If you'd like to follow along,
where I'm gonna read is in Colossians chapter one. And... Colossians chapter one and beginning
in verse nine. For this cause we also, since
the day we heard it, Do not cease to pray for you and to desire
that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ye may walk worthy of the
Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all might
according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering
with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father which has made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? For by him were all things created
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created by him and for him. and he is before all things,
and by him all things consist. I'm gonna stop right there. Ladies and gentlemen, that is
one fine sentence. That is all one sentence by the
Apostle Paul. And I can tell you this, there's
more truth in that sentence than you will hear in most churches
today, period. You could read that in any church
today and go home and you've heard the truth of God. So I'm gonna talk about it. But I'm gonna do something a
little different today. However, at the same time, I'm
going to do something very familiar. By that I mean I'm gonna use
a slightly different method. I'm not going to have a different
message. The message is still the same,
Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, the title
of this message is a question. Who is Jesus Christ? I think that's accurate and a
crucial question. Matter of fact, I don't know
of a more important question than this. Who is Jesus Christ? Now, I'll tell you something. I have two goals in mind for
this message. I have two goals. The first goal
is this. I want to tell some people some
things they may never have heard before about Jesus Christ. And hopefully, they want to know. The second goal of this message
is I want to tell some people some things they already know.
Now, you might get a hint from this. That's basically the goal
of every message I try to preach, because that's what you've got.
There are two audiences, those who know Christ and those who
don't. But the message is always the
same. The message is never different. The message is Christ Jesus.
All that I know of Jesus Christ is what he's shown me in his
word, and here's the thing. The truth is the truth, whether
you will hear it or not. The truth is always the truth.
I've got nothing new today. Now it may be new to you if you've
never heard it before, if you're watching this on the television,
if you're hearing this on streaming, but it's not new. It's as old
as eternity. But Christ asked this question
of his disciples. First he asked them, whom do
men say that I am? And they said, oh, some say John
the Baptist, some say Elias. He said, but who do you say that
I am? And they told him, Peter told
him, said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus Christ looked at him
and said, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you. It's true,
it was very true, it's still true, Jesus is the Son of the
living God. But flesh and blood didn't reveal
that to you, my Father which is in heaven revealed that to
you. So that's the question I wanna ask. Who is Jesus Christ? The
first thing I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna travel a little bit
with this, which is why it's a little different than what
I normally do. The first thing I wanna tell you about Jesus
Christ is he is the Alpha and the Omega. Now the first thing
I'm gonna tell you is from the book of Revelations. You don't
have to turn there, I'm gonna read just a couple verses. It's
from the last book in the Bible, but it's talking about the whole
Bible. He says, Revelations one and verse eight, I am alpha and
omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which
is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty, the Almighty. Revelations 22 and verse 13,
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last. So who is Jesus Christ? He is
the beginning and the ending. He is the first and the last. From the first book of the Bible
in Genesis to the end of the Bible in Revelations, this is
a book of Jesus Christ. He is the subject from beginning
to end. He is the object from beginning
to end. Matter of fact, this is one of
the things that kind of hit me. He's the lesson and he's the
teacher. He's the teacher and he's the
lesson. Oh my, I like that. If you're
looking in this book and you're not seeing Christ, you've missed
the whole point. You've missed it, period, yeah. You've missed
it. Because this is a book about
Christ. In picture, in type, in prophecy, and in reality when
he came. And then more prophecy and more
explanation of the old prophecies after he's gone. In the books
of his apostles. He's the teacher and he's the
lesson. Understand what he said at the end of Luke to those gentlemen
Or what it what it said? then Opened he their understanding
what of the scriptures of the scriptures of this book When
he walked with him by the way, what did he say he expounded
on how Jesus Christ must die? The Christ must die and be buried
and be risen again and according to the scriptures. He's the teacher
and he is the lesson. But here it is, in the very first
book, what are the first three words in the Bible? In the beginning. In the beginning. Now Jesus Christ
said, I'm the beginning and the ending. God is the creator. And some people will say, yes,
