TITLE: THE CHRISTIAN & THE CHRIST OF THE BIBLE
TEXT: John 20:31
PURPOSE: to understand the Christian faith and the Christ of the Bible

INTRODUCTION
1. If we survey the Lord’s church in most places, we find ourselves asking the question, “Where?”

A. Where are the mature/strong Christians? Many have gone on to their reward.
B. Where are the young married couples with children? Many have gone off.
C. Where are the young men/woman dedicated to the Lord? Many have gone out.

2. Reminded of the story of the two young boys, 8 and 10. They were always into trouble. The
parents were at a breaking point when the mother heard about a minister who had been
successful in disciplining children in the past. The minister agreed to see them, but individually.

A. The 8 yr. old went first. The minister sat the boy down/sternly asked him, “Where is God?”
The boy gave no response. The minister repeated the question in an even more severe
tone, “Where is God?” Still, the boy gave no reply.

B. This time, the minister raised his voice, shook his finger in the boy’s face, and demanded to
know, “Where is God!” The boy ran out of the room. He went straight home, and hide in the
closet. His older brother followed him into the closet, asking him what had happened. The
8 yr. old replied, “We are in big trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it!”

3. As we look around this assembly, it is not God who is missing, but human souls of all ages.
Young adults have by in large rejected NT worship for what is no more than entertainment.
This is a small number when compared with those who reject Christ and His church altogether.

4. The Lord’s church is composed of those who are “in Christ.” Have we considered the Lord’s church is composed of those who are “of Christ”? ® 1 Cor. 4:1-2.
Paul said we are servants “of Christ,” stewards “of God.” What is required? Faithfulness.

A. Faithfulness is not solely based upon one’s attendance in all the assemblies, though it is an
indication of one’s attitude. Faithfulness involves our service. All of life is to be service
rendered unto God, but not all of life is worship. Worship is a type of service (Gen. 22:5).

1. We are to be Christ’s servants/God’s stewards. We are His workmanship (Eph. 2:10), His instruments to be used to reach out/to seek out, in the hope of saving the lost.

2. We are commanded in Matt. 28:19-20 to go proclaim/produce after our own kind. We are to bear fruit. We understand this is the work God has left us to be stewards over.

B. What if we better understood the Christian faith? Would we then see a greater need to work and serve in God’s kingdom; to be both in Christ/of Christ? We understand God seeks true worshipers (Jn. 4:23); He also seeks faithful laborers (Matt. 9:37-38; Matt. 20:1f.; Jas. 1:22).

I. UNDERSTANDING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
A. Sometimes we speak of a person being “raised in the church.” Sometimes we take for granted
that because one comes from a home where the parents are Christians that this somehow
guarantees the child will be firmly rooted/grounded in biblical Truth. Is this necessarily true?

1. Everyone, regardless of background, must investigate for themselves the facts of the Faith. A person’s faith is just that – personal. Your faith is not based upon the faith of others.
If Christ is going to live within you, your faith must be founded on the one Faith (Eph. 4:5).

2. The Christian Faith is founded on one historical figure, the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
This is the believer’s starting point. The man, Jesus of Nazareth lived upon the earth.
His existence is confirmed, not only by Christian writers, but by secular writers as well.

B. Whatever else is said of Christ, He was human. His spirit dwelt inside the body of a man.
He was born (Lk. 2:7); He grew (Lk. 2:52); He worked (Mk. 6:3); He sweated, rested and slept.
He hungered, thirsted, suffered and died as a man born physically of a woman would.

1. Not only was His body real, but His emotions were real. He marveled (Matt. 8:10); He wept
(Jn. 11:35); He was moved with compassion (Matt. 9:36); He loved (Mk. 10:21). He cried
out (Mk. 15:37); He rejoiced (Lk. 10:21); He was sorrowful/deeply distressed (Matt. 26:37).

2. Since He was physically/emotionally like us, how can we believe He was in some sense
God (Matt. 1:23)? Is the deity of Jesus more a superstition than a supernatural person?

C. If Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, was not God in the flesh (incarnate), Christianity is
nothing more than a man’s imagination, a fairy tale of noble ethics having no hope of life eternal. We are just one of many religions, without distinction, uniqueness. None better/worse.

