Tonight I'm going to be speaking
out of Luke chapter 12, where the Lord asks this question,
who is that wise and faithful steward? And that's what I want
us to consider. Who is that wise and faithful
steward? I've entitled the message for
this morning, The Greatest Issue. the greatest issue. Throughout church history, there
have been different issues in every generation, different doctrinal
battles. But there is one issue that has
been a constant. And that issue is, who is Jesus
Christ? That is the greatest issue. Who is Jesus Christ? The answer to that question answers
every other question. Zacchaeus, the publican. The
scripture says he sought to see Jesus, who he was. And what a
blessing that is when God puts that into somebody's heart, where
they want to see who he is. The Greeks came to Philip and
said, sirs, we would see Jesus. That's our desire to know and
to see him. The Lord said to the blind man
who he had restored his sight to, Dost thou believe on the
Son of God? And he replied, Who is he, Lord,
that I might believe? What a blessing it is when God
puts in somebody's heart a desire to know who the Lord Jesus Christ
really is. That is the greatest issue. Paul had expressed this amazing
wish concerning his Jewish brethren in verse 3. He said, I could wish that myself
were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according
to the flesh. And he's talking about the Jews.
He said, I would be willing to be cursed, cut off. if they would be saved. We considered
that last week. And he tells who these people
are that he had this great desire for their salvation. He says
they're the Israelites. They're the princes with God. Jacob's name was changed to Israel. He was changed from a heel to
a prince with God, from a supplanter to a prince with God. and had
power and prevailed. And you can't read the Bible
and not see that God made a difference between Israel and the rest of
the world, didn't he? What a difference he made. I
think of what Moses Or what God said to Moses, against the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast,
that you may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
Israel and the Egyptians. God made a difference, and God
made a difference with the nation of Israel. They were blessed
in a way that the other nations of the world were not blessed.
You can't read the Bible and fail to see that. He says, to
whom pertaineth the adoption, And the glory. They had the Shekinah
glory dwelling in their midst. Nobody else had that. And the
covenants. And the giving of the law. Nobody
else had this. And the service of God. And I
have no doubt that that's talking about all that went around the
tabernacle, and the sacrifices, and the feast days, the service,
the promises. Whose are the fathers? They're
the true, they're our ancestors. And of whom as concerning the
flesh, Christ. Okay. Who is overall God blessed
forever. Amen. Now the greatest issue is who
is Jesus Christ? The answer to that question settles
all other issues. particularly the issue between
you and God. Between me and God. This is the issue. Who is Jesus
Christ? What do you think of Christ? When God looks in your heart,
What does he see in you regarding his son, Jesus Christ? I love that scripture reading
from John chapter 21. I was thinking while Paul was
reading that, you know, somebody loves Christ. They were first
loved by Christ and everything's all right. You don't have to
worry about them if they love the Lord Jesus Christ. Now who
is Christ? Now notice what he says in our
text in Romans chapter 9 verse 5. He says, Of whom, talking
about the Jews, as concerning the flesh, Christ. Well, here's the first thing
that I would notice concerning trying to answer this question
regarding who is Jesus Christ. First thing I'd like to say is
that he did come. He came. He came. Well, where was he before
he came? He came in the flesh, but he
was before he came. Turn with me for a moment to
1 John chapter 4. While you're turning there, the
Lord said, before Abraham was, I am. And you know that before Adam
was, he says, I am. And before the
creation of the universe, He says, I am. And in John chapter
8, verse 24, he said, if you believe not that I am, you will
die in your sins. What a horrible thought to die
in my sins. He is the great I am who came
in the flesh. Now look in 1 John chapter 4,
and this is such a simple summary of the gospel. Beloved, Believe
not every spirit, don't believe every preacher that comes along,
but try the spirits, test them whether they're of God, because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know
ye the spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, and
this is that spirit of Antichrist, where if you've heard that it
should come, and even now already it's in the world. Now this little
simple statement, Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Three things
come out of that. Number one, he was before he
came. He is the great I am. Not I was, not I want to be,
not I could be, not I will be, not I should be, but I am that
I am. It was he who spoke to Moses
from the flame in the bush. I am that I am. He was before he came. Secondly, he came in the flesh. who as concerning the flesh,
speaking of the Jews, Christ came. He came in the flesh. Jesus Christ is a man. He's a
real man, bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh. There's one
God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ
Jesus. Who is Jesus Christ? He came
in the flesh, a real man. Now he only is the seed of woman. He didn't have a biological father.