that's true, but that's the Old Testament God. There is no Old
Testament God and a New Testament God, okay? There's just God. There's just God, that's all
there is. Now, if you don't understand the difference between the Old
Testament and the New Testament, that's your problem. But there's only
one God. Our Lord is one Lord. And our
Lord is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one, one, one. In the beginning is the first
three words, the fourth word is the one that's important,
God. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. God
is the creator, yes, but what does the apostle John tell us
about Jesus Christ? In John one and verse one, he
says this. in the beginning was the word. And the word was with God, and
the word was God. Was God. Oh my. Wait a minute,
he didn't finish there. The same, this word. This word,
Jesus Christ, he's gonna come out and tell us, this word, what,
this same was in the beginning with God. Verse three, John one,
all things were made by him and without him was not anything
made that was made. Now that sounds suspiciously
like what I read from Colossians written by the Apostle Paul. What's all this mean? Jesus Christ
is the creator of the heavens and the earth. The word, this
word, Jesus Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us, lived among
us, and we beheld his glory. We beheld, nobody's got glory
but God. Nobody has glory but the, and
I'm jealous, I will not share my glory. Oh, he's not sharing
it, that's him. We beheld his glory, what? The
glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Full of grace
and truth. Oh, I like that, I like that.
What am I trying to say? Who is Jesus Christ? Well, right
here I'm telling you, Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is God. Please understand, this is not
my opinion. This is not reason, this is not
logic. This is not even dogma or theology. This is fact. This is a fact
of the scriptures. Jesus Christ is God. Matter of
fact, you can call him Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. You understand
what the beginning of wisdom is? The beginning of knowledge
is? The fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord. What did
Paul say about them? Those that wouldn't hear, didn't
care, wouldn't listen, even his brothers? There's no fear of
God before their eyes. That's a curse, folks. And that's
a curse of every human being until he gets a hold of you.
You understand, Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ did not
start with his miraculous birth. He did not. Matter of fact, there's
some that say, well, he wasn't God until he resurrected. No,
he was God long before. He has always been God. What
does it say? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever. Now I will give you a little
bit of logic. If that's true, if Jesus Christ
is Lord, if Jesus Christ is creator, he's always been the creator.
If he has never changed, he's the same yesterday and today
and forever. Whatever he is now, he always has been. And it says
he's coming back with a name written on his thigh and upon
his vesture that says King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So what does that make him now?
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he's the same. What was he before
he came? He was king of kings and he was
lord of lords. What was he while he was here?
He was king of kings and lord of lords. Especially when we
didn't know it. You understand, our knowledge
of him doesn't make him what he is. I know there's a lot of
people that want to put the cart before the horse. Ah, man lives for putting the
cart before the horse. He wants to put man in the place
of decision. Mason, your relative, on Facebook. Oh, you know. We're saved by
choice. Well, that's true. It's just
not your choice. It's not my choice. It was his
choice. Jesus Christ told his disciples,
They didn't say you couldn't, although they couldn't. He says,
you didn't choose me. You did not choose me. Matter
of fact, you would not choose me. Your will would not allow
you to choose me. I chose you. There's a choice
involved. It's just not yours. It's not
mine. Jesus Christ is God and creator. Psalms 33 and verse six puts
it this way. at the beginning with the Lord
Jesus Christ creating the cosmos. Psalm 33 and verse six says this.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. And all the host of them by the
breath of his mouth. Oh, I like that. Verse nine says
this. For he spake, he spake, he spoke,
and it was done. It was done. I like that. He
commanded and it stood fast. What do you say in Isaiah? I've
spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. You know, you don't talk about
proud Americans. God bless proud Americans. No,
no, no. Praise God. He's spoken it, he'll
bring it to pass. He's purposed it, he'll do it. And here's the thing, nothing
can be put to it, nothing can be taken from it, God does it. And known unto God are all his
works from the beginning. I just read it in Colossians.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether it be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by him
and for him. And he is still, to this day,
right now, before all things, including you and me and everyone
out there watching. He's before you. And how did these things get
created? By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. And I
looked at that word in the Hebrew, you know what that is? Speak. Speak. God said let there be light.
