The Son of God is Christ

June 18th, 2017

ICA Sunday Pulpit Message

(Intro)

It’s good to see you. Greet those around you. Have you had a good week? Toady’s title is, “The Son of God is Christ”. This is a scripture from Matthew 16. If you look at today’s verse, Jesus is responding in an extreme manner. He is responding towards Peter. Jesus already knew that Peter would deny Him 3 times and curse His name. Despite that, Jesus pours all the blessing on him. He was a wavering stick. He used to be called, Simon. Then, Jesus calls him, Peter. The gates of Hades will not overcome him and He will build the church through Peter. He will receive the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Catholics even made him the first Pope. Why was Jesus so joyful in him? In the following verse, Jesus calls out Satan and tells him to flee from Peter. He is going from 1 extreme to another. He blesses Peter and then rebukes Satan. He might seem bipolar in these verses. That is not the point. Peter was able to realize who Christ is and confess accurately. The word, Christ, is an amazing word. Peter surprised Jesus. Everyone else described Jesus as a prophet and teacher. However, Peter lifted up His name and described who Jesus really was. It was at this moment that Jesus tells everyone that He would be crucified and resurrect. That is the definition of the works of Christ. Peter was emotional. He did not want that to happen. If it were us, we would be thankful that he cares for us. Jesus’ response was sensitive. He is saying that you only think of the works of humans. He was meant to fulfill the works of God. He is responding aggressively. Why? The very reason why He came down to the earth was to do the work of Christ. President Trump entered into the White House because he became the President. Jesus came with the status of Christ and fulfilled it. He did not come as the founder of Christianity. He didn’t come as the main character of Christmas. He came to fulfill the works of Christ. The Bible tells us that these are not the works of people, but of God. You must understand Christ. Jesus is God. That is why He was sensitive towards the situation. When dogs give birth to puppies, they are sensitive towards it. Jesus completely fulfilled the works of Christ without exception. Today is the Lord’s Day. We could be on vacation. However, we need God’s blessings. If you do not know the mystery of Christ, you will fail like the churches of the Middle Ages and the Jewish. Even if you don’t have a doctorate, you need to understand Christ. Then, God will use you. We need to understand that Jesus is the Christ. He completed the works of Christ. In the world, you will see that workers are given the chance to complete the position. The president is supposed to manage the country. In order to do so, he receives power. Looking at corporations as well, CEO gives power to the staff to complete their works. I’m sure there are people who have been to the military. When you join the military, the government provides all the equipment for you. We are the people of the Kingdom of God. We are the people who are the workers for the expansion of God’s kingdom. God has given us all things to complete His kingdom. That is the Holy Spirit. The working of the Holy Spirit has been provided to you. People who are demon-possessed are used by demons. It is the same principle but flipped. People who are saved by God are given the Holy Spirit. If you look in the Bible, it says that you are anointed by the Holy Spirit. In Ac 4:27, it is written, “your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.” Christ means, “anointed with oil”. In other words, it is the one who is being worked by the Holy Spirit. Love and joy are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Fruits can mean the food that we consume. We are not saying that the Holy Spirit is comparable to a tomato. It is an analogy to describe it. So, to say that He was anointed with oil, it means that the Holy Spirit worked on Him. The Holy Spirit abides by you and works in you. That is the anointment of the Holy Spirit. We say that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus was anointed with oil. In Hebrews, the one anointed with oil was called the Messiah. In Greek, the work, “Cristos”, means the one anointed with oil. So, we need to understand that Christ was anointed with oil and has the Holy Spirit abiding by it. We also need to understand that Jesus is the Christ. When God created mankind, we are the created creatures of God. He blew life into us. It wasn’t through a regular woman. He came through a virgin and was conceived through the Holy Spirit. We accept Christ and are saved. The Holy Spirit is working inside of you. Again, for us to say that Jesus is the Christ means that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Do you believe?

