Who do people say Jesus is? And more importantly, who do you say He is? This sermon by Richard Bruce dives deep into the most crucial question of faith, exploring the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and the profound power held within His name. Discover how an encounter with Jesus can be a life-transforming choice, just like it was for a beggar at the temple gate. Are you ready to consider what it means to call Jesus your Lord, Savior, and Friend? Tune in to explore the step of faith.
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Transcription
Taken from Mark chapter eight, verses 27 to 38, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, who do people say I am? They replied, some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.
But what about you? He asked, who do you say I am? Peter answered, you are the Messiah. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter.
Get behind me, Satan, he said, you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it.
But whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his father's glory with the holy angels.
This is the word of the Lord.
Sermon: Richard Bruce
Well. Good morning. It's good to be with you. My name is Richard Bruce, and, I'm feeling very old today because, the last time I spoke at Deep Creek, Bob Brown invited me, and I looked this up. It was a men's breakfast out there in 2006. So, that was some time ago.
And I'm also feeling, old, but also encouraged because, I've known Megan for a very long time. I was her first youth group leader, and, I was there the night that she made a commitment of faith. So it's been wonderful to journey, along with her over many years.
I do want to encourage you to continue to keep all of the candidates, that had their names put forward for the archbishop in your prayers. It's a pretty tortuous process that they go through and very vulnerable. There's not too many jobs that you have. Nearly 800 people, considering you for, but that is that is the Anglican way that we do it, in Melbourne. But, encourage you to keep the candidates in your prayers.
My role, currently, I am the archdeacon for Diocesan and Parish partnerships, working centrally, in the diocese. And what that looks like on a day to day basis is, I work with our prison chaplains, our hospital chaplains, op shops. And then there's a whole range of, individual church programs that work with Anglicare Victoria, Brotherhood of Saint Lawrence Benitez and other Anglican agencies.
So I'm I'm kind of like the go to guy, for those things. If a parish wants to investigate doing a program like a. A breakfast program for homeless people or an op shop or something like that. I'm the person that they come to.
I go and meet with the parish, talk about it, and then we work out who are the organizations or agencies that they might connect with to partner with in doing that. So I live locally in Warren, and I normally do come along and sit over quietly with my two boys. Over on the side we come in.
Just the service begins and then we sneak out just as it finishes. Previously been on staff at a number of churches, but it's, It's good to be with you this morning as we finish, this, series of together. And I get to start my timer now for the sermon. So. Yeah.
There we go. Megan said we had to be very careful about our timing. So there we go. Yeah, it was very encouraged that, she made it very clear that as a senior minister, the timing does not apply to her. But anyway, here we. Here we go.
Who Do You Say I Am?
I love this. This is. This is perhaps my favorite passage of scripture. If if someone said you could talk about any passage of scripture, what would it be?
This. This would be it. I love the fact that as Jesus is walking along with his disciples, he asked that question who do people say that I am? And then he asks them, but who do you say that I am?
I wonder if we we went down to the ponds this morning or we went to your favorite cafe this morning, perhaps to your workplace, to your social club, whatever it might be to to the people that you engage with. If we ask them, who do you say Jesus is? I wonder what the responses would be.
I think they would be quite varied, wouldn't they? Quite varied. For the disciples, we see that when they first interact with Jesus, when they first start walking along with him, they ask that question, who? Who is this man?
Who is this guy? When Jesus calms the waters. When? When they're out in the boat, what's their response?
Who is this man that even the waters obey him? All the way through to this point in Jesus life and ministry, where the disciples have been walking with him for nearly three years, they've been living with him 24 over seven. Where Peter declares, you are the Messiah, you're the one that we have been waiting for.
You're the one that's going to save us. Jesus shows his identity to his disciples, to those that are closest to him. And if you read the gospel of Mark and Matthew, you will see this come through clearly, where Jesus shows his authority and shows the power of God working through him in these five areas to teach his authority over sickness, over nature, over death, and the authority to forgive sins.
So for the disciples, the people that are living with him. Where if there was anyone that would have said, this guy is a fraud. This guy is not real.
There is. There is weakness. There is inconsistency. It would be the disciples, wouldn't it?
So this is the power of Jesus asking this question of the disciples. The other people who are not living with him every day they say, well, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, still some others. One of the prophets.
They're all good things. But when Peter says, you are the Messiah, this is a declaration that the disciples see him in his true identity, in the fullness of his glory, in his purpose living out. This is powerful.