And what happened? There was light. There wasn't
a moon, there wasn't a sun. There wasn't stars. But by God
there was light when God said there was light. Oh, wait a minute, who's the
light? I am the light of the world. Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ
is the Lord. As the Psalms tell us, by the
word of the Lord, the heavens were made. And I just read it
where John told us who the word was. In the beginning was the
word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Jesus Christ is the creator God,
the maker of heaven and earth, and you and me. Because Jesus Christ is the Lord
God, put it this way, period. Just put a period there. He's
not the Lord God if you make him Lord. You understand? I accept Jesus as my Savior and
I'm gonna make him my Lord. No, if he's not your Lord, he's
not your Savior. Old Testament and New Testament,
Jesus Christ is Lord. But to the glory of God the Father. I like that part. Why do I keep
harping on this? What does it matter who I think
Jesus is? Some people might ask that question.
And it's, you know, it's a valid question. And I like valid questions. There's a scripture often quoted,
at least partially, but it's rarely understood. It's in the
book of Jonah. Jonah says, but I will sacrifice
unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that I have vowed.
What does he say? Salvation is of the Lord. Understand? Salvation is from
the Lord. Salvation is His to give. It's His creation, salvation
is. Oh my. You understand, there's untold
millions out there, I'm sure, in this country right now, they'll
be telling you, salvation is of the Savior. That's almost
true. Salvation's of the Lord. It's
the Lord who saves. Look at the thing. Isaiah 43
verse 11 says, I, even I, am the Lord and beside me there
is no savior. Tell ye, this is Isaiah 45 verse
21, tell ye and bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I? The Lord, the Lord. And there is no God else beside
me. What? A just God and a savior. There is none beside me. Isaiah
49 and 26 says, and I will feed them that oppress thee with their
own flesh. and they shall be drunken with
their own blood as with sweet wine, and all flesh shall know
that I, the Lord, am thy savior and thy redeemer. The mighty
one of Jacob. Who's the redeemer, folks? Jesus
Christ. What? The Lord Jesus Christ. Thou shalt also suck the milk
of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings, and thou
shalt know that I, the Lord, am thy savior and thy redeemer,
the mighty one of Jacob. Salvation is of the Lord. The redeemer is the Lord. The Lord of hosts is his name. Jesus Christ is not your savior
if he's not your Lord. I don't know how many clear I
can put it. For thy maker is thine husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name, and thy redeemer, the Holy One
of Israel, the God of the whole earth he, or excuse me, shall
he be called. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior,
the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. Why should I know
who Jesus Christ is? Who is Jesus Christ? Well, he
is Lord. He is Lord. Now why you should
know he is Lord is this. Every knee is going to bow and
every tongue is going to confess that Jesus is Lord. What? To the glory of God the Father.
You understand? Every knee's gonna bow. Every
tongue's gonna confess, not that Jesus is Savior, that Jesus is
Lord. I'm gonna tell you something,
he's everybody's Lord, but he's not everybody's Savior. He says
that, I didn't have to. He's the one that makes the choice.
And he's the one that makes that choice come to pass. Why? Because
he spoke it. And it's gonna happen. He has. He prayed to the Father,
John 17. I have power over all flesh. Why? Thou hast given me power
over all flesh. What did he say for that purpose
for that? That I might give eternal life to as many as you have given
to me. Oh my, he's got power over all
flesh. Every knee's gonna bow. Every tongue's gonna confess.
