My name is Thomas, I'm the pastor at Portland Gospel and
it's our privilege to be able to do church in the city once a
month. We're so thankful for this
space. I office out of this building in
the basement and the owner has given us favor to be able to
meet here. I'm so thankful for that.
I love being close. This is the part of the city we
want to be in. And as you heard Austin pray,
our prayer is for Portland that they would be able to sing the
songs that we sing Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, that
through his sacrifice on the cross, we can be saved and
forgiven and right with God. That's our desire for every
person. And we don't want to get
political. We just want to preach the
gospel. So that's why we put the name,
the name, the gospel in the name of our church.
And quite briefly, what we do as a church is we exist to help you
believe, live and share the gospel.
If you don't know what the gospel is today, you'll, you'll
get a better chance to, to hear it and understand it.
We want you to believe. That's what God wants.
Once you believe that, then you've got to figure out how do
I live out what God says in his word?
How do I apply this since it's the truth?
And then we want to equip every Christian to be able to share
the good news of the gospel with others.
At this time. We're going to have a time of
Bible studies. We're going to dismiss our kids.
They have their own class if they're going to go right over
there, we may hear some noise from them, but that's OK.
We love kids. Kids are a blessing.
And my wife is with family over the weekend and so it's just a
boy's house right now. So I'm grateful for anybody else
who can level my kids for today. I'm super thankful for that.
We're having a good time at the house right now.
We're going to have to do some laundry and some dishes and
catch up on regular life things, but let me take just a moment
and pray for us, and then we'll get into our time of Bible
study. God, we come before you.
We confess that those songs are true.
Whether we say that to you every day or not, that is true.
And that's the desire of a heart to know you and to please you.
Today, as we come before your word, we ask for your Holy
Spirit to teach us that this room will be filled with your
light and your joy and your truth.
The name of Jesus would be exalted.
You'd be honored that we will be gracious and kind to each other
as the body of Christ direct our time.
I pray in Jesus name, Amen. All right, so we started a
series in our church called Christianity one O 1 and in this
series, is it possible that I can see the no, I don't know why
we had technical difficulties with the computer things today,
but I'll just turn around every now and then.
It's fine in in this series in Christianity one O 1, we want to
introduce the most basic fundamental elements of the
Christian faith. We live in a post Christian US
and especially a post Christian Portland.
I gave the statistic last week that 44% of Portland has no
religious affiliation. And I think that's a pretty
light number. It might be more than that.
And that is the way of our country.
That's the way of the world. And essentially post modernity.
We've had God, we're over that. We don't care, and so how do we
reach people that don't even believe in the concept of a God?
We have to start at the 10,000 foot big picture level.
So if you want help with that, last week we introduced the
topic of theism, which is that there is a God.
It is stands in contrast to atheism where there is no God.
That was kind of a scientific message.
So it's on YouTube and Spotify. You can find it if you go to our
website. All of our things are in your
handouts. Hopefully that'll be a blessing
to you. So if we think about the things
that are core to Christianity and try to define them simply,
one of them has to be Jesus. It's probably super simple,
right? That we believe who, who is
Jesus? That's a unique thing to the
Christian faith, but maybe not because the world has also
hijacked a person of Jesus, some kind of character or identity of
Jesus. Maybe you have seen before the
the social justice movement that that thinks that Jesus needs to
just fix our societal problems, take down, you know, all the
mean guys that are ruling in the world and free everybody.
Maybe you've seen the loving and accepting Jesus who just wants
you to feel good and doesn't have any truth and affirms
whatever you want. Or maybe you've seen Christmas
morning Jesus. You know, dear little 6 LB eight
ounce baby Jesus, the Talladega Nights, Ricky Bobby prayer,
Jesus. We like the Jesus in the Manger
because he's cute and cuddly and he doesn't judge me for my sin.
Or maybe you've seen some form of a pluralistic Jesus where
he's added to the pantheon of gods like in the Baha'i faith.
He is just one of the revelators.
This is I had neighbors recently that were behind.
They would say, well, God spoke through lots of different people
and Jesus is just one of those guys.
This is essentially some kind of syncretism that would say many
of these faiths just align and Jesus is just a part of some
greater universal faith. But I'm here to tell you and you
as you'll see today that that is not the Jesus of the Bible.
And although that's not the Jesus of the Bible, more than
50% of Americans surveyed in 2020 Americans do not believe
Jesus is God. OK, that's Americans.
That doesn't mean they're religious people.
