Pastor Railton would consider it a privilege to talk with anyone about the church, living the Christian life, how to become a Christian or any problem or discouragement you may be experiencing. Let him know and he will be glad to either come to your home or meet in the office.
Jesus' Ministry
I. WHAT JESUS DID
A. Scripture Reading - Heb. 12:2.
B. What Jesus Did
1.When I refer to what Jesus did, I'm talking about his earthly ministry,
the time between his baptism and his ascension up to heaven.
2. I like the way Anthony Buzzard puts it. Jesus did not come just to do
three day's work. Some people limit the significance of Jesus' ministry to the death, burial, and resurrection. That, of course, is essential. I
would never take anything away from that. We would have nothing. We'll talk about that in a minute, but there was so much more to what
Jesus did.
3. He began his three year ministry proclaiming the Kingdom of God,
asking people to believe and repent.
a. In fact, Luke 4 describes a situation quite early in Jesus' ministry. It
happened in Capernaum. Jesus had preached. He had healed. The people loved him. The next day Jesus prepared to go on to other
towns, but the people of Capernaum tried to keep him from leaving. They liked what he had to say and what he was doing.
They wanted him to stay. But Jesus insisted on leaving. In verse 43 he explained, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of
God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
b. the focus of Jesus' ministry was the kingdom of God. If you study
the four gospels you'll find that was his favorite topic.
4. He didn't just talk about it. He gave people a taste of the kingdom.
a. He spoke with power and authority, showing himself to be the
Christ who would rule the kingdom.
b. He demonstrated a heavenly wisdom, far more than the wisdom of
men.
c. He healed the sick, showing there will be no sickness.
d. He raised the dead, showing the resurrection.
e. He calmed the storm, showing his power even over nature.
f. He performed numerous miracles, showing kingdom power.
g. He gave comfort and encouragement.
h. He loved people, even sinners. What a contrast from the religious
rulers of the day.
5. Now Jesus not only proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God; he
not only gave people a taste of the kingdom. He died to make it possible for sinful man to be part of that kingdom.
a. From the beginning God has decreed that without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness. Someone has to pay. Our sin is that ugly. We owe a debt we cannot pay.
b. Jesus paid the debt he did not owe. He was without sin, but
according to II Corinthians. 5:21 he literally became sin on the cross. Jesus became a liar, an embezzler, an adulterer, a gossip, a
complainer, a murderer, everything you can imagine.
c. As Jesus hung on the cross God focused his wrath on his own son.
Jesus suffered, bled and died for us. He took on our sin, so that we may take on his righteousness.
d. At the cross Jesus saved us from the penalty of sin. If you're in
Jesus, there is a sense in which you may say, "I am saved."
6. There's one more thing Jesus did during his earthly ministry. He
trained and commissioned his followers to go out and preach the good news of the kingdom. They were not idle during his three and a half year
ministry. They were exposed to Jesus' teaching, his example, his wisdom, his compassion. They practiced preaching the message. They
practiced giving people a taste of the kingdom. They debriefed with Jesus when they returned. Then, just before he ended his earthly
ministry when he ascended up to heaven, he commissioned them to go out into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. He turned
the work over to them, and they in turn were to commission all who listened and believed . . .
7. Now we'll switch gears a bit and talk about what Jesus is doing now, in
his heavenly ministry.
IV. WHAT JESUS IS DOING
A. Scripture Reading - I John 2:1.
B. What Jesus Is Doing
1. Jesus' heavenly ministry is the time from his ascension into heaven,
until his return to earth. Jesus has not gone into retirement. He is actively involved in ministry to this day.
2. One of the first things he did was to empower his disciples with the
holy spirit. In fact, he promised this even before he ascended, but it came about ten days later, on the Day of Pentecost. It was on this day
they were given a portion of the very power of God, the holy spirit. They preached the word of the kingdom. They persuaded many that
Jesus whom they had crucified was the Christ, the son of God. Many were convinced. They wondered what they should do and Peter told
them to "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the
holy spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38)
3. There are many purposes of the holy spirit in our lives today.
a. It enables us to live the Christian life, to be transformed into the
image of the Lord.
b. It guides us into truth.
c. It. guides us into unity and peace. It convicts us of sin.
d. It empowers or gifts us to minister in the name of the Lord.
e. Galatians 5 tells us, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." The transforming ministry of Jesus is vital!
4. (The following paragraph is paraphrased from Alva Huffer in
Systematic Theology. In fact, if you want to study the ministry of Jesus further, that book is a good resource.) God intends that every
believer should be conformed to the image of his son. We are to be moral reflections of Jesus, who is the beginning of the new creation.
We experience moral likeness with Jesus through transformation of character and reformation of conduct. We have to go through this
character change before we can go through a physical change, in other words before we put on immortality. One must have a Christlike
mind before he can have a Christlike body. You see, Jesus is working on us today, even as I speak.
5. Jesus also serves as our defense attorney before God. We read this
earlier from I John 2. The apostle John urges us to not sin. But, he goes on to say, "if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father
in our defense - Jesus Christ, the righteous one." Hebrews 9:24 says, "for Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of
the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence."
6. As a result of Jesus' heavenly ministry, in a sense we can say, "I am
being saved from the power of sin."
7. Now we'll switch gears a bit and talk about what Jesus will do in what
we call his new earthly ministry. His new earthly ministry will continue from his return to earth, on throughout all eternity.
V. WHAT JESUS WILL DO
A. Scripture Reading - Mark 13:26,27
B. What Jesus Will Do
1. First, let's well establish that Jesus is coming again. Matthew 24 helps with
that, and also teaches about what will lead up to the return. Matthew
24:1-51.
2. Jesus is coming back to earth. Every New Testament writer testifies to
that. The angels declared he would return even as he ascended into heaven. Jesus himself taught he would return. The question is, why?
What is his purpose? What's on his agenda?
3. One of the first things that will happen will be the resurrection of the
saints (I Thessalonians. 4:16-18). As Paul put it in I Corinthians. 15, "we will not all
sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed." The writer of Hebrews puts it this way in chapter. 9, "he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but
to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Revelation 20:6 says, "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The
second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." You see . .
.
4. I Corinthians. 15:24-28. The first 1000 years - transition. Jesus will transform
the world to what God wants for the kingdom.
5. Revelation 20:11-15. The Great White Throne
Judgment (Of course, after this, Jesus will turn the kingdom over to God himself who will be all in
all.)
6. This has been a general look at Jesus' ministry. In a sense, when we
think of the return of Jesus, the resurrection, and the kingdom, we can say, "I will be saved." Of course, that would never be were it not
for the sacrifice at the cross.