That's why he says, don't go telling people because he knows what the implications would be. For Jesus to fulfill 300 to 500. Old Testament prophecies about who the Messiah is.
In just a few years is powerful. This is part of the proof of who Jesus is. To the disciples, as they are looking for the Messiah to come. They see it living out before them in an undeniable way.
It is not insignificant that Peter says you are the Messiah. You are the one that we are looking for.
The Name of Jesus
Now we hear the name of Jesus many times a day. If you like me in all kinds of circumstances. We hear the name of Jesus.
It is one of the most used swear words in our society, isn't it? All you've got to do is watch a movie. Hear people talking.
Jesus. Jesus Christ, Lord almighty. Or as one of my bosses used to say, Jesus wept. It is used all the time as a profanity in movies, TV shows, sporting fields, whatever it might be.
People use the name of Jesus, don't they? But predominantly it is a swear word. Now I find it amazing that it is socially acceptable to use Jesus name as a swear word, but yet as a Christian, as a as I like to call myself as a professional Christian, being an Anglican minister, most people know that instantly when I say I'm an Anglican minister, that I'm a Christian.
If I was to use the name of Jesus and start to talk to people about Jesus, they'd get all offended and upset and I'd be told to shut up. But no one predominantly tells people if they use the Lord's name in vain, to be quiet. Not to do that.
That's not inappropriate. That's not appropriate. We don't see other people's names being used as a swear word, do we?
People don't go, oh, Richard. But Jesus socially acceptable? It's the norm.
The third of the Ten Commandments is you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for your Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. There are consequences to speaking the name Jesus, and if you misuse it, that is sinful. That is against what God wants us to do.
So if you've ever misused the name of Jesus, you have sinned. But the good news is that we are all sinners, and it is in fact by the name of Jesus that we can be saved. Romans 623 says, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now the other thing that I find amazing and I've discovered over the years. Is that people are happy to talk about God. But when you start talking about Jesus, you get a reaction. You see, it's it's kind of easy to talk about God because God's this, this thing, this power, this thing which is up there and out there that isn't really tangible.
And so people are happy to talk about God. But as soon as you start talking about Jesus, I get a response. Sometimes a reaction from people, particularly for those of us who have grown up in Western culture, most of us would know about Jesus.
We know about the Easter story that this guy, Jesus, died on a cross and apparently rose from the dead. But the confronting thing about Jesus is that Jesus died for me. Jesus died for you.
We we have this reaction, this personal response to what someone says they have done for us. I think we see that in Anzac Day, don't we? There is this response that even though it was so long ago, there are people who laid down their life for you and I today.
And there's a there's a reaction, there's a personal response. A bit of a who am I that someone who doesn't even know me, laid down their life, went to war to sacrifice themselves? That I can live the life that I live today.
And I think that's part of why the name of Jesus commands such a response in us, where it's nice and easy to talk about God, but talking about Jesus, well, that's personal. That's personal.
The Power in the Name of Jesus
Now, the Bible has a lot to say about Jesus, and we could spend hours here just going through the Bible passages which reference his name and the power of that. But I'm just going to go through a number of Bible passages. I'm going to read them out.
And as I do, I want you to just take on board the name of Jesus, the person of Jesus. And I want you to ask yourself this question if if what is being said about Jesus is true? If what is being said about Jesus is right, then what are the implications for me?
Where do I stand? What is? What does this mean for me? If this is the truth?
How am I going to respond to it? So let's let's have this.
Bible passages:
Matthew 121. He was given the name Jesus because he would save his people from their sins.
John 112 to 13 yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God.
John 129. The next stage on the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
John 318. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only son.
John 2031 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Acts 221. Talking about the Day of Judgment, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Romans ten 9 to 13 that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Jew and Gentile. The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Philippians two 910 Therefore God exalted him, Jesus to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and under and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
They're pretty confronting passages, aren't they? Pretty daunting to think the power and authority of the name of Jesus, that everything in all of creation at his name should bow and give honor to Jesus? The name that is used as a profanity as a swear word.
Is the name by which the whole of creation ought to be bowing in honor, the name by which every person can be saved. Is Jesus Christ more than a swear word? You'd better believe it.
If what the Bible says is true. Then that impacts how we live our lives. For when we acknowledge that something is the truth, we either have to live by that truth or we ignore it, don't we?
We all live by the truth that we believe that gravity is real, don't we? No one came in walking around wearing really heavy shoes with because we don't believe in gravity. And if we don't have really heavy shoes, we might, you know, float away.