1. ® 1 Cor. 15:12-19. If there is evidence for the deity of Jesus, then a life without Christ is that
which is truly empty. ® vs.20. There is strong historical/cumulative evidence. It is evidence
that an honest person can hold without committing intellectual suicide. Not a leap of faith.

2. Jesus made bold claims of Sonship, and being one with the Father (Jn. 10:36-38) and yet
He did not lord it over His followers. ® Matt. 20:25-28. Jesus’ character was flawless:

a. His spiritual strength/gentleness was seen by the scribes/Pharisees who brought to Him
a woman caught in adultery (Jn. 8:6-11). “He who is without sin,” “Go and sin no more.”

b. His uncompromising righteousness was recorded by the Hebrews writer who said Jesus
“was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

c. His tender compassion was seen by the multitudes in His healing of their sick and in the
feeding of the 5,000 men (Matt. 14:21), of the 4,000 (Matt. 15:38).

d. His care for children/widows was seen in His provisions made and allowing children to
be brought “that He might put His hands on them and pray” (Matt. 19:14; Jn. 19:27).

e. His love for outcasts was seen by great multitudes as a leper came to Him for healing
and “Jesus put out His hand and touched him” and he was cleansed (Matt. 8:1-3).

f. His mastery over self was seen in His responses to Satan’s temptations of the lust of
the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes (Matt. 4:1-10; 1 Jn. 2:16).

g. His self-sacrifice was seen as a one-time offering for all men for all times (Heb. 9:28).

D. Even greater than all the remarkable demonstrations of His deity, was His death upon a cross.
It was not the end of Him. The evidence presented regarding His resurrection is reasonable.
This is what our faith is based upon. The resurrection is presented as evidence - the Faith.

II. UNDERSTANDING THE CHRIST OF THE FAITH
A. If we believe Jesus is the Son of God, is our faith merely just the acceptance of this fact? No.
Once we are persuaded to believe such, we must take a closer look at the nature of His work.
What did He come to do? What did He say of Himself? What did He expect of us?

B. The world gives many reasons for His coming, for His works and words, but the Bible is the
only Book to give us God’s answers to man’s questions concerning the Christ (Messiah).

1. What did Jesus come to do? The biblical answer given by the apostle Paul was, “that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15; cf. Matt. 1:21; Lk. 19:10).

2. What did Jesus say? The biblical answer as given by Jesus was, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6; cf. Matt. 10:32-33).

3. What did He expect from man? The biblical answer given by Jesus was, “If you love Me,
keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15; cf. 14:21; Deut. 13:4). Obedience based on love.
It is love that comes freely from within, and not forced from without.

C. “Jesus of Nazareth is the Heaven-sent Savior that all Hell-bound sinners need.”

1. We need Jesus to receive the forgiveness of our sins/to be restored to fellowship with God
Almighty. (Lk. 13:3; Acts 2:38, 41, 47; 1 Jn 1:3-9). Sin separates, Savior rejoins/restores.

2. We need to be set free from selfishness/be transformed by God’s word in order to live up to
the name Christian (Acts 11:26; Rom. 12:2; Gal. 5:19-21). Famous names carry honor.

3. We are to love one another, friend/foe. (Matt. 5:44). This is what the Savior did; this is what
salvation demands. This is what the saints are to do to inherit salvation (Jn. 13:34; 14:21).

D. Christianity is more than belief, creed or a set of moralistic ideas we hold to be true. Our faith
affects our whole being. Intellectual conviction may be beyond criticism, but if our faith is not
connected to our feet/mouth, we are no better off than unbelievers (Heb. 10:26-27; Phil. 1:27).

CONCLUSION
1. What must we do then? We must decide to commit ourselves in heart, soul and mind, in home,
work and life without reservation to God the Father, through His Son (Matt. 22:37).

2. We must humble ourselves before God (Jas. 4:10); trust in Jesus as our Savior and submit to
Him as our Lord in obedience to the gospel of Christ (2 Pet. 3:2, 18; Prov. 3:5-6; Rom. 6:17).

3. We must then go on to take our place among the faithful and as a steward of God carry out our
obligations/duties within the congregation/in the community in which we live. Prepare/defend.

4. Have you made this commitment? God gave us the Bible that we “may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:31).
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