Do I Really Know Jesus?

Introduction

Do you know Christ Jesus? Or do I know Christ Jesus? I appreciate Brother Duke leading that song because it really sets the tone for our study this morning. And let me say that if there’s any things that you have questions about, please seek me or one of the men and one of the elders, as we would be glad to engage in a thoughtful study of God’s word. That said, let us read John the 8th chapter, verse 19. Then Jesus said to him, I mean, I’m sorry. Then they said to him, Where is your father? Jesus answered, You know neither me nor my father. If you had known me, you also would have known my father also. I’m not going to go into a detailed discussion about the background here, but the context of that was if you read earlier, Jesus had uh the woman, they brought the woman out to him that had been caught in adultery.

And they wanted Jesus to judge her. And he took a few minutes and looked up and said, If anyone is without sin here, let him cast the first stone. Well, at that moment, he had convicted them. They put their stones down and went away. But later on, and we don’t know how much later, they returned. And Jesus had testified unto himself. And at that testimony, at the end of that testimony, they said, you know, no, these aren’t things aren’t true. The bottom line is Jesus, what he testified to about himself was true. These were the religious leaders of that time. They should have known what he was speaking was true, but they refused. Their hearts were hardened. I use that this morning as our springboard because these were the religious leaders of that day.

They failed to understand or want to understand. And these were the ones that had the religious material in front of them. If there were any group of people that should have known that he was speaking truth, it was those Pharisees there. And what I want to challenge us to do this morning is to ask ourselves, do I really know Jesus? And we’re going to be looking at this from the context of the home. And then we’re going to look at it from the context of personal challenges or storms that we face in life. And let me just say at the onset here, we’re going to look at the husband-wife relationship, then the child relationship. Unless you say, well, I’m not a husband, I’m not a wife, so this doesn’t apply to me.

That’s wrong. You’re somebody’s child. You may be grown, have several gray hairs or no hair, but we’re all somebody’s child. So with that said, let us look at Colossians chapter 3 here. The first three verses. And he says, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ to a when Christ, who is our life, appears, then also you will appear with him in glory. Beloved, he’s speaking to those that would be called out or the elect, which would be like you and I. And he’s saying there that this is how you should think now.

1. The Home: Husbands and Wives

This is how you should behave. This is how you should act. And you free further there, he says, further down, we’re not going to read these verses. Put to death the old members. And he named some of the things fornication, uncleanliness, passion, evil desire, etc. So that says then that if we were raised with Christ through him in baptism, our whole being should have changed. Well, let’s look at this from the context of the home. Turn over to Colossians the third chapter further. In verse 12, he goes ahead to talk about the elect. And he says, as the elect of God, we’re to be holy and beloved. Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, you must also do.

But skip down to verse 18. Wives, submit to your own husbands as fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Turn over to Ephesians the fifth chapter. In Ephesians, the fifth chapter, we get a little bit more in depth discussion here or description of the husband and wife relationship and how that marriage is equated or compared to Christ’s relationship to and with the church. If you see there in Ephesians the fifth chapter, around verses 22 through 24, he talks about the wives being in submission to the husband, and how the husband is to love the wife. And beloved, as we move through this, I would challenge you to ask yourself the question Do I know Christ Jesus?

Do I know Christ Jesus? If you go back to verse 21 in that set of readings, Paul is showing how there is mutual submission among Christians, husbands and wives, and parents and children. If you look over in Ephesians the 6th chapter, verses 1 through 4 there, he talks about children.

Beloved, in any human relationship, there must be leadership and submission. Jenny West is attending UCF now. She came to me the other night and said, Brother Rufus, Brother Rufus, I just signed up for your class. I said, which one is it? She said, Group dynamics. I said, Oh. I said, uh, well, that’s probably one of my most challenging classes. Why? Because I put the students in groups, and they have to have a leader, and the leader has to define his or her role. I give them some parameters for it. And then there are followers or the group members. And I’m learning more and more, beloved, that there are people out here who hate to be led. Everybody can be a chief, but nobody can be an Indian, if you will.

Everybody can tell somebody what to do, but nobody wants to follow others. Beloved, in the home, God has given us a defined set of roles. Society has tried to flip them around, but God’s words stands true. Husbands, fathers, the greatest gift you can give your family is to lead them to Christ Jesus. I don’t care how many letters you get behind your name, how many zeros you get in your bank account, how many promotions you get from the accolades of man, it is all for naught if you don’t lead your family to Christ. The husband is the head of the wife. Not because he’s some kind of superior being, but because he has a different role to fill. Husbands, we’re to make a dedicated effort to know the needs of your wife.

