Let's Talk About Jesus! - Brandon Dukes

Welcome to the official podcast of the Church

of Christ Wheeler area. We're so glad that you've

tuned in for today's message. Whether you're

on your morning commute or if you're relaxing

at home, we're here to share the strength and

truth of God's Word with our community. If you're

in the neighborhood, we'd love to meet you in

person. Come see us at 1500 South Allen L. Bean

Boulevard right here in Wheeler, Texas. We gather

every Sunday morning at 1030 a .m. and in the

afternoon at 230 p .m. We meet again on Wednesdays

at 7 p .m. Right now, let's open our Bibles together

and dive into today's sermon. We've been singing

about Jesus this morning. So let's talk about

Jesus. I appreciate the songs that we have sung

this morning You know, I suppose every song has

something about Jesus in it But these that we

have saying this morning were specific about

Jesus I suppose every sermon we preach has something

about Jesus or at least should have something

about Jesus in it But I want to talk specifically

about our Lord and our Savior this morning because

there is no greater thing as Monty prays in his

prayer we are most thankful for Jesus amen we

are certainly most thankful for Jesus because

without him nothing else matters Nothing else

matters. We're in a season of celebration and

we've had several graduates that have graduated

from this congregation and we celebrated them

last week and we celebrated them through their

ceremonies throughout this week. And I hear a

recurring theme at those graduations that people

say and they'll say, follow your dreams. And

it's great to follow your dreams, but I want

to tell you something this morning. If your dream

is not centered on Jesus, you better find a different

dream. Center your dreams on Jesus. Jesus is

all that matters and you can go and be successful

and do whatever you want to do and that's great

but Jesus must remain in the high place. Jesus

deserves to be the center of our universe. Jesus

deserves to be the focal point of everything

we do and everything must come below that. If

we're going to have a job and we're going to

contribute to society that's great but we do

that through the lens of Jesus we contribute

through Jesus and by his standards and when we

do that we will be the best at whatever it is

that we do because we'll do it hardly as unto

the Lord if we're going to go and have fun and

entertain ourselves we do that through the lens

of Jesus through understanding who Jesus is and

how he wants us to behave and what he wants us

to prioritize Jesus must be the center of our

universe As we think about how we would talk

about Jesus The Apostle John said in his, as

he concluded his writings, that there were many

other things that Jesus did of the which if they

would all be written down, the books or the scrolls

could not, the earth couldn't contain those books.

And so I could talk for a long time about Jesus.

I could talk for a long time about what Jesus

did in terms of the miracles he performed. And

we only have just a fraction of those things

recorded for us. If all those things were recorded,

we couldn't even put all the books in this building

or this town or this county or this or this world

because he did so much the power of his teaching

as he concluded the Sermon on the Mount it said

he taught them as one having authority and not

as the scribes when he spoke his words had power

And we could talk about a lot of different things,

but I think there's a verse that summarizes Jesus

very nicely. And it again is the Apostle John

as he begins his letter to the seven churches

in Asia in the book of Revelation. These people

are about to face some intense persecution. They're

about to go through a time frame in which they

were going to be terribly persecuted. Some of

them were going to have to give their lives.

They were going to sacrifice and sacrifice and

sacrifice. and John being inspired by the Holy

Spirit could have given them a political platform

in which they could have overthrown the Roman

government, took power, seized control, and set

up a society completely and totally based on

the principles of Christianity. John could have

gave them that platform, but he didn't. John

could have told them run for the hills, get out

of this place and go to some island somewhere

far, far away and there set up a society based

on the principles of Christianity and don't worry

about all this other stuff going on. But that's

not what John did. John told them about the only

thing that mattered. As he's getting ready to

prepare them for intense persecution, he tells

them about Jesus. And he says this in Revelation

1 and verse number 5, and from Jesus Christ,

who is the faithful witness and the firstborn

from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of

the earth, to him that loved us and washed us

from our sins in his own blood, and has made

us kings and priests to his God and father. To

him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

What a summary of our Lord. What a summary of

Jesus and what he is who he is and why we should

want to follow him and So that's what I want

to talk about I want to just take these points

that John talked about and and Expound on those

just a little bit this morning. Jesus Christ

is the faithful witness When something happens,

whether it's something good or something bad,

we want a witness to confirm what has happened,

don't we? The police are looking for the witness

that can say that person did the crime. and I

was there and I saw it and I know that person

did the crime. If Gage hits a hole in one, he

wants somebody to be there to see that and witness

because if he just comes back and starts telling

us I hit a hole in one, no, no, no, we don't

believe that. But if somebody was there and they

said I saw him do it, he did it, then we're like

okay. Somebody trustworthy, somebody we believe.