But of Christians in the same survey, 30% of Christians did
not believe that Jesus is God. We have a real flaw in our
society today where we've lost the identity of who is the Jesus
of the Bible. So I have a verse for you to an
introduction today. Second Corinthians Chapter 11
and verse 3. The Bible says, But I fear lest
by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ. He says For if he cometh,
preacheth, he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we
have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you
have not received, or another gospel.
And what the Bible says is that there is another Jesus.
There are different variations of Jesus.
There's a true Jesus of the Bible.
Who is he? But then even in 1st century
Christianity, people had already distorted who they thought that
character was. After he was crucified, buried
and rose again and ascended to heaven, he was no longer walking
around to prove his identity. And there were lots of deceivers
that entered in. So today we're going to have a
springboard of a main text. If you have a Bible, turn to
Philippians chapter 2. The book of Philippians is about
3/4 of the way into the Bible. If you need help with finding
that in the front page of your Bible, there's usually like a
table of contents that'll help you find a page number for it.
Both Philippians chapter 2. We're just going to hang on a
handful of verses and grab a few things that this is really
strikes at the core identity of who the Jesus of the Bible is.
So if you're taking notes, we're going to see that Jesus lived
before his birth. Jesus lived before his birth.
Let's read in Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse 5.
It says, And let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, as was made in the
likeness of men. And being in fashioned as a man,
he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of the Father. So as we look back at these
verses and .1 we see that Jesus lived before his birth and verse
6 says that he was in the form of God.
Philippians chapter 2 is a place we we call it the emptying of
Christ or the humility of Christ where he steps out of heaven and
comes to earth in the form of a servant.
He takes on a body but that means he pre existed the body He
was He didn't just become a person when he was born on that
Christmas morning. The Bible tells us in a few
other places in John chapter one in the beginning was the word
and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
The Bible is very clear that he was in the beginning with God.
Jesus said this himself. Many people would say Jesus did
not claim to be God, but if you just read the Bible you'll find
out something different. John 17 five Jesus says now O
Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was.
So Jesus from his own mouth would say I was with the Father
before the world was ever created.
So now we're talking about somebody who pre existed
creation. So I put it to you this way in
your notes. The real Jesus is more than just
a man for many. That's what we want to make him
out to be. And we'll see in a moment that
he has a human identity, but for many we just want him to be some
good teacher, some philosopher, some political guy.
But Jesus is more than just a man.
Secondly, if you're taking notes, Jesus is equal with God.
Jesus is equal with God. It says in verse 6 if you have a
King James Bible, it says in verse 6 that he thought it not
robbery to be equal with God. Now we don't usually make a big
deal about Bible version, but you should know if you read a
different version of the Bible, it's going to say the opposite
of that phrase right there. But our Bible says that he
thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
Meaning he was taking nothing away from who God was to make
himself equal. That they are one.
But this, this is a point of contention for many people who
believe in another Jesus. The deity of Christ, if he
really is God, is hotly debated. Not within orthodox Christianity
because the Bible is pretty clear.
But there are what I would call Christian cults who have another
form of Jesus, perhaps an easier 1A, better 1A, cuter 1.
So Google, you know Google is the source of all information.
AI knows all things, and it's absolutely true, right?
So I gave you a definition from AI on Oh I didn't put it on the
screen, I'll read it to you for what a Christian cult is.
It says Christian cults are groups claiming Christian roots
but deviating significantly from mainstream historic Christian
doctrine, often featuring a controlling leader, additional
scriptures, and distorted views on core tenants like the Trinity
or salvation. Examples include Mormonism,
Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Science.
They use Christian terminology to deceive but lead followers to
a different gospel in Jesus, emphasizing works or unique
revelations over grace through faith.
That was AI, They did pretty good on that one.
I mean I'm I'm impressed with that one, but that's what I
would call a Christian cult. There's an additional
revelation, a different way to salvation, and Jesus isn't God.
That's always how it ends up in these Christian cults.
I'll give you an example and cited from their own material,
the Jehovah's Witnesses. You can look at the link here
jw.org At at times individuals are known by more than one name.
For example, the patriarch Jacob is also known as Israel and the
apostle Peter as Simon. Likewise, the Bible indicates
that Michael is another name for Jesus Christ before and after
his life on earth. And then let us consider some
things. So the Jehovah's Witnesses, when
you really press into what they believe about who Jesus is, they
would say he's Michael the Archangel.
And that's just not what John chapter 1 and verse one says.
He was with God in the beginning, He is God.
But the Jehovah's Witnesses conveniently have distorted
their own version of the Bible. And if you read it from their
version, John chapter 1 and verse one, it says something
different. So source material matters, but
not all people agree the Bible is very clear.
First John 57 for there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost.
And these three are one Titus chapter 2 and verse 13 looking
for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great
God and say our Savior Jesus Christ.