And to make every intention to fulfill her needs. Wives, you are to submit to the leadership of the husband as the church submits to the guidance of Christ. And we can see that over in Ephesians the fifth chapter, where it says, husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. And let me just interject here and say, beloved, that this does not just happen the day you say I do. This is a lifelong continual process. It takes work. It doesn’t require running back to mom and dad. It takes work. It takes sometimes sitting up all night and coming to a mutual understanding. Women, if you want to destroy your husband, disrespect him. Husbands, if you want to destroy your marriage, don’t honor her.

Don’t seek out what her needs are. Be concerned only for yourself. That will destroy a marriage. Wives, you are to accept the husband’s leadership of the family. And let me again interject and say that not all men roll out of bed and know how to lead a family. Some men have had no models of that. I had a father. I have a father, earthly father, who was not afraid to be a father, who was not afraid to be a husband, who labored with me. And letting you know, I’ll let you know, beloved, I was a handful.

But my father was not afraid to be a father, nor was my mother afraid to be a mother. This command that we have here does not imply inferiority. It implies means submitting to the point. This does not imply inferiority, nor does it mean that we submit to the point that we are sending on behalf of a husband’s direction. It’s rather an attitude of respect for the responsibilities that God has given the husband and wife in the family. The husband must place his needs.

What would that look like? Let’s say you have a job opportunity in a different state. That would mean more money. That might mean more mobility for the family. All good things. But the first question you should ask yourself is will my family be able to worship God with a group of Christians. Because, see, all those things that we acquire are for naught if God is not at the foundation, around it, and leading it. In verse 25, there, husbands have a strong command to love your wife as Christ loved the church. The husband is not to force her submission by being bitter, being harsh, being controlling, dictatorial, or abusive. And abusive goes beyond just physical abuse. There can be mental or emotional abuse. Husbands, you don’t say, well, listen, I make the most money and I can tell us what to do.

Or, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be enjoying this lifestyle that you enjoy. Bitterness. How many husbands and wives are bitter? You hold on to it day after day after day, and you make your life miserable and everybody else around you. Do I know Christ Jesus? See, this kind of love goes beyond romantic, romantic affection or sexual desire. It’s the kind of love that made Christ willing to die for us. Christ didn’t love the church because of its beauty or holiness. Instead, Christ gave himself unselfishly to make it holy, to make it beautiful. Such mutual love transforms the family into a Christian home. Beloved.

2. Children, Obey Your Parents

And I’m not talking about physical trappings, such as nice big screen TVs and all that thing. It may be a home with very meager sustaining. But it’s a home where there’s love. It’s a home where there’s peace. You don’t hear a bunch of boom door slamming. Go in homes where there’s no love. You hear people come, all you hear is door slam. Sit down to eat. Nobody wants to eat. Everybody’s on their cell phone or whatever, sitting there talking to everybody, but the people right in front of them. Do I know Christ Jesus? Well, let’s continue on. Children. In verse, going back to Ephesians, it said, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

I just want to interject something else here. Brother J.D. Hark Ryder. He’s about 105. Anytime you get over 100, you know, who’s your peer group? Who is this peer group? And I said to him, Brother JD, I know you obeyed your parents. Now that he’s got some good genes, I’m sure. But he obeyed his parents. Children, obedience is pleasing to the Lord. Matthew 3, 17 is the account of Jesus’ baptism. And when Jesus came up, what did God say? This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. God the Father was well pleased because the son was completely obedient. Even obedient to the point of death. I’m going to say this, beloved, children. I’ve done a lot of work, and I’m sure Sister Heinley has been up there as well to the youth detention center right up the street.

And I used to come home and tell my kids, I said, you know, that’s not a place where you want to be. It’s vultures. And I remember talking to some of these young boys, scared as could be. Like, what? Why are you here? Well, I went out and did this. Huh? And some of them come from solid families.

But they chose to disobey. And now they’re locked up with some guys who are just looking at them like, yeah, buddy. And I’ve heard guys screaming, get me out of this cell. Parents are the instruments of children’s being. Parents are often the first experience of God, the wisdom of God, the love of God. And God has given parents the authority to command subservience to God, consistent with God’s authority. Over in Exodus, the 20th chapter, it says, Honor your father and mother that your days may be long, which the Lord God has given you. Honor implies reverence, obedience, and relief, and maintenance if such is required. To wrap this up with the family, the home relationship with the wife, the children, the husband, is godly if it’s done right and it’s critical in the raising of the children.

