Last night felt special. Like the Holy Spirit was moving and ministering to hearts as He reminded us why we sing about the power of Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from our sin. Parents/Guardians…ask you chid(ren) about last night’s bonus content.
To top of the meaningful time of worship, we closed up the Sermon on the Mount with a focus on the last two verses of Matthew 7, which actually aren’t part of Jesus’ sermon. But these two verses hold powerful truth for us.
Our main idea was this: Jesus’ authority was born from His identity and it is backed by His integrity.
HIS IDENTITY
He is the prophesied Messiah and named “Jesus,” which means “God saves.”
He is God in flesh and named “Messiah,” which means “God with us.”
As the Son and our Savior, and as the King above all other kings, no one is superior to Him.
God became one of us so that we could become one with Him!
HIS INTEGRITY
He was tempted in every way we are but never sinned!
He not only preached and taught the way to Father God, but He lived in relationship to Him and obeyed Him.
He walked the talk without any balk.
Even Pilate could find no wrong in Him.
Because of Who Jesus is and how He lived He spoke with authority!
Where do you stand with Jesus? Does He hold the place of ultimate authority in your life because you recognize Who He is and how He lived? Or are you finding yourself challenging His authority?
Questions to ask at the table or when you’re driving in the car:
- What are some examples of people who have/had authority are worth following? Why are they worth following?
- What identity statements do you see about Jesus in this passage?
- Why do you think it matters that Jesus became one of us?
- What do you think it means for Jesus to be full of grace and full of truth? How might that shape the way He interacts with us?
- What impacted you most about tonight’s message?
ACTION STEPS:
1. Trust His Authority
2. Know Your Identity
3. Live with Integrity