Let Me Tell You Who Jesus Is
Pastor Erickson preaches from Paul's sermon on Mars Hill in Acts 17, declaring that the unknown God has a name and His name is Jesus. He warns against idols and empty religion and calls people into a real relationship with Jesus through repentance, baptism in His name and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The message in 6 points
Declaring the unknown God
Reading Acts 17:23, he says Paul came to declare the unknown God, and the church declares that His name is Jesus. As the world gets darker the church has to get brighter, bringing hope where there is fear.
51:06Paul in Athens
Greece was educated and very religious, full of gods, philosophers and shrines, much like a society that wants every belief to simply coexist. After being chased from other cities, Paul preached Jesus in the synagogue and the marketplace and was brought before the men of Mars Hill.
54:31Education is not revelation
From 1 Corinthians 1 he says God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and revelation comes to those willing to receive the Word. Paul never cut down the other altars; he simply presented the true God, and the church does not need to put others down to declare Him.
1:03:23The idols of our day
An idol is anything or anyone that takes the place of God as our identity, meaning and security. Like Athens, America has shrines on every channel and keeps looking for the newest star to worship, and every idol it sets up will one day fall.
1:13:29Religion or relationship
Religion is when the worship matters more to the worshipper than to the One being worshipped. He warns against a church that becomes programs and details, and points to Mary, who left the work to sit at Jesus' feet and listen.
1:18:32The name above every name
Knowing the name is not enough, as the sons of Sceva found in Acts 19, yet the name of Jesus is above every name and holds the fullness of God. He calls people to repent, be baptized in Jesus' name and receive the Holy Ghost, and asks the church to seek a deeper relationship and boldness to declare Jesus.
1:24:24
In his words
“I'm not here to preach against education. My God, I believe you should get all you can and can all you get. Go to school, get educated, but education does not equal revelation.”
“Religion defined is when worship is more important to the people that are worshiping [than] the God that's being worshiped.”
“It takes more than just knowing the name of God. The revelation of who God is does not put us in the relationship with him.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added. Words in [brackets] were fixed so the line reads clearly.
Scripture
He reads
Acts 17:22-25
22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
King James Version.
1 Corinthians 1:22-27
22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
King James Version.
Exodus 20:3-4
3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
King James Version.
Acts 19:15-16
15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
King James Version.
Philippians 2:9-11
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
King James Version.
Romans 8:11
11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
King James Version.
Acts 2:39
39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
King James Version.
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