Who better to believe than Jesus? Jesus is the

faithful witness. When Jesus said something,

when Jesus confirmed something, we know it was

the truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth

and the life. He is truth. And so when he says

something, we can trust it. We know that it's

truth. In a world where we're looking for truth,

we're looking for something to hold onto, something

to be secure in, something to grab ahold of,

it's Jesus. It's as simple as that. It is Jesus.

John 18 and 37, Pilate therefore said to him,

are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say

rightly that I am a king for this cause. I was

born for this cause. I came into the world that

I should bear witness of the truth or to the

truth. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.

Everyone who is of truth, he says, here's my

voice. When Jesus said something, it's the truth.

When Jesus said, This is how you follow me. It's

the truth. When Jesus said this is how I want

you to go and make disciples of all nations,

it's the truth. When Jesus said I'll blot your

sins out, it's the truth. It's the truth. Nobody

else can do that. Nobody else can take your sins

away, but Jesus said he could do it, and it's

the truth. John chapter 8 and verse 14, Jesus

John 8 · chapter mention

answered and said to them, even if I bear witness

of myself, my witness is true. For I know where

I came from and where I'm going, but you do not

know where I came from and where I'm going. Jesus

said, I can bear witness of myself. I am the

truth. I can't bear witness of myself. You wouldn't

believe me. But we can believe Jesus. Jesus could

bear witness of himself. And if that wasn't enough,

there are so many other witnesses that bear witness

of him, that told of what happened, that he was

risen from the grave. They're witnesses. They

saw that happen. Eyewitness accounts. But Jesus

himself said, I'm going to die. I'm going to

be risen from the grave. That was the truth.

He predicted it. He did it. And when he says,

I'm coming again and to receive you unto myself,

that's the truth. We can count on that, that

someday that's going to happen, that he's going

to come back. And that if we've been faithful

to him, if we've been washed in his blood, then

he's going to take us back with him. That's the

truth. Jesus Christ is the firstborn or the first

begotten of the dead. What does that mean exactly?

Other people were risen from the dead before

Jesus we go back to the Old Testament Elisha

and Elijah both Resurrected someone from the

dead someone that was dead and they by a miracle

a miraculous thing Raised them from the dead

Jesus himself raised other people from the from

the dead People who who were confirmed to be

dead Lazarus was in the grave four days And Jesus

brought him forth from the grave. And so why

does it call Jesus the firstborn of the dead?

Here's the reality. Every one of those people

that were risen before Jesus, they died again.

Lazarus had two funerals. He died again. It is

a miraculous thing that he was brought forth

from the grave but he was still mortal and he

still tasted of death again. Jesus Christ did

not. Revelation 1 and 18, I am he who lives and

was dead and behold I am alive forevermore. Jesus

never died again. He tasted of death once, he

rose from the grave and he never died again.

He is sitting on the right hand of God in power

and in glory and he never died again and he is

the firstborn. He's the only one to do that.

The only one to do that and now listen to what

the Bible tells us in 1st Corinthians 15 and

20 but now Christ is risen from the dead and

has become the firstfruits of those who have

fallen asleep. For since by man came death by

man also came the resurrection of the dead for

as in Adam all die Even so in Christ shall all

be made alive, but each one in his own order

Christ the firstfruits afterward those who are

Christ that is coming the Bible tells us that

when Jesus Returns that the Trump is going to

sound and the dead in Christ will rise first

first Jesus overcame death. That's your Savior

That's your Lord. That's the one that you serve

and the one that you've submitted yourself to

no other Religion can say that there's not an

empty tomb for Mohammed There's not an empty

tomb for the Buddha. There's not an empty tomb

for any other World religion, but for Christ

there's an empty tomb He's risen from the grave

That's your Lord. That's your Savior. We ought

to rejoice in that every single day We ought

to rejoice in that what a glorious thought That

because he's risen someday will rise Because

he lives with God someday will live with God

because he's the first fruits. He's the firstborn.

He's not the only one Someday there will be many

more his children his people and that's the design.

