Saturday, May 18, 2019

Can I Get a Witness? – Part 1



In John 5:30-44, the Lord Jesus stated, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

Being Mother’s Day last Sunday, we thankfully pray to God and express gratitude for mothers. Pastor Kyle continued in our church’s Sunday sermon series through the gospel accounting to the Apostle John. He pointed out that the word “amen means “so be it” and the utterance of the word is an affirmation of agreement. A witness testifies to what has been personally seen or experience, so they bear or produce witness to the evidence or statement presented or in question. Life is amazing with God. Even with the challenges in life, God uses our circumstances for good.

Pastor Kyle gave us seven keys to being a better witness to Jesus. (1) Where does our power come from? Power comes through the proper posture of submission to our heavenly Father. Remember the “Emmanuel” means “God with us”. Jesus Christ (Emmanuel) was God incarnate. We are most like Christ when we take the form of an obedient servant – in service to God and others.

Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in
the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made  Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Let’s continue Pastor Kyle’s message on being a witness to Christ in our next post.
In Christ, Brian

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