Notice there's no comma. The great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ. First Timothy 316 and without
controversy. Great is the mystery of
godliness, that God was manifest in the flesh.
When did God take on human form if it wasn't in the person of
Jesus Christ? Clearly it had to be Jesus.
So let's talk next that Jesus had a physical body.
As we look at our verses here in Philippians chapter 2, we're
going to we're going to break down some of those descriptive
words. But this really is the
antithesis of what some other Christian heresies have been.
One of them the 1st century Christians really had to deal
with, it was called Dosatism, which is the doctrine important
in Gnosticism, that Christ's body was not human but either a
phantasm or of real but celestial substance, and
therefore his sufferings were only apparent.
So meaning Jesus didn't have a real physical body if he was
God, he just had some spiritual body.
And the things that we saw, maybe we didn't see everything
quite right. It didn't happen the way we
think it happened, but that's just not what the Jesus of the
Bible is second John Chapter 7 for many deceivers are entered
into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh. A person who would say Jesus
didn't have a real body or he did not, He did not physically
exist on the planet would be what the Bible calls a deceiver
because the disciples, the people that walk with him.
They said that our hands have handled of the word of life.
They had interactions with Jesus while he was in the body.
He was not just a phantasm or a spirit or a ghost or some kind
of spooky thing. No doubt after his resurrection,
his glorified body was more interesting than a physical
body. But look at verse 7 in
Philippians chapter 2. It says he made himself of no
reputation. He did not choose the best
worldly identity. The Jesus of the Bible did not
come stomping out the kingdoms of the world.
He came of no reputation. The prophet Isaiah, 700 years
before Christ's birth, described him as having no form nor
comeliness. There was nothing about his
person that we would say, man, he's cute, he looks great, man,
he's got to be important. We would just say looks like
another Hebrew. Verse 7 also says that He took
upon him the form of a servant. This is the Jesus of the Bible.
He says in Matthew 20 the Son of Man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.
Verse 7 also says that He was made in the likeness of men.
In verse 8 being found in fashion as a man.
So no doubt he was human, but also a male.
And if you try to distort God's pronouns, you're going to find
yourself looking at a different version of Jesus.
He's clearly a male. So I gave you just a list of
some things. This may not be in your notes,
but things that Jesus did in his body.
He ate food, experienced hunger, felt pain, He slept, He embraced
others, He washed people's feet, He wept, He experienced
temptation. When he was crucified, blood and
water came out of his side very much.
Jesus was a human, and verse 8 tells us that he humbled
himself. This Jesus stepped out of a
glorious, perfect heaven. In Hebrews Chapter 9 says he was
made a little lower than the angels.
He humbled himself to a physical body.
We maybe can't fully understand that, but there are many things
that you don't understand that you still believe.
I used the example before of Wi-Fi and technology.
There are many things about your phone, especially if it's an
iPhone you don't understand, but you know it's there.
You don't understand how all the packets travel all over the
world back and forth and you somehow you're able to FaceTime
somebody. You don't have to understand it
if it's true, you just believe it so that I put it to you This
way, the the real Jesus is a real person.
Maybe I'm behind one. Sorry.
The real Jesus is a real person, and this would stand in contrast
to the Jesus myth. Many people, atheists are so
staunch. You've got to listen to last
week if you didn't hear it. Atheists are so staunch in their
worldview that they aren't open to objective information and
they develop their own sources and they cite their own
materials and they ignore historic sources.
I have a a scholar for you. I don't want you to read this
guy. OK, I'm going to put him up on
the screen. His name is Bart Ehrman.
Bart Ehrman is a New Testament historian.
He's not a Christian, he's an atheist.
OK, so just because someone has a degree and they talk about the
Bible doesn't make them a Christian.
And this guy truly isn't by his own words, he says the reality
is, whatever else you may think about Jesus, he certainly did
exist. That's an atheist scholar, OK?
He doesn't believe Jesus is God. He's not like saying I believe
the Christian fundamentals, but he would say certainly there's
enough historic evidence to say he was a real person.
If you promote the Jesus myth, you just you're missing a whole
lot of information and we can't have a reasonable conversation
anymore. But let's move on next to point
#4 that the the Jesus of the Bible died on a cross.
If we look back to Philippians chapter 2 and verse 8.
It says he became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. So now we have something really
specific. This Jesus didn't just come to
build a revolution or multiply bread and feed all the homeless
people. He came for a sacrificial death
on the cross. That was his purpose.
That's why he came into the world.
But this is not the same Jesus of many other religions,
especially the synchronous, the pluralist.
