Who do you say I AM?- With Joe Knott

Jesus said blessed are the persecuted and they are suffering big time right now. This is my bowling international in 19-year-old Ari was beaten by her own father and finally to buy local authorities and order crime was simply that she gave her life to Jesus Christ after leaving radical Islam. They need Bibles in order to endure and persevere and that's why Truth Network and Bible leader teamed up to send God's word to 3500 persecuted believers around the world at five dollars or $500 since 20. Call 800 yes word 800 yes word 800 yes word or give a TruthNetwork.com, not cuticle off the Russian nightmare know the devil's nightmare here from it's time to man up challenging men step into their true manhood. Your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting a just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening to the truth. Podcast network. This is good Truth Network the following message is brought to us by respected Bible teacher Joe not do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill. Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today.

Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious are eyewear in the gospel of Marion chapter 9 Rothbart last week about the great confession, and this of course just for a little a little context. Jesus is been up in the northern part of the promise land and he is been widely received is he has thousands of people coming.

He said he has set out his 12 disciples, they have have been empowered to teach and to preach and to heal and the cast out demons and they have been doing marvelous work and the word is spreading all around.

Spread the thousands he is gone all manner of miracles and people are there and here last week you read when Peter was the first to say when men say that I am Peter said, thou art the Christ, the Messiah, you are the promised one, and immediately Jesus began to talk about the cross and Peter did not understand it is a course called himself the son of man and just put that in context. What does it mean the Son of Man will in Daniel chapter 7. You may know this from here. Russ install this to you many times but Daniel Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 it says in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man he was coming with the clouds of heaven.

He approached the ancient of days, he was taken into his presence and their heyday. The Son of Man was given authority and glory and sovereign power, and all peoples of all nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and it will never pass away.

His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed that to the Son of Man is he is the Lord is the king. He is the one who enrolled the ark with sovereign power and Peter have just said you are the son of man, you are the Messiah and immediately Jesus begins to talk about the cross and these two things in Peter's bond don't go together. He can't quite figure this out. How can the one who is going to rule and sovereign power forever. They betrayed the sinful man and kills sword market others. I listen and lose money market says Peter pulled Jesus aside and began to you know the word. There read dear KM this is something you don't do write that down by the began to read. Dear Jesus. Jesus said get behind me Satan just said he was the first man to say who Jesus really is almost within a flash. So this says we can say the right words but we cannot have the deep understanding that we need. That's where Peter was. He saw the family, but he didn't have the understanding and at this point. This is where Jesus is beginning to teach because he knows the nose isn't going to be a great challenge for his disciples.

This is little flock.

He knows they are flash. He knows they are weak.

He knows they are going to be facing a onslaught from hell. The devil himself is going to rise up against these 12 Jesus is taking care of them.

He teaches here. I'll tell you the truth. Yes, I'm going to die but some of you were not going to die before you see the kingdom coming in great power were about to see a little bit of what Jesus was doing better week later he took Peter, James and John, this is chapter 9 verse 28 he took Peter, James and John up on top of a mountain and while he was praying this is Jesus in verse 29 while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed his clothes became bright like a flash of lightning which you can't look at the dark Knight pitch black darkness thunderstorm at summertime.

It's can't see the no stars is no moon is pitch black dark when the lightning comes the whole world looks like noonday. You can see the fields using the trees. You can see, just like this is bright line and this is what Jesus was beginning to look like as bright as a flash of lightning, blinding light to man where they are with Jesus, Moses and Elijah have been doggedly are for hundreds of years. My was this the great lawgiver the great conqueror of age, of the great wiper out of the entire Egyptian army.

The man that was God special friend there was Moses, Elijah wanted to call down fire from heaven and burned up the altar and burned up the prophets, and burned up everything Gladys did before the King Ahab and the wicked Jezebel the way with great courage, great power and preserve the witness in a pagan land Lodge.

We have Moses and we have Elijah standing there and they were talking about his departure there talking about the cross, because all that they had done would be for now, but for the cross there would be no future for the kingdom, except for the cross. This is the that will change the course of history and that's what they're talking about Peter and his companions were sleepy, they became fully awake, I guess they did when they saw the glory when they saw that blinding light when I saw Moses standing there and Elijah standing there, and Jesus standing there like the sun shining and then Peter said, well, it would be good if we could stay here forever was put up some shelters I want for you and one for Moses and one for Lodge and we did a study here and it says in parentheses here my translation. He really didn't know what he was saying while while Peter was speaking cloud. Didn't wait for Peter to stop speaking.

