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Sermon Notes: 4/16/23

"Give Me Jesus"

Pastor Albert Almore


Now there were certain Greeks among those coming up that they might worship at the feast. John 12:21


Therefore these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they were asking him, saying, "Sir, WE DESIRE TO SEE JESUS.” John 12:21


We’ve come to see the one who came to fulfill the law. We’ve come to see the one who came to establish a new covenant. We’ve come to see the one who’s come to redeem mankind once and for all! WE DESIRE TO SEE JESUS! This should resonate in us, and we should cry out the same in our lives—GIVE ME JESUS!


Give me Jesus!

Not religion.

Not tradition.

Not your opinion.

Not your denomination.

Not your church name.

Not your church logo.

Not your pastors resume.

Not how many followers you have.

GIVE ME JESUS!


GIVE ME JESUS


But do I really want THAT JESUS, or do I want my preferred version of Jesus?


Do I really want THAT JESUS, or do I want my revised version of Jesus?


Do I really want THAT JESUS, or do I want my edited version of Jesus?


If Jesus was to spend a day riding around with me and if He pointed to someone’s house who I didn’t agree with, someone who lied on me, or hurt me, or betrayed me, and said, "I want to go to their house!” Would I tell him, "Nah, Jesus we don’t fool with them like that.” Because this is essentially what happened with Zacchaeus. Luke 19:1 reads,


“Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭2‬


“He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭3‬-‭4‬


‬‬ “When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I MUST STAY AT YOUR HOUSE TODAY.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭5‬ ‭


‬‬ “So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. And all who saw this BEGAN TO GRUMBLE,saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭


WHO’S YOUR ZACCHAEUS?

Who’s that person that makes you say umph? Who’s that person that makes you look straight ahead, with your lips poked out, as you say, "uh, huh.”


‬‬ “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬


THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE SEE JESUS. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE ENCOUNTER THE REAL JESUS AND NOT OUR PREFERRED VERSION OF JESUS.


OUR PREFERRED VERSION OF JESUS IS LIMITED. OUR PREFERRED VERSION OF JESUS IS RESTRICTED.


IS THERE ANYONE YOU’VE KEPT AT A DISTANCE THAT YOU NEED TO BRING CLOSE TO SEE JESUS?


“Jesus said to him, “Today SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE, because this man too is a son of Abraham.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭9‬ ‭


‬‬ “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭10‬


When you sign up to follow Jesus, you sign up to be denied by your Peter, and to be betrayed by your Judas, but you’re still called to love them, to serve them, to reconcile with them. Case and point, John 13:1 reads,


“Before the Passover celebration, JESUS KNEW THAT HIS HOUR HAD COME to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now HE LOVED THEM TO THE VERY END.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭


‬‬ “It was time for supper, and THE DEVIL HAD ALREADY PROMPTED JUDAS, son of Simon Iscariot, TO BETRAY JESUS.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬ ‭


‬‬ “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭


‬‬ “So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭‬‬


“When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?””

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭


‬‬ “Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭


I HAVE SET THE EXAMPLE, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. John 13:25


“About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭59‬ ‭‬‬


“Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭60‬ ‭‬‬


THE LORD TURNED AND LOOKED STRAIGHT AT PETER. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭61‬ ‭‬‬


“And he went outside and WEPT BITTERLY.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭62‬


“But go, tell His disciples—AND PETER—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭


I know what happened, but you’re still called.

I heard what you said, but you’re still called.

I saw what you did, but you’re still called.


When we study the life of Jesus in real time we see that…


📝 Jesus doesn’t allow HOW PEOPLE ARE to change WHO HE IS.


When we study the life of Jesus in real time we notice that…


LOVE didn’t conform to hate.

FAITH didn’t conform to unbelief.

COMPASSION didn’t conform to coldness.

FORGIVENESS didn’t conform to bitterness.

GRACE doesn’t conform to GRUDGES.


Jesus is consistent. Jesus is constant.


Man give me that Jesus! I’m tired of looking like me, sounding like me, talking like me, REACTING LIKE ME. I know it won’t be easy but I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME—GIVE ME JESUS!


I know I’m asking for Peter. I know I’m asking for Judas. I know I’m asking for the Pharisees, and the Sadducee’s. I know I’m asking for trouble, because Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble, but greater is He that is in me, than he that’s in the world.

Give me Jesus. I’m not living for man. I’m not living for pats on the back. I’m not living ‬‬for likes, shares, views, red hearts….I’m living for an audience of one….MAN GIVE ME JESUS!


We sang earlier about Christ being our firm foundation. What are the foundations of Christ?


📝 The foundations of Jesus Christ are, LOVE, FORGIVENESS, and ACCEPTANCE.


Jesus TAUGHT it to us.

Jesus LIVED it before us.

Jesus placed HIS SPIRIT in us.


Jesus doesn’t make EXCEPTIONS.

Jesus goes THE EXTRA MILE.

Jesus EQUIPPED US for the challenge.


Jesus goes THE EXTRA MILE….


“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬


““You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and pray for those who persecute you,”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭44‬


‬‬ “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭45‬ ‭


‬‬ “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭46‬-‭47


Jesus EQUIPPED US for the challenge….


‬‬ ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭16‬


‬‬ “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬ ‭‬‬


“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.””

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭23‬ ‭‬‬


You are equipped for your Peter. You are equipped for your Judas. But here’s what you have to do. 1 Peter 5:6,


“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬


Humble yourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way.


“I have been crucified with Christ; IT IS NO LONGER I who live, but Christ lives in me..

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭‬‬


📝‬‬ “He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭30‬ ‭‬‬


📝 Give me Jesus, so I can GIVE JESUS.


Foundation 1 of Motion Church:

JESUS IS OUR REASON.


Jesus is our reason, because we were first His reason.


We love because HE FIRST LOVED US. 1 John 4:19


HOW CAN JESUS BE MY REASON, BUT PEOPLE AREN’T MINE?


But just like Jesus, I can’t make exceptions. I must go the extra mile. I’ve been equipped for the journey.


“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭‬‬


GIVE ME JESUS. Give me the one that the lepers felt welcomed enough to approach!

Give me the one that the lady who was caught in the act of adultery was left with.

Give me the one that the woman had 5 husbands felt loved enough to get real with.

Give me the one that was fully God, but human enough to cry with His creation.

GIVE ME JESUS. Not my preferred version of Jesus. Not my edited version of Jesus. Give me Jesus, the version who forgave me for EVERYTHING. Give me Jesus, the version who forgave me OF ALL MY SINS. Give me Jesus, the version who LOVES me and pulls me close through it all. Give me Jesus, the version who accepts me at my lowest of times. Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭‬‬says,


📝 "Accept one another, then, JUST AS CHRIST accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭‬‬


But THIS JESUS ISN’T JUST FOR ME.


Give me Jesus, so I can GIVE JESUS.


Now there were certain Greeks among those coming up that they might worship at the feast. John 12:21


Therefore these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they were asking him, saying, "Sir, WE DESIRE TO SEE JESUS.” John 12:21


WHICH JESUS ARE PEOPLE SEEING THROUGH YOU?


THE REAL JESUS, OR YOUR PREFERRED VERSION OF JESUS?


WHO’S YOUR ZACCHAEUS? WHO’S YOUR PETER? WHO’S YOUR JUDAS?

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