They want to add Jesus to their pantheon.
They don't usually add the crucified Jesus.
They add the storyteller moral Jesus.
So check this out. I have a reference for you can
check it out on your own. I encourage you to be careful.
Read your Bible and not other sources but Islam in the Quran
chapter 4157 says and for boasting we killed the Messiah
Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.
But they neither killed nor crucified him.
It was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this
crucifixion are in doubt. They have no knowledge
whatsoever, only making assumptions.
They certainly did not kill him. So there is a just a tricky
deceitful tactic that Muslims will use to say we believe in
Jesus and they absolutely do not believe in the Jesus of the
Bible. They believe in a fictitious,
made-up, perverted, distorted, non crucified Jesus.
That's not the Jesus of the Bible.
A Jesus without a cross is a perverted Jesus.
So I can't tell you enough how you have to hone in who is the
real Jesus. There are a lot of them.
Many would appeal to you or to another religion.
But the Jesus of the Bible, it says in Mark 15 they crucified
him. In Acts chapter 4 after the
resurrection, the disciples preached and they said, whom ye
crucified? The apostle Paul in Acts or I'm
sorry in First Corinthians 15 defines for us what the gospel
is. What is the good news?
The good news is that Christ died for our sins, was buried,
and rose again. The good news isn't just that
Jesus fed some people and he liked some stuff and he did some
things. The good news is there's a
sacrificial death on the cross that will atone for your sin.
And if you believe it by faith, you'll be right with God and
have a home in heaven. That's the good news.
Peter says it this way. For Christ also has suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust and man.
That is true. He was just the just one and he
died so the unjust could be made righteous.
That's me. I'm the unjust.
I'm not good, I'm not perfect, I'm not holy.
Jesus died for me. That is the best exchange on the
planet. You couldn't come up with a
better deal than to say I'll take all of your sin and take it
over here and I'll give you all of my perfect righteousness.
I mean, that's there's no better deal than that.
So I put it to you this way in your notes, the real Jesus laid
down his life for. You.
He wasn't. Just doing good and changing
society. He lived to die in his own
words. Jesus says greater love hath no
man than this, That a man lay down his life for his friends.
That's what he did. He willingly laid down his own
life. The New Testament later records
you are bought with a price. If you know the Lord Jesus,
you're a Christian because he purchased you with his blood.
That's that song we sang. There is a fountain filled with
I'm in. I love that song.
I requested that song. If there's some old weird hymns
in there, it's because of me. OK, but those songs this be
saved to send no more. I mean, these are just words and
phrases that these this is just really biblical language.
This is true Christianity redemption.
You're bought with a price. All right, let's look next and
#5 Jesus is above all gods. Looking back to Philippians
chapter 2 and verse #9 it says Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name,
the Jesus. The real Jesus is not tolerant
of other gods. He doesn't play well with
others. Acts chapter 4 and verse 12.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved. So the Bible is really clear
that we're not pluralists or universalists.
It's not always get you to heaven.
And I put it to you this way, the Jesus of the Bible doesn't
play well with others, doesn't mean he doesn't love people.
He laid down his life for you. But as it concerns his glory and
for how to be right with God, you can't go through Krishna,
you can't go through Allah, you can't go through being a better
person. If you reject his sacrifice,
there is no other hope for you. This is this is basic
Christianity. OK, you know this.
The 10 commandments, Exodus 20. What's it say?
Someone read it now? I should have.
No other gods before me, That's right.
And that is that isn't a stretch to just say, hey, this is a
basic fundamental Christian idea, right?
He does not allow for any other gods.
In Jesus's own words in John 14, no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me. So you can't add Jesus to your
religions if you're going to worship and serve Jesus.
He is your exclusive Lord and Savior.
And lastly, in point number six, Jesus is Lord of all.
He's Lord of all. Let's look at Philippians
chapter 2 verses. 10 and 11 says that at the name of.
Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in
earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the
Father. Now because of the sacrifice
that Jesus made, he did what no one else could do.
God exalted him highly, exalted him above everything else to
give him a name above every name.
And God. So it so pleases God to say, at
the name of Jesus I want every knee to bow, I want every tongue
to say he is Lord. That is just incredible.
That shows us that Christ is magnified beyond just this
humble servant, beyond doing good and doing miracles, even
beyond his death and resurrection.
He's. Magnified above.
All things, and as we'll see, he will be the judge of all things
in the book. Of Ephesians it.
Tells us. Which he wrought in.
Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own
right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is
to come. And I've put all things under
his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church man. Jesus is so highly exalted the
Jesus of the Bible. And if you.
Come to Bible study. This week you're going to see
some more stuff about Jesus in Colossians chapter one.
