His Name Is Jesus
Gtcotr/ss122103
Matthew 1 (NKJV)
18 ¶ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
I. (v.23) They Shall Call His Name Immanuel
A. “God With Us”
B. God wants to be with us, so He came to earth as a man
II. (v.21) You Shall Call His Name Jesus
A. He will save His people from their sins
B. “The Lord Saves”
III. Many Know God Is With Us, Fewer Know He Saves
A. He Came To Save Each Person
1. From An Eternity In Hell
2. From The Hell Of This Life
3. From The Damning Power Of Sin
4. From The Governing Power Of Sin
B. Save - Greek: sozo sode’-zo
1. To rescue from danger and destruction
2. To keep safe and sound
3. To make well, heal and restore to health
4. To deliver from the evils and obstructions of life
IV. (v.21) He Shall Save His People From Their Sins
A. Who Are His People?
1. Christians -- Potential Christians -- Which Christians?
B. Recent survey by Barna Research Group Ltd. (www.barna.org)
* 49% of Born Again Christians accept living together without a marriage commitment as a moral alternative.
* 35% of Born Again Christians believe it is no failure to have sex with another person outside of the marriage.
* 20% of Born Again Christians see cheating on their spouse with a sex partner as a morally acceptable practice.
That’s 1 in every 5 Born Again Christians believes it is not a moral failure to engage in a homosexually based adulterous affair.
C. If these Born Again Christians are His people, they sure need saving from their sins, and why hasn’t He done it already?
V. Perhaps There Is More To Christianity Than Knowing About God
A. You Can Know About People Without Actually Knowing Them
1. Read the stories in people magazine
2. Carry on conversations about them
3. Join fan clubs
4. Get very comfortable with them
5. Think you know them because you know all about them.
B. You Don’t Know Them If They Don’t Know You
1. You just know about them
2. Matthew 7 (NIV)
21 ¶ "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
3. ‘The Message’
21 ¶ "Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills.
22 I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’
23 And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’
VI. I Thought Jesus Came To Save Them?
A. He Did
B. He Provided A Way Of Salvation To Everyone Who Will
C. What Is The Way … “I am The Way” John 14:6
1. Rescue from danger and destruction
2. Being Kept safe and sound
3. Wellness, healing and restoration
4. Deliverance from evils and obstructions
D. Matthew 7 (NIV)
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
VII. Knowing God
A. There is a vast difference between knowing God is existent and knowing Him as Lord and Savior through the person of Jesus Christ.
B. You can know Him and not just know about Him
C. He will be your God with or without you, but it takes you to make Him your savior. (Every knee … confess that Jesus is LORD.)
D. We Must Follow Him to know Him
Hosea 6:3a Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD.
E. We Must Practice what He says
Matthew 7
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you …
24 everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice …
Don’t miss the boat!
More than what others call Him,
We call Him Savior!