Notice it just appeared and then guess what Peter did he stop speaking while he was speaking cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they enter the cloud, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, this is so the one I have chosen listen to him when the voice stopped. There was Jesus alone. Many of you will see the kingdom come in power before you taste death and this is a fulfillment standing like the son is Jesus Christ the Lord of the universe is standing in brilliant light alone because he doesn't need anyone else. He is the king has always been the king is the king then hands the king now will be the king forever. There has never been a moment when he was not the king and they were saying it in the coming days.

They would see the kingdom glimpses of the kingdom flashes of the kingdom they would see Jesus taken and crucified. And at that moment. That was the power of God at work. Satan thought he was victorious.

The Romans that the Jews thought they had plotted and planned, but they were all doing the work of God. God had orchestrated all events from time immemorial. This was the Passover weekend. This was a time I was supposed to happen.

This is when the lamb was the baseline. This is what the Jews have been doing for innumerable centuries and this was the day the liability lamb was sacrificed because that is what God had said would happen. He was the king on that day just like he's the king on every day. This is the power of God. This is the glory of God. Three days later they saw the resurrection, Peter and John read to death has no power. Not only does it have no power over Jesus that has no power over his chosen ones unity. Oh death where is your staying Ò where is your victory.

It has no power to hold God's people because he is the king that is his kingdom when he is on the cross. It is his kingdom when he is resurrected from the grave and his kingdom. Satan is only his unwilling servant. This is the kingdom, these people would say the coming of the Holy Spirit like a rushing mighty wind, and these men who were cowards and then huddled away afraid were suddenly filled with a fire and a passion that changed the world. Change the course of history change the civilization of the world. This is the kingdom of God.

This is the power of God. Thousands are converted. These men would see and some would be martyrs, they would see their friends murdered by the enemies of the kingdom they would themselves be murdered and that would go forth with great courage and this is the kingdom of God kingdom of God doesn't always work out is not helping well brothers in this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world because I am the king of the world. What he promises you insufficiency to do what he's called you to do and to do it with courage and to do it with grace and to do it with faith and to do it. Well that's what kingdom is he is the king and he's doing this for Peter and James and John so that they can remember when the times get hard when the roar of the wind start coming up when the Romans are looking to overwhelmingly powerful when the Jews are screaming and threatening to indict and sue and take them to court. All of this is coming. Jesus knows it's coming, but he who sits in the heavens shall laugh because he is the king when the Romans looked powerful and they pull their armies together.

Where did they get that power. Why are the Romans there are the Roman soldiers alive because the king has ordained it for his purposes.

There were building roads and they thought they were building roads to move their armies around their building roads in St. Paul could walk quickly between parents gospel spread over the Roman roads that they built for their own purposes, but they were building God. This is the king we serve. He is the omnipotent one is a omniscient one. He has no rivals once hard for God, nothing, nothing, no restraints, he never worries he never hurries nothing. It's hard for God. God has no rival, and you are in his hand doesn't mean times will be hard.

They are hard they will be hard there heart all the time. We are not the king. We are flesh.

We are one kind of flesh, are we actually where simple flashes ashamed to admit we still are, despite all the grace we have received, but his grace is sufficient even for the likes of us. He will deliver us safely to the other side, not you. You won't get there because you're so smart and you won't get there because you're so hard will and you won't get there because you're so whatever you going to get there because he is the king and he will deliver you that your only hope. Jesus alone, just like he is standing on that mountain he doesn't have Moses that he doesn't have allies of their Jesus along listen to him you realize that's the end of all totalitarianism right there totalitarian governments oppressive governments. They demand that you listen to them. God says you listen to Jesus. Jesus alone saw this and they kept it to themselves why it is indescribable how would you describe this become down the mountain. The big crowd down there a lot of hubbub man calls out teacher Jesus teacher, I beg you please look at my son for he is my only child at this point all pretense stripped away his. He's not trying to impress anybody. He's not trying to look a certain way.