You might wanna do it here first. Because it's gonna make doing
it hereafter easier. You understand? It's easy to
bow in the hereafter if you're used to bowing down now. To the
Lord of glory. And he deserves it. He gives
eternal life to those that the Father has given me. Who is Jesus
Christ? I told you I wasn't gonna have
anything new. He's the alpha and he's the omega. He's the
teacher and he's the lesson. He is prophet, priest, and king.
He's that great prophet that came after Moses. He's our great
high priest and he's the king of kings and lord of lords. And
no other man in this book is told to be prophet, priest, and
king. He's the one. The only one. He is the lamb
that was slain from before the foundation of the world. And
then in reality. Oh, he's the lamb. The living
lamb of God forevermore. Forevermore. Jesus Christ is
the sovereign and the savior. He's the just and the justifier. You understand? While he was on this earth, the
teachers couldn't explain him. The leaders couldn't ignore him. He wouldn't go away. Herod and
Pilate didn't understand him. The Pharisees couldn't stop him.
They couldn't hinder him. They couldn't arrest him, and
they couldn't kill him. They tried all until his hour
was come. The people couldn't kill him.
They tried to throw him off a cliff. Tried to kill him more than once.
And he walked right out of their midst. Who was Jesus Christ? After he ascended, new religions
have come and have gone and are still here now. But they can't
overcome him. The new age couldn't supplant
him. I grew up through that mess, sorry. Hitler and communism couldn't
silence him, although they've tried. Talk shows can't explain
him away, although they're still trying. Because understand this, right
now, still, right now to this day, he is seated at the right
hand of the majesty on high. And his enemies are being made
his footstool. They're gonna be put under his
feet. You don't want to be an enemy
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is still seated there
whether you, me, or anyone else knows where he is. He's there. He's on his throne. He is God
manifest in the flesh. He speaks and it's done. He speaks, and it stands fast. I like that, I do. Because here's
one thing, he speaks. These are his own words as recorded
in John, chapter five and verse 25. I read this, I think, this
morning on TV. I'm gonna read it again for you
today. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming,
and now is. This is 2,000 years ago he said
this, and now is. when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. You know why? Because he speaks
and it's done. It's done. You understand? God
doesn't need your cooperation. The Lord Jesus Christ doesn't
need your help. He doesn't need your choice.
If his choice is made for you, you're chosen. I don't know how
I would put it. You understand? If God chose
you in Jesus Christ from before the foundation of the world,
which is what it says, this book, you're chosen. And he will speak
to you, and when he speaks it, it's gonna stand fast. It's gonna
stand fast. When he says live, you're gonna
live. He gives eternal life. And when he speaks, you're going
to live because that's the way it is
right now. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. He spoke and it was done. Guess what? He speaks
now and it's done. I like that. I do. Oh, now the question is,
For you, who is Jesus Christ? Do you know the Lord? Now knowing about the Lord and
knowing the Lord are not the same thing. And I can tell you
the difference right here. If you know the Lord, you will
call upon the Lord. And that's what this is for.
Hopefully those who know the Lord will call upon the Lord. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord, same shall be saved. I like that. Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Will you call
on him? Call on him today. Matter of
fact, never stop calling upon him. continue calling upon him. I got this, this is a verse of
a song, the last verse. While walking on the gospel way,
I would see Jesus every day, and see in all his grace, see
him, my prophet, priest, and king, see him by faith, and praises
sing. and then see him face to face. That's what I'm looking for.
I wanna see my Lord. And if he's your Lord now, you'll
wanna see him. You'll wanna be with him. Even more, you'll wanna be like
him. I wish I was. I wish I was. But one day, One day, we're gonna
get to see him and see him as he is. Not as we think. No, we're gonna see him as he
is. And I'm waiting for that day. I'm hoping for that day. I'm wanting that day, and even
so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
again for this day and this time. Thank you, Father, for your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom you have given us all spiritual
blessings, in the heavenlies and here. Thank you, Lord, for
your goodness to us because of your Son. And thank you, Lord,
for letting us, giving us to believe him. In Christ's name
we pray, amen.