3. The Storms of Our Life

In Proverbs 1 and 8, it says, hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother. Who is he saying? Father, mother. Father, mother. When they work together in tandem, when they both are seeking to know Christ Jesus, both provide godly guidance for the family. Proverbs 10 and 1. And my children have heard us say this. A wise son makes a glad father. But the foolish son, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. Children, do you know Christ Jesus? Now, let’s move to the storms of our life. If you will, turn over to Mark, the fifth chapter. I’m sorry. Mark, the fourth chapter. And let’s look at verses 35 through 40. But before we read that, I want to ask, I want to ask a series of questions, and I’m not looking for any testimony or raise your hand feedback, but I just want you to think about it.

Has anyone in here ever experienced a loss of income while your bills and living expenses continue to mount? Has anyone had a medical diagnosis that was not favorable? Has anyone been the victim of a horrible crime?

Has anyone received a terrifying telephone call at 2 a.m. that changed your life? Has anyone experienced marital conflict where trust and fidelity was violated?

Has anyone suffered from feeling suffocated by the burdens of life and defeated by life? Has anyone felt cheated by life and feels as though they’ve been dealt a bad hand? You see, beloved, we are either getting ready to enter a storm, already in a storm, or we’ve come out of a storm. In Mark the fourth chapter, verses 35 through 41 here, on the same day when evening had come, he said to them, let us cross over to the other side. Now when they had left the multitude, they took him along in the boat, and he was as he was. And other little boats were also with him. And a great wind storm arose, and the waves beat the boat. So it was already filling. But he was in the stern talking about Jesus.

He was in the stern asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Then he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. But 40. But he said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? As you can see, the disciples were following Jesus’ lead. Jesus says, let us cross over. And the disciples, without question, as we read here, followed him. We see that a storm arises. This storm was so violent that it began to make the boat take on water. The disciples were in a boat that, from all appearances of the inspired text, was being beaten and whipped by the wind and taking on water.

Now, I’ve only been on a couple of cruises in my life. And I always find it interesting when before the ship leaves port, they take you around and show you the lifeboats. And I remember the very first cruise, I was counting the lifeboats. And then I looked and saw the number of people. I said to Valerie, I said, There’s not enough boats here. Somebody’s going to get left behind. In verse 38, they were so terrified they awoke Jesus and said, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? This should make us stop and pause for a minute. Pause for a moment. Because just a few passages earlier, they gladly followed Jesus. Now they’re in a life-threatening storm. What can we conclude from that? When we follow Jesus, beloved, we can and will be led into the storms of life.

But what was their reaction? Teacher, do you not care? Now I have a background in psychology and communication, and we would have fun with that statement. Teacher, do you not care? Because a contemporary application or interpretation of it might be, hey, don’t you care what’s happening to me? Don’t you care that I’m hurting? Don’t you know what I’m going through? Why are you allowing this to happen to me? Beloved, the storms of life are not pleasant. The storms of life can be terrifying. The storms of life can test our faith and maybe even provoke you to fall away. The storms of life can also provoke you to blame God for the storm. And the storms of life will most assuredly help you see whether you know Christ Jesus.

Why do we blame God? Why do we blame God? I think we sometimes we blame God, beloved, because I think sometimes Christians, faithful Christians may think that we’re immune from pain and real deep pain. Because we sometimes say, well, what is it that I did? And I would encourage you to go back and read the book of Job. And we’ll spend endless hours trying to figure out why am I going through this? What have I done? I don’t deserve this. Also, I think we are misinformed regarding the promises of God. John 3, 16. What does John 3.16 say? Let’s turn over there. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life.

Beloved, we are promised everlasting life should we be obedient to God. That doesn’t mean that the problems and the pains and the hurts of life will pass us by. We may have those. Over in Ecclesiastes, the third chapter, and again, I would encourage you to go back and read this. We serve a God who’s wise, who’s loving, who’s caring, such that if you go back and read Ecclesiastes 3, you see the seasons of a man’s life. You see that God is telling us there are going to be storms in your life. There’s going to be death, there’s going to be hurt. There’s going to be joy. There’s going to be pain. There’s going to be crying. There’s going to be laughter. But beloved, if we are earnestly contending for the faith, we’re going to go through these.

But what’s so great about it is that we have a Savior that loves us. And his love, his grace, his mercy is so strong, it can get us through that if we allow him.

He asked them, have you no faith? Have you no faith? In Luke 12, 22 through 31, we see how the Heavenly Father loves his beloved. We see that. Turn over to Luke. Luke 12. Now we’re not going to read verse starting in verse 22, but I would go back and read it. I encourage you to read it. I want you to read, read with us, verse 29 through 31. Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after. And your father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Beloved, our adversary, Satan, over in 1 Peter, the fifth chapter, walks around like a lion.

Our dog Bella, she’s kind of hobbled right now, but she’s a German shepherd, husky. I believe she’s got some wolf in her.

