Jesus is the Difference | FOR
John 1:14, 14:8-9, 17:4, Acts 6:2-4
God BECAME one of us, and DWELT among us.
“The Word BECAME flesh and made His DWELLING among us.” – John 1:14
“Father, I have GLORIFIED You on the earth; HAVING ACCOMPLISHED the WORK You gave Me to do.” – John 17:4 NASB
Jesus came to take the GUESS WORK out of God.
Jesus came to demonstrate WHAT God was like, and more importantly, WHO God liked.
“Phillip said, Lord show us the Father…Don’t you know ME, Philip, even after I have dwelt among you, for such a long time?” John 14:8-9
If you’ve ever heard the ideas that:
- God is LOVE.
- God loves EVERYBODY.
- EVERYBODY matters to God.
All three of these ideas are UNIQUE to the teaching of JESUS.
First century culture was a SLAVE culture. In a slave culture EVERYONE is devalued.
In a culture defined by slavery the idea of COMPASSION was completely UNNECESSARY, because people got what they DESERVED.
What Jesus TAUGHT was nothing compared to what He DID.
This is why no strings attached COMPASSION and GENEROSITY became the HALLMARK of the first century Church.
“God is Love” – 1 John 4:8
So, What does Love REQUIRE of ME?
The teachings of Jesus have shaped the CONSCIENCE of our nation.
The CHURCH’s role in our community is to REMIND the world through our BEHAVIOR that red, yellow, black and white, EVERYBODY is PRECIOUS in the sight of our Heavenly FATHER.
Everybody in America thinks something when they hear the word, CHURCH.