A little while ago on my social media feed. For some strange reason, I started getting all these video clips about flat earthers. I don't I don't know what I did to for it to happen, but I started getting all these clips about people trying to convince me that the earth is flat.
And I was absolutely intrigued at the flat earthers. They are 100% convinced that it is the truth. I remember watching one clip where this guy started out to prove to people who believed that the earth was round, that it was actually flat.
And as he did this experiment where he had a flat bit of paper and he had a light and he started to to to curve the bit of paper and talked about angles and everything. You could see that he'd suddenly convinced himself that the earth wasn't flat. So as he was trying to convince people that it was flat through this experiment, you could see the look on his face as he suddenly was like, oh, hang on a second.
Hang on a second. I've. I've just just proven what I was trying to prove. And you could see him starting to think about all the consequences of this truth that he had just come to realize.
That's what happens to us as we start to explore Jesus. We start to say, is this is this real? What if what are the consequences?
How has my life going to change? For most people, coming to faith is a journey rather than an individual one off event.
The Crippled Beggar Healed
I'm going to read to us from acts and I'm a visual person, so I like to whenever there's a Bible story or something like I close my eyes and I try to visualize and and put the people into place and, and see what it's like so that I get the, the kind of full experience. So I want to invite you if you feel comfortable to close your eyes. As I read this story from acts three 1 to 16.
And then I'll, I'll bring us back into the room at the end of it. But I want to encourage you to to try to picture what's occurring in this interaction.
One day, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. 3:00 in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, look at us, said the man gave them his attention, expecting that he was going to get something from them. Then Peter said, silver or gold? I do not have but what I have, I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.
Taking him by the right hand. He helped him up and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called beautiful. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished, and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.
When Peter saw this, he said to them, Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness? We had made this man walk.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.
We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus. This man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus name and the faith that comes through him that has given his complete healing to him. As you can all see.
Isn't that a powerful story? Here is a man from birth. A cripple.
As these disciples, as these followers of Jesus go in. They offer him Jesus healing. Can you imagine what's going through this cripples mind.
He's sitting there thinking, this is. This is my life. This is how I make money. This is my identity.
I'm the cripple that sits at the gates and gets money. So when Peter reaches out, his hand says, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk. Here's a choice, doesn't he?
He can sit there and go, dude, I'm a cripple. I don't walk. This is. This is who I am.
This is how I am. Nothing's going to change. No. Jesus of Nazareth.
This. This is it. So here's a choice to make. Do I keep living the way that I've been living?
Or do I accept? Do I reach out my hand in faith? And say, well, maybe this Jesus can transform my life.
Maybe Jesus can perform a miracle and heal me. But what are going to be the consequences if I'm healed? What am I going to do?
- Don't have a job I've been begging my whole life. I'm going to be the former beggar. Everyone's going to know.
Everyone's going to ask me questions. Oh, you're the guy that used to beg and Jesus healed you. What? Tell me about that.
His decision to reach out his hand wasn't just a simple thing. It was a transformation of his life. It was an incredible act of faith.
That would mean he was never going to be the same again. For him, for whoever his family was, for his community, for the people in the temple that day I was there the day that miracle occurred. I was there, I saw him when I went in.
He was a beggar inside. He was walking around. Unbelievable.
When we come and we engage with Jesus, there is a transformation that occurs. We see that throughout the Gospels. We see that from the apostles, from the disciples, even after Jesus ascension.
And there are many people in this room today that could give testimony of Jesus transformation in their lives. Maybe not as miraculous as being born a cripple and being healed, but we could. All who are Christians give our testimony of what it was that caused us to give our lives to follow Jesus.
How miraculous or mundane that may be. Just like the disciples, we have a testimony of a relationship with the living Jesus that has transformed our lives, that continues to transform our lives.
What Good Is It?
The last part of that Bible passage that we read talks about what good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet to forfeit their soul? It's a great question, isn't it? I love Jesus questions.
He kind of just. Really puts it to us. So many people in our world are trying to gain the whole world. I've known people who have acknowledged who Jesus is.
I've been using these Bible passages since Meghan was a teenager. This is who Jesus is. Are you going to acknowledge who he is and accept him or reject him?
Because they're the only two options. And there's going to be consequences to that decision. What are you going to do today?
What are you going to do tomorrow? Next week? It's a daily decision to pick up our cross.
For those who are Christians, to pick up our cross and to follow Jesus. So whether you are a person of faith or not. Jesus is who he is.
He is the Messiah. He is the Christ for me. And for many people, this is the undeniable truth.