If he did, he would have Adam's fallen nature. But he was born
of the seed of woman. Mary birthed a real man who was
before he came. Listen to these scriptures. He's
the child who was born. Isaiah 9, 6, but he's the son
who was given. That son never was born. That
son is the eternal son of God, but he is the child who was born. The son who was given. The angel said to Mary, the Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall
overshadow thee, therefore that holy thing. I love the way the angel says
that, kind of like God, man, let's just call him that holy
thing. That shall be born of thee, shall
be called the Son of God. The angel said to Joseph, when
he found Mary with child, and he thought about divorcing her,
putting her away. I mean, she said, well, the Holy
Ghost made me pregnant. And you reckon he believed that?
Well, of course he didn't. He was thinking how to put her
away without embarrassing her and so on. And then the angel
appeared to him. And the angel said, Joseph, Fear not to take Mary for thy
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus. For he shall save his people
from their sins. When he was born, The angels
exclaimed, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, for unto you is born in the city of David a savior. When I read that, I thought,
that's what I need, a savior. I need someone to come down here
in the flesh and save me. Unto you is born in the city
of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, and the heavenly host
cried out, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward man. Now this man who came in the
flesh as a Jew, who was before he came, lived for 30 years in
obscurity. Nobody knew who he was. His mom
and dad did. But have you ever thought about
this? Jesus Christ was raised up in this home. He never sinned
and his brothers and sisters didn't get it. They didn't believe
him. They didn't believe who he was.
Here they had God walking in their midst and they did not
have even a clue as to who he was. He lived 30 years in absolute
obscurity, the son of a carpenter. And he kept God's law perfectly. Who is Jesus Christ? He's the
only man to never sin. Don't you love thinking about
his perfect obedience? His law keeping? He's the only
man to never sin. He could say, which of you convinces
me of sin? Can you imagine being able to
make that claim? He said, the prince of this world
have come and have found nothing in me, nothing he can get hold
of. How easy could he find something
in me or you? real easy, real quick. But he said, he hath found nothing
in me. He kept God's law perfectly. But this man, who was before
he came in the flesh, who never sinned, is God. Look in our text, in
Romans chapter 9 verse 5, Speaking of this one, whose are
the fathers, talking about the Jews, and of whom as concerning
the flesh, Christ came, who is over all God, blessed forever. I get to say it again. Jesus
Christ is God. I don't know anything I love
saying more than that. Jesus Christ is God. This man who never sinned is
God. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
who is over all God, blessed forever. Jesus Christ is God
so much so that he said to Philip, he that hath seen me, what? Hath seen the father. Now, what'd he say? He didn't say he that seen me
has seen one who's just like the father. He didn't say that
at all. He said, he that hath seen me
hath seen the Father. Colossians 2.9 says, in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In a body. Now, is God holy? You know the answer to that question?