That's what it's all about He's the ruler over

the kings of the earth There are a lot of people

that fight really hard for power And they struggle

their entire life to get into power Maybe for

four years maybe for eight years Maybe for most

of a lifetime in in other countries they rule

and they have power and they have authority and

people in Some places bow down to them For sure

they obey them they do what they say, but you

know really their power is limited their power

is limited People could rebel and overthrow them

you may rebel against Christ, but you will not

overthrow him You may rebel against his teachings

you will not overthrow him the promise was that

in the days in which Jesus came to this world

That God would set up a kingdom that would never

fall that kingdom will never fall that kingdom

will go on through eternity It will never be

overthrown. There's not a ruler that's ever lived

that has that kind of power to rule forever in

eternity And that's the Lord you serve That's

our Master, that's our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28 and 18, Jesus came and spoke to them

saying, all authority or all power has been given

unto me in heaven and in earth. every bit of

it. There's nothing left out. He has all power,

and it's easy to look at Jesus as he lived. Jesus

in bodily form, how the miracles that he performed,

he showed power over life and death. He brought

people back from the grave. He showed power over

nature itself. When he spoke and said, for the

winds to stop blowing, the winds stop blowing.

that's the power that he had and even his own

apostles marveled at that and they said how can

this be that he just speaks and the winds obey

his voice that's the power that he had because

he's the creator of the universe he's the creator

in John chapter 1 it talks about the fact that

John 1 · chapter mention

he was there with God in the beginning all things

were made by him and without him was not anything

made that was made He's the ruler of the kings

of the earth. And those kings may have temporary

power. Jesus is the ruler. He's the king of kings.

1st Timothy chapter 6 and verse 15. He who is

the blessed and the only potentate, the king

of kings, the Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,

dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man

has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting

power. Amen. That's our Lord That's our Savior

The light in which he now dwells is unapproachable

We haven't seen light like that. We haven't seen

light so amazing so magnificent that light was

so bright that even Moses as he approached God

on the mountain when he came down they had to

put a veil over his face because it was so bright

just the reflection from Being in that presence,

not seeing it, but being in that presence. That's

the power of our Savior. You serve a powerful

Lord. Be thankful that we're on His side. That's

who He is. Now what has He done for us? He loved

us. We sing the song, Jesus loves me. I'll be

honest. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around

that. Why? Why in the world does Jesus love me?

You see, you don't know everything I've done.

You don't know everything I've done, but he does.

He knows everything I've done and loves me still.

Loves me still. Loved me so much that he was

willing to die on the cross. Loved me so much

that he was willing to shed his blood. If I had

done to you what I have done to Jesus you would

not love me You would not I Know you're a forgiving

group of people But you wouldn't love me if you

had done to me What you have done to Jesus? I

wouldn't love you Wouldn't know how Wouldn't

know wouldn't know how to grasp that level of

forgiveness, but your Lord loves you He loves

you He cares for you He left a pattern for you

to follow so you could have a relationship with

him so that he could justify you so that he could

Purify you so that he could make you holy so

that someday he could take you home to be with

God That's how much he loves you Galatians 2

and verse 20, I've been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives

in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh,

I live by the faith of the Son of God, listen,

who loved me and gave himself for me. It's the

bottom line of it all that Christ loves you.

He wants a relationship with you. He died. to

preserve a relationship with you. If he hadn't

done that, there's no hope. There's no life.

There's no overcoming death. There's no anything

beyond the grave. But Christ loved you and he

gave himself for you to make a pathway through

his death, burial, and resurrection, that you

could enter into a relationship with him, that

you could be justified, that you could be sanctified,

that you could be glorified in him. Ephesians

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5 and verse 2, and walk in love as Christ

has loved us and given himself for us an offering

and sacrifice for a sweet smelling aroma. Christ

came to this earth to be a sacrifice. He was

born among the animals that would be sacrificed

and he became a sacrifice. sacrifice for us a

sweet smelling aroma that when God looks at me

and my pitiful nature he can forgive me he can

love me because of his son that when he looks

at you and all the mistakes you've made and all

the things you've done that he can forgive you

because of the blood of the lamb because of the

sacrifice of Jesus Christ he loved you don't

ever forget that He loves you when you're on

top of the mountain and when everything's going

your way and you can do no wrong Everything's

perfect. He loves you and he loves you when you're

in the valley when you're in the gutter when

Everything is going wrong and you just can't

seem to do anything right. He loves you still

He wants a relationship with you and he's made

away. He's made away. You don't have to stay

there You can crawl out of the gutter Because

Jesus loves you He washed us from our sins. He

loved you so much that he washed you from your

sins. Sin is the ultimate problem, isn't it?

It's the ultimate problem. Adam and Eve started

that problem way back in the garden. They severed

a perfect relationship with God. Can you imagine?