Who do you say Jesus is? Who do you say Jesus is? For me, when someone asks me that question, I often get asked, why are you a minister?
Or why are you a Christian? I go to a local gym in Doncaster and we were meant to be. I was meant to be going with a group of them to the football game yesterday afternoon to watch Carlton lose again.
And I said, so I started to help arrange this social activity, and I ended up saying, I can't go. I've I've got to go to an Archbishop selection. And for some of those people, they were kind of like, oh, you know, it's great conversation about being an Anglican minister and conversations of, of faith.
And, I was I was sitting at the archbishop's election with my daughter Bella on the, the phone here. she's she's saying I'm talking with the people from the gym, and they're I'm trying to explain what an archbishop's election is. And so I'm sitting there typing away as people are asking her questions, and I'm thinking, what a great witness.
My daughter's there explaining to a bunch of people what it is about a faith and an election. I'm expecting over the next few weeks, as I'm at different gym sessions for people to to come and ask me questions of faith. Who did you elect?
What was the process? Why are you a Christian? Who is Jesus?
My response is always Jesus is my Lord, my Savior and my friend. The characteristic that always gets people is that last one friend. Jesus is your friend, isn't he?
Like 2000 years ago. And I say, well, no, he's alive and well and I have a living relationship with my Lord and my Savior today. Just as real as the disciples had 2000 years ago as Jesus walked this planet.
So what words? If you're a Christian, what words would you describe Jesus as to people? If you're not a Christian sitting here today, what words would you have used to describe Jesus?
Called to be Friends
One of my other favorite passages is I come to to land this message. John 1512 to 15 if we could have that up on the screen.
John 15 says, my command is this love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than they lay down their life for their friends. You are my friends.
If you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends.
That everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you.
Throughout this series you. If you've been coming along each week, you have heard testimonies. If you've been invited along by someone this morning for the first time, or maybe the 10th time.
Ask them for their testimony. Ask them, why are you a Christian? Or maybe you are someone who has been a Christian for a while and you've been struggling, and there's a sense there of, I just need to recommit my life to Jesus afresh.
there's nothing wrong with doing that. I've probably done that a hundred times. But today is one of those days where you have the choice.
Like that beggar. Am I going to reach out my hand to Jesus? Or am I just going to sit there and say. I am a sinner.
I'm a cripple. I'm not worthy. You, Jesus can't do anything.
You have that choice to make. when you came in today, you will have got a bit of paper, a little bit smaller than this, but a bit of paper on the one side of it. Is a prayer of commitment or recommitment.
I imagine. During the service or during the sermon, you've had a chance to read through that. On the back is what are some next steps that you can take in your journey?
Like the disciples going from who is this guy? Jesus? Maybe you're not at the point of like Peter declaring that Jesus is the Messiah.
But I want to encourage you with you. You've been a Christian for five minutes or for 50 years, or you're not a person of faith yet to look at. What are those next steps, particularly to do the Alpha course?
I've seen so many mature Christians, faith, become alive and fresh, and have a new confidence in being a Christian in their world. From doing the Alpha course and inviting people from their world along. So if you're a Christian, I encourage you to to do the Alpha course, but during the next two songs.
Want to encourage you to to privately or if you've been invited along by someone, if you want to pray. Pray this prayer of commitment to pray that prayer. Maybe you're someone that likes to do things physically.
there's plenty of space down the front, down the back. If you don't. If you don't want to be seen by people, you know, go down the back, kneel, stand, do something physical in your response to Jesus. But I want to challenge you to have an encounter with the living Jesus today, here, now, that will transform your life.
Closing Prayer
I'm going to pray, just quickly. And then I'm going to I'm going to sit down the front just in case anyone doesn't want to come down the front. You're not alone.
I'll be sitting down here, but let me pray for us. And then, the band is going to lead us in our final two songs.
Heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you that you call us friends, that you know each person, you know every person here. You know our hearts.
You know our minds. You know how we view ourselves. You know, you know our relationship with you.
You know our fears and our struggles and our joys. And I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would speak to each and every person here today to let us know that you know us, that we are loved by you no matter how much we love ourselves or how we value ourselves, no matter how distant we think we are from you. And I pray that we may this day have the faith to reach out to you, to ask you afresh or the for the first time to be our Lord, our Savior and our friend.
That we may either begin that journey with you or strengthen that journey with you. But speak to us. Open our hearts, our minds, and our ears as spirits to hear from you this day.
We pray this in your mighty and precious name, Jesus. Amen.