And Jesus Christ is called the Holy One of Israel. Is God just? The scripture says,
judgment and justice is the habitation of his throne. And Christ is
called that just one. There's just one, just one. Is God omnipotent? All-powerful? Yes, he's God. And the Lord Jesus said of himself, all power. A-double-L all power. Omnipotence is given. to me." That means he has the
power to do whatever he wills. There's no restraint. There's
no holding him back. Whatever his soul desires, that
he has because he has all power. Is the Father omnipresent everywhere
at once? You can't go anywhere where he's
not? Well, listen to this that is said of the God-man Christ
Jesus. He said to Philip, before Philip called thee, he said to
Nathaniel, before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, when I wasn't anywhere around geographically, I saw
thee. Is God omniscient? Does he know
everything? Well, the scripture says, quite
often regarding the Son of God when He walked upon this earth
and Jesus, knowing their thoughts. He knows your thoughts right
now. He knows my thoughts because He knows all. Is God sovereign? That means He has a will, He
has the power to make His will come to pass, and He does make
His will come to pass. Is God sovereign? Well, the Lord
Jesus Christ said, As the Father raises the dead and quickens
them, even so the Son quickens, gives life to whom He will. If you or I ever have life, it's
because the Sovereign Son willed it to take place. Is God immutable? Is there any
change within His glorious person? He said, I'm the Lord. I change
not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And Jesus Christ
is called in Hebrews 13, 8, Jesus Christ the same. Yesterday, today,
and forever. Is God infinite? You know, I
don't even know what infinite means. I use the word, but just
because the word lets you know, we don't know what it means.
He's so infinite and vast and glorious. Is God infinite? What
the scripture says regarding Jesus Christ, in Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead. Is that infinity? Is that infiniteness?
Whatever that means? Yes. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Is God eternal? Did He ever have
a beginning? And Jesus Christ said before
Abraham was, I am. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God. He's the creator of the universe.
He's the one who has you in his hand, even right now. and He
can do with me and you whatever He's pleased to do. That's who
He is. He is God who came in the flesh,
the God-man. Now, the thief on the cross understood
this, and he only knew the Lord a few minutes. When he's hanging
there on the cross, And he hears his buddy cursing Christ. He
had been cursing him, but all of a sudden the Lord has revealed
to him who he is. And he said to his buddy, don't
you fear God? Well, he was talking about the
Father. What makes you think that? No, he wasn't. He was talking
about that one hanging on the cross beside him. Don't you fear
God? seeing you're in the same condemnation,
and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our
deeds. We're getting exactly what we deserve. But this man,
who is God, hath done nothing amiss. He understood the sinlessness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he turned toward him
who is God and him who is man, and he said, Lord. He knew he
was the Lord. Do you know that? Do you know
that He is the Lord? He said, Lord. I wonder how many people laughed
when He made that statement. You think that one hanging on
the cross is Lord? He don't look like Lord to me.
He knew better. He said, Lord, Remember me when
you come in your kingdom. I know you're not going to stay
dead. You're going to be raised from the dead and you're going
to come as a mighty reigning king. Remember me when you come
into your kingdom. Jesus Christ, who is he? He came in the flesh. He was
before he came. He's God. He's man. He came in
the flesh. Now, who is Jesus Christ? Our text says, I love this, who as concerning the flesh Christ
came, who is overall God blessed forever. Don't you love his position? Overall God blessed forever. Who is Jesus Christ? He is the
one who is over all. He's over all the physical law
and he's over all the laws of physics. The laws of biology
say a sperm and an egg have to be joined together before there
can be a human life. He was born of a virgin. Physical law says you can't walk
on water. He did. The laws of physics would say
you can't feed 5,000 people to the full with five biscuits and two sardines
or two sardines or whatever it was, just a little bit of bread,
and they ended up having 12 baskets filled to the full afterwards.
Well, that would be the creation of matter. That can't take place.
He did. Physical law would say no man
can control the weather. What manner of man is this that
even the winds and the sea do obey him? Physical law says when you die,
you stay dead. He gave himself life. He raised himself from the dead. According to the laws of physics,
the law of gravity, a man can't ascend up. He did, because he
is over all. He is over all of providence.
He himself is the cause of all things. He controls all events. Shall there be evil in the city,
and hath not the Lord done it? Amos 3, 6. He controls the animal
world. Fish, get in the net. They got
in the net. They did what he told them to
do. He controls the demon world.
The demon said, suffer us to go into the herd of swine. They
couldn't move from one place to another without asking him.
And Jesus gave them leave. They couldn't make a move without
him. Controls men, and governments,
and nations, and everything that's going on, he's in control of.