And she has a running space. And the other day there were four turkeys that came into the, and came into her space. And I looked out the window. I said, oh boy. She got down like this. And she was just waiting for those turkeys to come a little bit closer. And I banged on the window because I didn’t want those turkeys were going to be meat. And she just kept coming and coming. And finally, when she thought she was in grasp, she made a lunge, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a turkey just. Beloved, that’s how Satan walks around. Waiting for that opportunity. When you’re sitting there having a pity party, and I’m not making light of your circumstances. But when you’re like, God doesn’t love me, why did he allow this to happen to me?

Don’t you know I’ve been faithful?

4. Spend Time in the Inspired Word

That’s our adversary at work. I want to leave us with a couple of ways of how we can better know Christ. First, spend time in the inspired word. 2 Timothy 3 16 says, All scriptures given by inspiration of God. It’s profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Beloved, take some time to get into God’s word. You get out of God’s word what you put into it. And again, I’m not asking for a testimony, but how many of you today was the first time you’ve opened your Bible since last week? Or how many of you had the ability, had the ability to be here earlier, but you came in for the 11 o’clock service?

How many of us actually studied our Bible lessons? How many of us actually take some time to get into the Word? Get off of Facebook. Get off of Twitter. Get into the Word.

5. Seek the Company and Counsel of Godly Men and Women

Secondly, seek the company and counsel of God, of godly men and women. Surround yourself with those of like precious faith. Proverbs 3 and 5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths. Beloved, let me say this to you. Jim Bean, Jack Daniels, Facebook, Twitter is not going to save you. Why do I bring those up? Because there are some in the body that self-medicate in that manner. There are some in the body who seek the advice of people on Facebook who they will never see. Tweaking out the status of their relationship, wanting input from people who have no interest in God. Husbands and wives that rely on people for marital advice that have no grounding, no foundation in Christ, and whose relationship track record is worse than theirs are not the people you seek for advice.

We have some godly people here that you can go to.

6. Have a Come to Jesus Meeting

Proverbs 5, 15 through 20 commands us to drink from our own sister, seeking the comfort and the relationship of others other than your spouse will not repair your marriage. Earlier, I mentioned about the husband and the wife. When you seek the companion, you know what? When you’re going through a rough time in your marriage, there’s always somebody ready to give you advice. And sometimes the people that are giving you the advice to kind of whisper in your ear are the wrong people. And you start drinking from somebody else as well, beloved, let me tell you, there’s never a good ending to that. I’m not saying you can’t reconcile it, but it’s never a good ending to that. Lastly, have a come to meeting. I’m sorry. Have a come to Jesus meeting and lay your burdens at his feet.

Turn to Hebrews, the 14th chapter. I’m sorry, Hebrews, the fourth chapter. When I say have a come to Jesus meeting and lay your burdens at his feet, I believe we serve a God who’s mighty and awesome, who knows that there are times we are angry with him. I believe we serve a God who says, who understands that we are put out with him. Who feel we serve a God who some who understands that we walk around sometimes feeling as though life is a dark cloud and it’s just waiting to burst on me with the next step. Here’s what I say to you. We’re going to read from Hebrews. Can you take that to God? What? Can you take that to God? I don’t mean take it as in I’m the victim here.

What are you going to do about it? But take it to God in love, humility, and seeking godly wisdom, godly discernment. Hebrews 4. Let’s look at verse 13. And there is no creature hidden from his sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. That says God knows what’s going on in our life. He wants us to bring it to him. But 14, this is the beauty here. Seeking, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize. You remember earlier when I say if you’re going through marital problems, Christ can sympathize with that.

Conclusion

With our weaknesses. You’re feeling burdened by life. Christ can sympathize with that. Children, you’re having a tough time obeying. Christ can sympathize with that. But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. But this is the clicker here. Let us therefore come boldly. That’s saying, bring it to God to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Beloved, our Father wants to help us. He’s the loving Father that was discussed earlier in Ephesians. He sent his son Christ Jesus to prepare the way for us, to make to salvation. If you want to know Christ Jesus better, if you are outside the body of Christ, the first step is coming forth and making that confession, establishing that relationship, being washed, made clean and whole by the blood of Christ through baptism.

If you’ve made that confession, because we read mostly from scriptures that were written to the elect, the saved, the called out, which says we can fall away. We thought we knew Christ, but we didn’t.

But it’s up to you to come forth if you’ve sinned or have something of a public nature, to ask forgiveness, to solicit the help of the brethren here. There’s a great body of believers here that are willing to help. This is an opportunity as we stand and sing the invitation song. I am called to all gratitude by the word.