WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS CHRIST?

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:9- 13

For the moment, let's just forget all the doctrines, and all the things that people have told us about who Jesus is, and all the creeds which people have written about Jesus, important as those things are. And deal with one issue, Jesus ‘personal impact upon our own lives.

This may not be true for every person reading this, but for most people reading this, there was a point in your life when Jesus began to make himself known to you.

For some it took place during a crisis, when all our illusions were shattered. For others it happened quite by surprise, maybe in the middle of an ordinary day. Suddenly we’re aware of Jesus as being alive. We're in his presence.

We just know in some clear way that he knows us by name.

He sees us.

And now he begins to speak to us in some unmistakable way.

We begin to understand clearly that he's calling us personally to leave our whole life and follow him into the purpose of God. We're also aware at that point that the only reason he has come to us is to bring us from death to life, to lift us out of the rut we've been in, and make us one with the people of his Kingdom across the earth. For most of us, when this occurred it was attended by some taste of this life, some healing, or the breaking of a chain that bound us. Perhaps a flash of vision that caused us to begin to see with new eyes.

But this taste we received was only a taste. To actually get that new life and. Hold it and live in it. To come up out of that. Rut and stay up out of that rut. We have to. Respond. We have to do something with Jesus now that he's. Come to us. He came to his own home and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, and to be and to believe in his name, to receive him. Really involves A radical response. Jesus never lets us get by with a kind of casual friendship. It's either received him or reject him. It's either open our heart or shut the heart. It's either really bowed down and worship him or. Spit in his face. And we just don't like. To make any kind of radical response to him, positive or negative, I mean we don't want to upset anything. We don't want to be nasty, but we also don't want to become deeply involved with him in a radical commitment. And so we aim for the middle of the road. We all do this.

People.

Lord, let me be your friend. You know, if you need me anytime, let me know if I can do something for the church. I'd be glad to. Anytime. Let me know. But in this there is absolutely no. Middle of the road. He that is not with me is against me. He the gathereth not with me scattered. Once Jesus begins to break in upon our lives in this fashion, we find that it keeps happening. He keeps breaking in, haunting US, annoying us, troubling us often in order to help us decide and make clear to ourselves and to him. What we're going to do with him. Sometimes we get a month off or a year off or five years off, and then seems like he hit. Hits us again and he breaks through and he begins to press in and all our protesting and all our attempts to escape, fail we we ultimately have to decide. Whether we're going to forsake everything and follow him. In the preface of God, which may which always will in some way. Involve a cross. Or whether we're going to send them. Away. Forever. When they brought Jesus. To the Roman governors headquarters early Good Friday morning.

Alright.

The last thing. Pontius Pilot wanted to do was deal with this Jesus. Pilot went out and said to them. What accusation do you bring against this? Man. They answered him. If he were not an evil doer, we would. Not have brought him to you. Said to them, taking yourselves and judge them by your law, the Jew said to him it is not lawful for us to put any man to death. You Romans won't let. Us put any? Man to that. Now Paul is trying to push. The issue of Jesus aside, in exactly the same way we do. All the time. So what are you going to do with these pilot? Well, I'm gonna give him a break. I'm gonna set him free. Pilot entered the PRETORIUM again and called Jesus and said. To him. Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered. Do you say this of your own accord or? Did others say it to you about me? Final answer. Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered my kingship is not of this world. If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews, but my kingship is not from the world. Pilot said to. Him. So you are a king. Jesus answered. You say that I am a kid. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world. The bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth. Here's my voice. Everyone who is of the truth. Here's my point, the pilot said to him. What is truth? After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told him I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. Will you have me released for you the king? Of the. Jews, they cried out again, not this man, but for rabbits. Now Barabbas was a robber. Yep. Pilot had the best of intentions. He he could see that Jesus was a Goodman. A holy man. So. I'm going to rough them up a little bit. Let the people see a little blood, they'll be satisfied and then I'm going to release him. Then Father took Jesus and scourged him. Had him. Whipped until the blood was running. Then the soldiers planted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple roll. They came up to him, saying Hail, King of the Jews, and struck. Him on the face. Pilot went out again and said to them, behold I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find. No crime in him. So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns. And the purple robe. Is faced by this time his all his eyes are all puffed up. You can't even see him. You know, he looks like. He's been in a fight. Pilot said to. Then. Here's the man. When the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out, crucify him, crucify him. Pilot said to them. Take in yourselves and crucify him. I find no crime. The Jews answered. We have a law by that law, he ought to die because. He has made himself. Son of God. When pilot heard these words, he was the more afraid. He entered the Pretorium again and said to.