You know, we talk about understanding the presence

of God. God is among us today. We know that,

that He is among us. And we feel his presence

in some way in that regard but can you imagine

in the Garden of Eden as God came down and walked

with them in the cool of the day? The presence

of God what that must have felt like and yet

they committed sin and they severed that relationship

and God drove them out and he put He made it

where they could not get back there. They could

not come back into his presence knowing that

someday the only way to fix that was through

Jesus and Jesus came and he died so that we could

have that relationship again and someday we're

going to enjoy God in that sense of his presence

if we'll let Jesus wash our sins away Titus chapter

Titus 3 · chapter mention

3 and verse 5 not by works of righteousness which

ye have done but according to his mercy he saved

us through the washing of regeneration and renewing

of the holy ghost or Holy Spirit. The washing

of regeneration. We gotta have that washing.

You think about blood, it's not known to be something

that cleanses, is it? From a physical standpoint.

You get a nosebleed and you drop a drop of blood

on the carpet and you got to get down there and

scrub and scrub and scrub because it doesn't

clean the carpet. It makes it a whole lot worse.

You got it on your face. I had a couple things

where I hit my head and I bled on my head and

I just scrubbed and scrubbed trying to get all

that blood off. It's not clean, but it talks

about the blood of Jesus as a cleansing agent.

It cleanses. And that's part of God's plan going

all the way back to the beginning when he asked

for a sacrifice from Cain and Abel. He wanted

blood sacrifice. And that's just carried all

the way through until Jesus had to shed his blood

on the cross. And it says we're washed and we're

regenerated. How do we do that? Acts 22 and 16

says, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized

and wash away your sins, calling on the name

of the Lord. When we're baptized, we come in

contact with the blood of Jesus through a spiritual

sense. It washes us. It cleanses us. That's how

he takes our sins away. And then when God looks

at you, he sees the perfect blood of the lamb,

he who washed us and cleansed us from our sins

in his own blood. He sees the blood of the lamb.

He sees the blood over the doorpost and he passes

by and he gives us life and he gives us hope

because we're Christ's. We serve a Lord that

loved us and gave himself for us. And it says

that he washed us from our sins and made us kings

and priests. When you think about that, you're

not some lowly servant. Now we talk about serving

Jesus a lot, and certainly we're servants, and

we're to be slaves to righteousness. We're to

be bound in that way. But it's very, very different.

The Bible tells us that we'll be joint heirs

with Christ. He's not made us just some nobody.

He's made you a king and a priest. When you put

on his blood you put on the priestly robe and

you put on Christ you are his and you are a king

and a priest 1st Peter chapter 2 in verse 9 you're

a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy

nation his own Special people that you may proclaim

the praises of him who called you out of darkness

into his marvelous light Wow Think about the

power of that verse of that scripture. Who are

you? You're a royal priesthood a chosen generation

Holy nation you are God's people People look

at what's going on for four across the the earth

on the other side of the earth to say they say

that's God's chosen people The reality is your

God's chosen people. You're the royal priesthood

You're the holy nation and you're all of those

things not because of anything you did Not because

of any work you have done But because you've

chosen to put on Christ When you put on Christ,

you're his You're his people Romans chapter 5

Romans 5 · chapter mention

and verse 17, for if by one man's offense death

reigns through the one, much more those who receive

the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness

will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

We reign through him, only through Jesus. So

as we look at these things, this is the God,

this is the Christ we serve. This is our Savior,

our Lord. Do you know Him? Do you have a relationship

with Him? He's the faithful witness. He's the

firstborn of the dead. He's the ruler over the

kings of the earth. That's somebody you need

a relationship with. That's somebody who can

move things for you. That's somebody who can

make you right with God. You need a relationship

with Him. Do you know Him? The one that loves

you, that's willing to wash you from your sins.

Maybe he's washed you today, maybe he hasn't.

I don't know. You need him to wash you from your

sins. And if you need him to wash you from your

sins, what are you waiting for? Rise and be baptized

and wash away those sins. Enjoy the washing of

regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.

That's what the Bible says. He'll make you a

king and a priest. And for those reasons, John

said to him, be glory and dominion forever. Amen.

Let's glorify Jesus in our daily walk. Let's

glorify him in everything that we do in word

or deed. Let's glorify him. Let's give him praise.

Let's give him honor. Let's put him in the high

place where he belongs. Don't let anything come

before Jesus in your life. Study his word. Make

that a priority. Be in His church. Make that

a priority. Tell people about Him. Make that

a priority because to Him is glory and dominion

forever. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's

sermon from the Church of Christ Wheeler area.

We hope this message encouraged you and strengthened

you in your faith this week. Don't forget the

door is always open at 1500 South Allen L. Bean

Boulevard. at 10 30 a .m on sundays 2 30 p .m

on sunday afternoons and recharge with us midweek

on wednesdays at 7 p .m for more information

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we hope you have a blessed week and we'll see

you next time