Encountering Jesus

Encountering Jesus | Week 3: An Unexpected Turn

Mark 10:17-22 NIV 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

An encounter with Jesus can… 1. START IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Mark 10:17-18 NIV 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

An encounter with Jesus can also… 2. INCLUDE SOME DEVOTION

Mark 10:19-20 NIV 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Isaiah 64:6 NIV 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

An encounter with Jesus can also… 3. END WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AND DEVASTATION

Mark 10:21-22 NIV 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

“Breezy, self-confident Christians tell us how wonderful it is to accept Christ and then have a good time all the rest of your life; the Lord won’t demand anything of you. Yes, He will, my friend! The Lord will demand everything of you. And when you give it all up to Him, He may bless it and hand it back, but on the other hand, He may not…” – A.W. Tozer

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” – Martin Luther

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Encountering Jesus

ENCOUNTERING JESUS Week 2

Luke 10:38-42 CET 38 The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!” 41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I. INVITATIONS CAN LEAD TO INTIMACY

Luke 10:38-39 CET 38 The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said.

But invitations DON’T ALWAYS LEAD TO INTIMACY.

Better than “Did you invite Christ into your life?” is the question, “How often do you invite Christ into your life?”

II. DISTRACTIONS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL

Luke 10:40 CET “Martha was worried about all that had to be done….”

Luke 10:40 NIV “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.”

Luke 10:41 CET “The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things,”

“The great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.” – John Ortberg

III. PRIORITY IS THE KEY TO YOUR PURPOSE.

Luke 10:42 CET But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This was not an issue of good vs bad. It was a lesson on PRIORITY. A lesson on RANK. An emphasis on ORDER!

John 12:1-3,7 1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.

Encountering Jesus

ENCOUNTERING JESUS  Week 1

Luke 19:1-10 NIV 1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Faith Assembly exists to help people ENCOUNTER JESUS!

Psalms 34:8 – “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” 

1. JESUS IS MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR FUTURE THAN HE IS WITH YOUR PAST.

Luke 19:10 NIV 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Mark 2:15-17 NIV 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Romans 8:1 NIV 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Psalms 103:12 NIV 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

1 John 1:9 NIV 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2. CHANGING YOUR POSITION CAN IMPROVE YOUR VISION.

3. ENCOUNTERS SHOULD ALWAYS LEAD TO TRANSFORMATION.

Luke 19:8 NIV 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Mark 10:17-27 NIV 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Deepen The Stakes

Deep Seated Saints

Isaiah 54:2 NET 2 Make your tent larger, stretch your tent curtains farther out! Spare no effort, lengthen your ropes, and pound your stakes deep.

Luke 6:46-49 ASV 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.

3 Deep Seated Reminders:

I. WE ARE NOT JUST CALLED TO BUILD – WE ARE CALLED TO BUILD WELL.

Luke 6:48 ASV “…because it had been well builded.”

Luke 6:47 ASV 47 Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:

II. DEEPER ISN’T ALWAYS THE EASIEST

Luke 6:48 ASV “he is like a man building a house who digged and went deep…upon the rock.”

III. YOU CAN ALWAYS DEPEND ON DEPTH

Luke 6:48 ESV “and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it.”

Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 2:6 ESV 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Matthew 6:33 NIV 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Psalm 37:4 ESV 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 5:8 NIV 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Romans 12:1-2 CEV 1 Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.

Psalms 96:6-7 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.