Wars, doesn't matter what it is. He do it according to his
will. In the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and none can stay his hand. We're saying to him,
what doest thou? He controls all individuals. I like it the way he said to
Judas, what you doing? Judas didn't know what he was
going to do. He said, what you do, do quickly. He was in control
of what Judas did. While Pilate comes to him and
says, don't you know that I have power to release you? Or I have
power to crucify you? He said, you could have no power
at all over me, except it be given thee from above. He's in
control of everything, in every event, in every accident. He
controls the uncoerced acts of man. Now that's something that
I find so mysterious. We act freely. You do and I do what
we want to do every time. And he's in absolute control
of that. He sovereignly controls the free,
uncoerced acts of men. A man's heart divides his way,
but the Lord directs his steps. Now, I don't understand that,
but I believe it. I believe it. He controls the
sinful actions of men. Every time, every move one of
those soldiers made, they were doing what his hand and his counsel
determined before to be done. Now, Jesus Christ is over all. You know what just makes me feel
so relaxed? I said, it just makes me feel good. He's over all. I don't need to worry about anything.
He is over all and his will must be done. He's God over all, blessed
forever. Now, two more real simple questions.
Who is Jesus Christ? He was before he came. He's God.
He's over all. He's blessed forever. He came
in the flesh. Two more very simple questions. Why did he come? The second question is, did he
do what he came to do? Now, why did he come? Why did
God become flesh? Why did he condescend to be in
a woman's womb? Why did he condescend to work
in obscurity in a carpenter shop? Wonder what kind of carpenter
he was. He built houses. He made furniture. He was the
carpenter's son. Why did he come in the flesh?
Well, let me give you some scriptures. In John chapter six, verse 38,
he's answering for himself. I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, But the will of Him that sent me, and this
is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He
hath given me, I should lose nothing. But raise it up again
at the last day. In John chapter 18, verse 37,
he says, For this cause came I into the world, that I should
bear witness to the truth. He said in Mark chapter 10, verse
45, the son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister
and to give his life a ransom. for many. We read in 1 Timothy
1.15, this is a faithful saying, and it's worthy of all acceptation. Everybody in this room ought
to flip for joy in your hearts when you hear this, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the
chief. In Matthew 5, verse 17, he said,
think not that I'm come to destroy the law and the prophets. I came
not to destroy, but to fulfill. He said in Matthew 9, verse 13,
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. to repentance, to
a change of mind. In John chapter 10, verse 10,
he said, I am come that they, speaking of the sheep, might
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. He said in Luke chapter 19, verse
10, the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost. In John 9, verse 39, he said,
for judgment of my coming to this world, that they which see
not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. And he said in Matthew 10, verse
34, think not that I am come to send peace on the earth, I
didn't come to send peace, but a sword. I've come to send division,
was his word in Luke chapter 12. Now, the issue is, who is
Jesus Christ? He's the God-man who came in
the flesh, What did he come in the flesh to do? We've seen that. Matthew 121, God shall call his
name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now,
the next question is, did he do what he came to do? Did he? Now, who he is answers that question,
doesn't it? The implication of most preaching
that goes on in Lexington, in the United States and in the
world, the implication of most preaching, probably I can't give
a percentage. I know this. I remember one time
reading a man who said the profession that will have the greatest percentage
of its people in it will be preachers. I believe that. The profession of preacher will
have the greatest percentage of people in hell than any other
profession. And I really do believe that.
He talks about the many false prophets that are gone out in
the world. I think there'll be a greater percentage of preachers
in hell than there will be carpenters or plumbers. And here's why. Most preaching presents the work
of Christ as a failure. Now, no one says, I believe Jesus
Christ is a failure. I've not heard, I've only heard
one person. There's one person who said Jesus
Christ's blood was a monumental failure in that he didn't do
what he intended to do. Very few people will say that,
but that's the implication of most preaching. His intentions
were to save everybody. He shed his blood for everybody.
That's his intentions, but he Failed. And nobody says failed,
but if I believe that he can shed his blood for somebody and
that person can end up in hell, then he failed in his intentions,
didn't he? Now, such a savior will not do this sinner any good.
