isaiah 43:21 - "This people I have formed for Myself. They shall declare My praise".
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