It just says so many wonderful things about how supreme he is
and matches the this kind of language far above all
principality and power and might and dominion.
But if you. Go back to the.
Beginning and we. Think about the different.
Forms of the Jesus that we see in this world.
That is stark. Contrast to what most people
would identify as who is Jesus? The question for.
You is Who do you believe Jesus is?
Jesus said to his. Disciples, who do you say that I
am? I can't make you.
A Christian. We can't force convert anybody.
Jesus willingly died for the possibility that you would
receive him and be saved. But I put it to you this way in
your notes, you can confess Jesus as Lord now.
This is something that. You must do in order to be a
Christian. You can't be a pluralist and a
synchronist or try to make another way that you just call
it, just don't call it Christianity, call it something
else. Christianity makes Christ the
Lord and it's this simple. It doesn't have to be
complicated. In Romans chapter 10, the Bible
says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
and. Shall believe in thine.
Heart that God raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be saved. We'll talk in.
A few weeks about. What that word saved means, and
we'll look at biblical salvation and what a Christians believe
about heaven and hell and how to be right with God and that sort
of thing. But for now, the Bible's really
clear. You can confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus, I believe in you.
I believe you're God. It says here I believed that he
was raised from the dead. That's the Jesus of the Bible.
That's the real Jesus of Christianity, A resurrected
Christ. But it's not just your mouth.
It says in verse 10 with. The heart.
Man believeth unto righteousness, you know?
We've all been forced to pray prayers and say things like if
you've ever had to apologize to your siblings, but you didn't
mean it, you're like, I'm sorry. You know, you've had those spats
before. You've had, maybe you've had to
apologize to a teacher or a coach or no, I'm sorry.
That's not Christianity. We're.
Not talking about some kind of like orthodox creedal profession
where you became a member of an organization.
We're talking about you with your heart and your mouth,
agreeing with the Bible to say I believe Jesus is who the Bible
says he is and I. Want to begin that?
Relationship by just calling on him to say I need to be saved I
I I I need what you have help I. Want to follow you?
It's that simple, so you can. Do that now you.
Can do that today. We'd love to help you
afterwards. Pray.
It's not weird. There's no like moaning and
shaking or anything, you know, just you just pray.
I mean, you talk to the Lord, He understands English.
Praise God, man, or whatever your language is, he knows it.
It's all good. Just call on Jesus.
That's all you got to do. But if you.
Won't do that. Now there.
Will be a time. Later.
That you will. Call him Lord.
And it won't be. To your salvation it will be to
your condemnation. Because as we saw those.
Verses in Philippians. If you look at verse. 11
Philippians 2 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of the father, if you.
Look at verse 10. Every knee will bow.
It says if things in heaven and things in the earth and things
under the earth, we don't have time for the study of the things
under the earth, but even demons, fallen angels, all
wicked people will at some point all agree with God.
You're right, He's the Lord, but if you.
Wait until. It's too late.
After you're dead. When you can no longer with your
heart, make that decision you'll.
You'll still say it. It just it won't save you.
Second Timothy, chapter 4. I charge thee, therefore before
God and. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his
Kingdom? Romans 2. 16 in the day when God
shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my
gospel, so you can't hide from your secrets, and if they're.
Not covered by. The blood, the shed blood of a
crucified and risen Savior. They will be your.
Condemnation. So I put it to you this way.
Your last point is that your eternity is determined based on
who you believe Jesus to be. It's not how good.
Of a person was I, Did I walk enough old ladies down the
street? Did you do enough religious
things? It's literally.
Who do you say that I am? And it can be simplified just
like this by the Apostle John. He says, he that hath the Son
hath life, and he. That hath not the.
Son hath not life. It is quite that.
Simple. So today I'll ask you, what
Jesus do you believe in? If you're a Christian.
Is there one of those things that you needed reminded of?
That he really was. Human in a physical body, he
understands the the human experience or.
Perhaps that he is. Exalted Lord of all, and maybe
we take for granted that He is our Lord.
I need to bow my knee every day. OK Lord, what do you want?
What do you want me to do? Or if you're lost.
If you've never made a decision, if there's never been a time
that you believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth,
man, today can be that day. Don't wait until it's too late.
We'd love to help you with that. Please let us know how.
I want to start with just a moment of prayer.
Prayer is simple. It's just you talking to God and
He knows your heart, so you don't have to say anything out
loud. You can just take a moment now
and respond to Him. I'm going to give.
Us about 1. Minute of silence, I'll come
back up, I'll lead us in a prayer, and then we're going to
have one more song. So let's pray.