1.     Who, in the Bible, was anointed?

(1)    Lucifer who used to praise God was the spiritual creation that was anointed by God (Ezk 28:14)

(2)    Prophets, priests and kings were anointed in the Old Testament (Ex 29:29, 1King 19:16, 1Chr 14:18)

(3)    Jesus and the Church saints were anointed in the New Testament (Acts 4:27, Ps 132:17, Acts 1:8, Ps 133:1-3, 1 John 2:20,27)

In Ezekiel 28:14, you will see that Satan was created by God and was anointed by oil. It says, “You were anointed as a guardian cherub, but you sinned.”  You can’t just say him as one of the angels. He was the leader of his group. He would embrace all other angels under his wing. In the Old Testament, God created the Ark of the Covenant through Moses. It was a box. In each corner, there were angel-like moldings, which were Cherubim. He wasn’t exactly an angel. He had wings, but the angels in the Bible didn’t have wings. He was anointed with oil to praise God. He received special grace, but defied God and was chased out. Satan was also, once, like Christ in the Bible. Prophets, priests and Kings were also anointed with oil. In Exodus 29, Aaron and his sons were anointed with oil. Priests were anointed with oil. In 1 Kings 19, all the kings and prophets were anointed with oil. In 1 Chronicle 14, David was also anointed with oil. It is a spiritual blessing given to those who are spiritually created. You are receiving spiritual strength. It is only given to those with special permission to receive the Holy Spirit. It is invisible to our eyes. That is why we can’t comprehend its works. So, God guides us to build awareness. This formality is so that we can visually see what it means. Police offers are humans, just like us. However, they all wear uniforms. If not, they are exactly the same as us. Because of that, we can confirm who they are. If you look in the Old Testament, they were anointed in order for them to do the work of God. Joseph was moved by the spirit of the Lord. Joseph was able to endure suffering because the Holy Spirit was with him. Also, when you look at the 14 Judges, they were anointed by the Spirit of the Lord. Samson was anointed with oil. So was King Saul. Later on, the Spirit of the Lord left him. Samuel goes to David to anoint him. We need to understand that in the Old Testament, there was a condition in order to receive the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit could also depart from you later on. This was a foreshadowing. The main content that God wanted to fulfill was something else. It was unconditional and unlimited. The Prophet Joel prophesized it. “"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” This was the main content required. He wanted to pour this on all people. This began once Christ came. Jesus was conceived by the working of the Holy Spirit. He began His early ministry in adulthood. He received the anointment of the Holy Spirit. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus never made a move. That’s is why John the Baptist said, “Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Also, Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” In Jn 20:22, it is written, “And with that Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus died and resurrected. At that time, this was the promise that He gave. "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." And with that promise, they gathered together with Mark’s Upper Room. The anointment of the Holy Spirit took place. Upon this, the grace of Christ was with them in full scale. Those who work for the Holy Spirit had the work take place. The promise that you would fill with the Holy Spirit and be His witness was fulfilled. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, Gods works till take place. We need to understand Jesus who came as the Christ. When you can understand that, you can live a joyful walk of faith with happiness.

2.     Jesus, who is the Son of God, has completed the works of Christ

(1)    The fulfillment of Gen 3:15, Ex 3:18, Is 7:14 is Mt 16:16

(2)    The work of Christ is directly connected to solving the fundamental problem of mankind (1John 3:8, Mark 10:45, John 14:6)

(3)     The one who died on the cross, resurrected and able to send the Holy Spirit is only Jesus

Jesus is the Son of God and completed the works of Christ. In the Old Testament, only prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil. This means that He fulfilled the works of all 3 positions. It is related to the original problem of mankind. He broke down the power of Satan by breaking his head. He became the king of kings. That was the prophecy of Gen 3:15 “He will shatter the head of the serpent.” It was fulfilled. If you truly pray, even poverty will depart from you. It is a direct order from the king. This harmony in the family will be broken down. It is unseen to our eyes, but it will take place. Let us say that someone is addiction to games or drugs, then you pray for them in the name of Christ. The forces of darkness will depart from them. Whatever addiction they had, you pray for them. Don’t nag at them. The more you do, the further away they will go. Only with the power of the Holy Spirit, can you overcome the forces of darkness. There is power in the name of Christ. That is what God desires. Our souls are weak and lacking. He wants us to realize Christ. In order for us to realize that, He places us in different situations. It is so that we can learn that through Christ, everything is possible. He died on the cross for us and all our sins. He was the sacrificial lamb on the cross. He became the true priest. That is the fulfillment of Exodus 3:18. After His ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit. That is how He opened the way to meet God. That is how He fulfilled the works of Isaiah 7:14 and completed the works of the prophet. Up until that point, each position did their own work. However, Jesus completed all 3 works. He was able to do so because He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. That is why He became the Christ. He rose as the Christ. He is unique. Satan defied God. King Saul lost his mind. Even King David committed murder and treachery. These people are examples of people who were anointed with oil, but Christ completed all this. That is how He had the accomplishment of being Christ. This was what Peter was confessing. Jesus was excited to hear it. He made the most accurate confession, so Jesus poured all the blessings on Him. The One who resolved the fundamental problems of mankind was Jesus Christ Himself. We have original sin because of Adam and Eve. So, we must meet God. That way to meet God is the Christ. All of mankind must meet God. we are born in a state separated from God. That’s why we are naturally drawn to worship idols. People have a natural inclination for idol worship and evil deeds. It is because they are controlled by Satan. This is the price of sin that we have to pay and we need to have the power to overcome that. That is why we need Christ who is the true prophet, priest and king. We confess that Jesus is the one who has solved all the problems. I confess that God is with me. Even though I continue to commit sins and transgressions, all sins have been paid for. We confess that Jesus has paid for our sins. That is the reason why those who are saved cannot enter hell. When we confess that Jesus is the Christ, it is all encompassing. As we are living our lives, we are inside the true King. How do we know for sure? The only who died for us was Jesus Christ. He was also the only one who resurrected. You might say that Lazarus resurrected. He died again later. There is only one who resurrected. He is Jesus. Do you believe? It is only Jesus who died. He lived forever and sent the Holy Spirit. This is how He gave us tremendous blessings. It doesn’t mean you’re a good person. All your problems have been resolved and you can save others. Christ is in us. We have been called to do the work of prophet, priest and king. Those who come to the conclusion to do those works will be filled with the Holy Spirit. To those who are separated from God, you need to share the way to meet Him. To those who are suffering because of sins and curse, you need to share Jesus Christ who finished that on the cross. To those who are living under Satan, we need to share the Christ who resurrected to set them free. In other words, this is what Christ did. We must take on this responsibility.