Jesus.

Where are you from? Jesus gave him no answer. Pilot, therefore, said to him. You will not speak to me. Do not know that I have power to release you and power to crucify you, Jesus answered him. You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above. Pilot still has the idea that it's within his power. To release Jesus or have him crucified. He truly still thinks that he can help him, and he has the best of intentions of helping him. But those are not his options. He only has two choices. It's either. In fact, bow down and worship him because he knows already that if he releases him, he's making a commitment to him. If he releases him, that means. He goes to the cross too. It's either. Yield to him. Commit yourself to him and go on to a cross and die with him, or send him to that. Cross to die by himself. Upon this, pilot sought to release him, but the Jews cried out. If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar. When pilot heard these words, he brought Jesus out, sat down on the pavement at a place called Gabbatha in Hebrew. It was the preparation of the Passover, about the 6th hour, 9:00 in the morning. He said to. The. Jews here is your king. They cried out away with him away with him, crucify him, pilot said to them. Shall I crucify your king? The chief priest answered. We have no king but Caesar. Then he handed them over to them. To be crucified. While the decisions pilot ever made. This was the most crucial. And he came at the issue of what he was going to do with Jesus, with the very best. Of intentions, he truly wanted to help. But as he worked on this it. Became clear that the. That if he helped, I mean, if he was going to say yes to Jesus, if he was going to in any way yield and and and and do this and set him free, this meant the. End of his own life. As he had always lived. And he was not ready to do that. The issue what are you going to do with Jesus Christ is not something we just face at the beginning, at the moment of our conversion. But we face it every moment, every hour of every day. The rest of our lives, and we very soon begin to see. With the pilot. That you just can't get rid of the issue by doing something nice. You know, by throwing him a bone. It's either. Forsake everything and follow him all the way, even if it means. Or. Send them away. We have to face this issue every time Jesus calls us to repentance. Something wrong in our life. There's an attitude in our heart which we are now beginning to see is displeasing to the spirit of the Lord. Perhaps we're pursuing a goal which can have no. Other name but vanity. The Lord calls us to repent. And once we hear that call to repentance. It's not just a matter of. Dealing with that sin. We're dealing with Jesus. His call to repentance forces us to have to also deal with him. If I ignore his call. I'm also ignoring him and I'm in fact sending him away. On the other hand, if I respond to him, and if finally wrestling through this thing and doing about it and thinking about it and praying about it and worrying about it and dealing with it, I finally come to the point where I say, Lord, I I'll gladly give up this, this traction in my life in order to have you.

Yes.

Then I have him. I have. Life and by his presence in my life, I have the power to overcome this. Sin. Every time we see our neighbor in need. We're dealing not only with our neighbors need, we're dealing with Jesus himself. We know what he wants us to do. We know that. For our own good as well As for the good of the Kingdom, we are to show mercy. To give to that person's need. To help them to do something. How can I walk with Jesus? And not do what he commands. And as I see that person. 'S need, I hear. The Lord calling me to show mercy. So if I'm going to respond to the call. If I'm going to receive him, this calls for action in terms of this neighbor. In his name and for his sake, I'm going to turn for myself and I'm going to abandon myself to becoming broken bread for that person's hunger or pour it out. Wine in Jesus. Name for that person's wounded soul. And every time I hear the call to confess. Jesus before men. Again, it's not a matter of dealing with some abstract principle of Christian duty. I'm dealing with Jesus himself. It's either forsake everything and follow him, even if it means a cross, or send him out. My love Jesus. How can I not confess him and every time I confess him, he manifests himself not only to the person I'm talking to, but to me. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home and his own people received him not, but to all who received him, who believed on his name. He gave power to become children of God. Who are born not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man. But of God. The ultimate issue? Every moment of every day. Including this one right now. Is what are we going to do with Jesus? It's either received him. Or send them away. And to receive him. Is 3/10. To make the change, we know we have to make. To receive him.

Is to love.

That person, we know we have not loved. Not just you. Know with some emotional froth inside, but in action. To receive him. Is to confess his name before men. Not only with our mouths.

But with our lives.

Let's take some time before him now and let's. Do business with him now.