He is down to pure emotion.

Help me, this is my son that I love and he is in the grasp of the devil spirit seizes him and he screams in the spirit throws them in the convulsion they found that the mouth and it scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.

And I ask your disciple and they couldn't do it.

It looks like a pretty helpless situation. It looks like a terrible situation. Even the disciples not remember the disciples what are they just been doing what sort of mission. Had they been sent all what have they been doing just a little while back.

Commission them to go out to about two and to teach and preach and to what cast out demons that what'd they did they cast out demons and they raise people from the dead and they prayed so they healed and they did all manner of miracles, and here they come back to Jesus is on the mountain with Peter James and John. And here they cannot do it this account in Mark says says use. It looks at them and says oh you perverse generation. I want to put up with you.

Who is he talking to that point, probably the disciples because why could they not cast out the demon they thought the house they thought they had the power to cast out the demons. Just learn and James are just learning. John just learned that it is Jesus with whoever else.

Jesus hello Jesus alone and didn't cast out a demon is because Jesus has given you the power to cast out a demon, but it's his power not your whatever you what you have not received what you have not read that's a question the Bible and the answer is what nothing everything you have.

The fact that you are even here is God's gift bags. You draw your next breath is God's gift. We all exist.

This universe exists in God's pleasure. Because he is the king he is king. Even as a boy was coming over to Jesus. A demon thrown to the ground.

Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

You see a little bit of the cross here. The only son see the heart of Jesus. When that man. Since this is my only son.

The father is going to give his only son for us. Jesus saves this only son. They were amazed at the greatness of God. Are we amazed at the greatness of God. We get used to the greatness of God. God is all powerful.

He is all glorious the wrath he has for sin is unimaginable. It is on we create a picture of God that he sort of winks at center. It's all taken care of. No no no no, God never changes his wrath against sin is beyond our ability to comprehend. You see how much he hates sin, but of the cross but equips on Jesus is back with the nails through his flesh. Look at the spitting look at the polling look at the marketing. This is what God thinks of sin so that we can we get used to God's greatness do we get used to his holiness. Now if you have had the vision of who he really is. He is also perfect love.

He loves you more than you love yourself. He loves you more than you love your children.

He loved your children more than you love your children. His love is as infinite as is his wrath. And that's why be one of his children to be one of those he has call to himself is an incalculable gift and we never should get used to the greatness of God because what we deserve from God. Death and hell death and hell forever. That's what we deserve.

But he loves and he delivers and he saves and he is our king and our motto in life is. This is my son, listen to him listen to the one who saved you listen to the one who loves you. Listen to the one who gives you everything you have listened to the water test you listen to the one who brings trouble in your life so that you can grow and depend upon him more deeply lesson for him.

But remember whatever the storm is raging in whatever the fires are lapping up whatever the Roman army seems to be closing in on you remember there's Jesus standing on the mountain, shining like the sun. He is the King of the universe and it's not happening by accident. Everything that happens he has ordained for his purpose and ultimately he will deliver you and we will be with him forever. So after the glory and after the promise he reminds us, listen carefully for what I'm about to tell you the Son of Man Daniel the great, omnipotent, sovereign everlasting King of the kingdom that will never in that one. Jesus himself and going to be betrayed into the hands of men, but they did not yet understand, but when that day came, and when Satan roared in the last Jesus had prepared his people and Peter first Peter.

He talks about the glory that he saw after some of his disciple friends had been killed and he'd been pursued in his and was coming. He said we saw him. We saw the glory we saw the glory on the mountain and there is nothing that is going to conquer my king.

He is going to deliver me and he is going to rule this world and he's going to bring his purposes about to the absolute infinite perfection with no deviation.

He is the king be not discouraged. We know the one who is the Lord Jesus Christ, amen does have a prayer, Almighty God, we did coming to your presence, realizing that we are unworthy, but that you are more than worthy Jesus, our Savior has embraced us and has paid the debt we could not pay and he is given us knowledge that we could not have found and he is put a single fellowship that we would never imagine. Lord we ask that we would be good stewards of the truth, and the glory and the spirit dwells within us in Christ name being a Christian is not about being religious but about having the dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh.

Find out more finding purpose.net. This is the Truth Network