I must have a savior who must succeed in all that he intended
to do. Now, he said, This is the will
of him that sent me, that of all which he has given me, I
should lose nothing. And he said in John chapter 17,
verse four, just before he died, I finished the work thou gavest
me to do. Those whom thou has given me,
I have lost nothing. He came to bear witness to the
truth. And oh, how he bore witness to the truth. The cross tells
the truth about God. You can't know God apart from
the cross. All he is is revealed in his cross. He tells the truth
about me and you. Me and you are so bad. that we
kill Christ if it was left up to us. That's what we are by
nature. It tells the truth regarding
salvation. He is God's salvation. How marvelously He bore witness
to the truth. He came to give His life a ransom
for many, and the price was accepted by His Father. He came to save His people from
their sins, and that's exactly what He did. His name is Jesus,
the Savior. Don't you love Him being a Savior?
I need a Savior. I need somebody to save me. And that's exactly what He did.
He saved me from the penalty of my sin. I'm not going to have
to pay for my sin. He saved me from the power of
sin. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under
the law, but under grace. There was a time when I couldn't
believe. I can remember it. There was a time when I couldn't
believe. I tried. There was a time when I couldn't repent. I tried,
but I didn't even know what it meant. I do now. There's a time
when I had no love for Christ. I love Him now. That's because
I've been saved from the power of sin, saved from the presence
of sin. I'll be in His presence without sin. 1 Timothy 1.15, Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, did He? Yes, He did. Yes, He
did. He came to fulfill God's holy
law and how completely he did. He kept God's law perfectly. He never sinned. He came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And you and I
are living proof of that, aren't we? He came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. He came that we might have life,
and oh, how we have it, the life of God in the soul. And you hath
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. He came to seek and to save that
which was lost, and when he said, it is finished, they were sought
out and they were saved. You see, salvation really is
accomplished outside of our experience, and that's what we experience,
if that makes sense. I don't even know how else to
say that. Salvation was accomplished outside of my personal experience.
He saved us, and then he called us with a holy calling, and that's
what we experience. That's the joy we experience
that salvation doesn't have anything to do with us. It's what he did
for us and what he did in us. He came to give sight to the
blind and blind those who say they see. And that's going on
right now. There's people who can't see why God would save
them, and he reveals to them that he does for Christ's sake.
And there's people who see why God would save me, because I
did this, I did that, I experienced that. And he said what, I love
it when the Pharisee, or when the Lord, when the disciples
came up to the Lord about the Pharisees, they said, don't you
know they were offended by what you said? Oh, help. He didn't say that, did he? He
said, let them alone. They be blind leaders of the
blind. Every plant which my heavenly
Father hath not planted shall be rooted up and thrown away. They be blind leaders of the
blind, and if the blind lead the blind, they'll both fall
into the ditch. He came to bring division, not
peace, but a sword. And you've experienced that.
Now, this is the issue. This really is the only issue. Who is Jesus Christ? He's the God-man who came for
a specific work and did it. Now, who is he to you? Now who
he is has no bearing on, or what I think has no bearing on who
he is. He is who he is, whether you
and I see it or not, but who is he to me? Who is he to you? He's my Lord. He's my Savior. He's my prophet. He brings the word of God to
me. He's my priest. He brings me
to God. He's my king. The king's will
must be done. He's the one who causes me to
believe, to repent. He's my master. He's my brother. My elder brother. He's my friend. He's my husband. And what a husband
he is. He's my redeemer. He's my righteousness. He is my all in all. He is God over all. Blessed forever. Amen. You know what amen means? It means, so be it. Let it be so. This is what I love. This is
what I believe. Who is Jesus Christ? Well, I
leave it with this, what he said to Thomas, after Thomas had said,
I will not believe except I see the holes in his hands and feet
and stick my finger in them. And the Lord came to Thomas,
and he showed him his hands and his feet. You know what Thomas's response was?
My Lord and my God. Who is Jesus Christ? He's my
Lord. He's my God. Let's pray.