Following God Series
Delivered at Harlem Reformed Church, 2013

Recap

Images of God (Teaching 1 of 5) – Recap:  God is invisible (1 Tim. 1:17).  He can be known through his visible creation (Rom. 1:20), especially human beings (James 3:9), but there is also sin present in this creation.  Thus, we must look to Jesus (God the Son) as the “exact Image” of God (Heb. 1:3).  

Right and Wrong Views of Jesus

Matt. 16:13-15; 2 Cor. 11:4 – There were right and wrong views of Jesus during His ministry and in the time of the early church.  There are right and wrong views of Jesus today.

God’s Solution: Revelation

  • Matt. 16:16-17 – God-given REVELATION is the key to rightly seeing Jesus

What is our role in receiving God’s revelation?

  • Matt. 11:25-30 – utter dependence on God
  • John 7:17 – willingness to obey Him
  • Matt. 5:8 – it is foremost a matter of the heart
  • Psalm 25:9 – humility

How was Jesus revealed to the first Christians?

  • Mark 16:15-20; Luke 10:1-11,17-20; John 14:10-11 (cf. Acts 10:38); 15:26-27; Acts 2; Hebrews 2:3-4 – through His words (often spoken through others) & through works of the Holy Spirit
    • What are the works of the Holy Spirit?
      • 1 Cor. 2:4-5; 12-14; 1 Thes. 1:5; Gal. 5:22-23 – power gifts; changed life
      • John 16:7-11; 1 Thes. 1:5 – conviction of sin
      • 1 Cor. 2:9-16 – revelation and understanding

How is Jesus revealed now that He has ascended and His original apostles have passed away?

  1. The Holy Spirit remains as a witness (Jn. 14:16; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 13:9-10)
  2. The Old Testament reveals Jesus (Luke 24:25-27; 1 Cor. 15:3-4)
  3. The New Testament reveals Jesus.  Picture: Josh. 1:7-8 – when Moses was gone, a written record of his words and deeds led Israel
    • Luke 16:19-31 – the Scriptures give adequate revelation of Jesus for those who didn’t physically see Him resurrect
    • Aside: Moses is a type for Christ. Both: born while infants are being killed, taken to Egypt in infancy, rejected by their own people, in desert for a period of 40 before public ministry began, confronted the serpent and performed healings at beginning of ministry, turned water into blood/wine as first sign to the people, a substitute for people, interceded for the people, prophet, laid down positions on the throne, delivered the people from bondage, stood as mediator between God and man, had arms held up in the midst of a war while 2 men stood by their sides, appointed 12 and 70 people at times, married a Gentile bride (for Jesus, it was the Church) that was contested by Israel, and many more!

Can we trust the written record of Jesus that we have in the Gospels and New Testament?

  • Luke 1:1-3; John 19:35; Acts 1:21-22; Acts 2:22; Acts 26:24-26; 1 John 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:16 – eyewitness testimony
  • Matt. 10:20 (spoken to “these twelve,” v. 5); Mark 13:11; 16:20; Luke 12:12; 24:49; John 14:25-26; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 2:10; 1 Peter 1:12 – apostolic testimony in operation with the Holy Spirit
  • Matt. 28:19-20; John 15:20; Acts 5:2-4; Eph. 2:20; 1 Thes. 2:13; Hebrews 2:3-4; 2 Pet. 3:2; Jude 1:17 – the apostles and their message, as confirmed by the Holy Spirit, was authoritative
    • Matthew and John’s gospel came from apostles directly
    • Mark’s gospel has well been recognized to be Peter’s words, and therefore also is directly apostolic
  • 2 Peter 3:15-16 (see also Acts 22:14; 26:16) – Peter recognized Paul’s writings as carrying Scriptural authority as well
    • 1 Thes. 2:13; 1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Cor. 13:3 – Paul confirms this
  • 1 Tim. 5:17-18 – Paul recognized Luke’s writings as carrying Scriptural authority
    • Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3 – Luke wrote 2 books, carefully researched, and given God’s stamp of approval
  • John 10:27; 1 Cor. 2:11-16; 1 John 2:27; 4:6 – all who receive Jesus receive His Spirit and can depend on this Spirit to help them recognize the authoritative writings of the Apostles
    • There were warnings that people should test the words of “leaders” (Matt. 24:23-24; Acts 17:11; 20:30-31; 2 Cor. 11; 1 Thes. 5:21; Heb. 13:9; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Jude 1:3-4; Revelation 2:2), so the N.T. was not blindly accepted, but was discerned to be truly Scripture by early church.
  • Book of Acts; Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Hebrews 2:3-4 – the Spirit confirmed the apostles’ message by signs and wonders, and transforming lives
  • Luke 24:27,44; 1 Cor. 15:3-4 – Finally, the message of Jesus as told in the gospels was foretold and confirmed by the Old Testament, written hundreds of years beforehand.  For instance, the O.T. says that Messiah would be: God, born of a virgin, named Jesus, born in Bethlehem, rejected by His people, teach in parables, perform miracles, die for their sins, bodily rise, ascend, etc.  

God’s Pattern of Revelation: The Word + The Spirit = Light 

  • Genesis 1:2-3 – Light comes when God’s Spirit and God’s Word work in conjunction