3.     As Sons of God, we received salvation to do the works of Christ

(1)    The Early Church was devoted in prayer from the beginning for the anointment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 14)

(2)    The disciples of the Antioch church were referred to as Christians (Acts 11:26)

(3)    John the Apostle emphasized that an anointment of the Holy Spirit has been prepared for us (1 John 2:20, 27)

The Early Church concentrated on receiving the Holy Spirit to do the works of Christ. They were able to do the works of Christ. People even said that the members of the Antioch church were Christ-like. We need to power of the Holy Spirit. We need the name of Christ. That is how we must live. That is why John the Apostle emphasized that Christ was inside of you. “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” This is a normal Christian life. How do you live a Christian life properly? What must you do to excel in your studies? What must you do to succeed? The answer is in Christ. You need to research Christ and understand. Follow after His life. Take the orders on. Christ is inside of you. He desires to be expressed through us. When other people view us, they will see us as Christ-like. They will view you as the person of God. It is possible through the Holy Spirit. We all know that the Holy Spirit is inside of you. We need time to enjoy this. Jesus always set aside time for Himself. During that time, He prayed alone. You are requesting aid from God. In England, there was a child asking for help. This person carried him in his arms and helped him. He came to a realization about Christian life. When we come across a problem, we ask for God’s aid to help us. When we do that, God will be with us through His power. Even now, the Holy Spirit is beside us so that way He will guide us. Jesus has His own individual time. Jesus is the Son of God, but didn’t do works through His own power. He is a human. This is how he showed us how to receive help from God. He became an example. Lucifer failed. Adam and Even were created by the image of God, but failed. In the Old Testament, there were many servants anointed, but left at the end. This anointment of the Holy Spirit is for all mankind. We will do the works of Christ. If you receive a talent and just keep it to yourself, God will curse you. Those who leave something behind will be blessed by God. God has given us a tremendous blessing in Christ. You are meant to enjoy it. You might say that you are quick-tempered but by the power of Christ you will receive blessings from God. You might say that you lived a good and kind life, but now you lay aside your own will and show the righteousness of Christ. That is the covenant for World Evangelization. Those who pray for it will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Even if you have the thoughts of prayer, answers and prosperity will take place. That will be the road to Zion. There was never a single being who overcame Christ. There was never a problem that stumbled Christ. He is our Lord. He is the living Son of God. We are dwelling inside of Him. We are Sons of God. We are the sheep. He is the shepherd. We are small the Christ who fulfill the works of Christ. I bless that the works of Christ will be revealed through you. Confess that you are the small Christ. When you enjoy Galatians 2:20, Christ will be revealed.

(Prayer)

Almighty Father God, we give you all our praise. We thank you for allowing us to realize this almighty truth in Christ. With the name of Christ that resolved all the problems in the world, help us to solve the problems in our everyday lives. Help us to become witnesses of Christ. Help us to boldly take steps. Help us to live with your glory. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Austin Immanuel