Refuel Throwback: "The Honoree" Pastor Emeritus Dr. Charles Jenkins 122722

3:09 every day is the day of Thanksgiving but in this season we called Christmas. We go over and above, and we say thank God for Jesus, and we celebrate Jesus despite all of the other ideas, thoughts, concepts, figures, characters, Jesus is undeniably, unmistakably, unequivocally the honoree. You cannot dislodge the word Christ from Christmas. you can attempt to change the name of this season.

4:08 You can celebrate this season with your own personal definition, but you cannot authentically change the true essence and meaning of this season. Christmas Christ must more Christ the more we need him more It is a celebration of more Christ. A celebration of the idea that we can be more when we have Christ. A celebration of who he is as he is more than we could ever imagine. We celebrate this Christ and as he is so much.

5:09 He's the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the horn of Gibraltar. He is the king of kings. He is the lord of lords. He is alpha. He is omega. He is the prince of peace. And among all that he is, he is my savior. He is your savior. And we celebrate him in this season as the honoree. As you consider the gifts that you purchase or the commercials that you see or the feast that you will have. We remember that he is the centerpiece of the season as he is the caveat of our salvation. He is the centrality of our salvation. And as I consider Christmas and our Christ and he being the honoree.

6:08 In John 3.16, as Jesus is in a conversation with Nicodemus, and Jesus takes time to teach the teacher. As Nicodemus was a Pharisee and profoundly knowledgeable of the law, and he taught the holy scriptures, yet he is confused about the concept of salvation. the conversation with Jesus is Nicodemus is curious and he he is familiar he has heard so much about Jesus he has yet to understand him he he is what we would call spiritual but he doesn't have a relationship you understand he he is familiar with the scriptures he practices his traditions yet he does not have a relationship with God he he believes in concepts and ideas that that are akin to God but he does not know the God of the scriptures see it's the difference between knowing the word and knowing the one who's behind the word it's the difference between knowing the word and knowing the God of the word and he he is curious and so the scripture says in chapter 3 of the book of John that he comes to Jesus by night and Jesus in a conversation he compliments him and and he speaks of him fondly and greatly and he celebrates um who he is as a person and his accomplishments and his knowledge and yet he comes behind it and says uh with all of the wonderful things that you display, exude, or exemplify, you must be born again. Nicodemus comes back and says, can a man be born twice? Can he enter into his mother's womb and come out again? And Jesus goes further and says, as you speak in natural terms, I speak of a spiritual rebirth, and he continues

8:15 to break it down and so Nicodemus has a whole lot of trouble understanding and so Jesus says let me come another way and and and he begins as again Nicodemus is a smart guy and so Jesus says let me not just communicate or articulate in New Testament terminology where we are now let me go back to the Old Testament that you're familiar with and he begins to he begins to speak of Moses and and and he tries to come at him from that angle and bring it back and Nicodemus still can't get it And by the time we get to verse number 16, Jesus says, let me simplify it this way. You've got knowledge and you've got wisdom, but you have yet to embrace grace. My work, he says. And he says, let me see if I can break. You're spiritual, but you don't have a relationship. So let me break it down with simplicity with one verse. For God the Father so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus is like, that's me, that whoever would believe on me would not perish but have everlasting life.

9:23 He says to him, whoever, he says, my Father so loved you and the rest of the world that he sent me that whoever would believe in me would have life and have it more abundantly. You can experience the fullness of purpose and fulfillment on this earth. And then when you die, you have eternal life and you live forever in heaven on the other side. And he breaks it down and he says in so many words, he says that I am the centerpiece of salvation. And the reason why you can have access to the father and have a relationship and experience eternal life. Nicodemus is not just about this side. It's about the other side. It's not just about your life on this side. It's about eternal life on the other side. It's not just about you.

10:14 It's about the father. It's not just about your earthly relationships. It's about your relationship with the heavenly father. And Jesus is in so many words as he speaks to Nicodemus, as he says, God has given me. He has given us Jesus as the ultimate gift. and as we celebrate everybody we all over again must embrace this idea that Jesus is the ultimate gift and he is the honoree now as I think of him being the ultimate gift as he describes himself in this passage and as he shows us that he is the honoree there are two things that jump out in my mind as I give you these three points really fast one of this whole concept and idea of Christmas and And Jesus coming to save the whole world reminds me all over again how amazing God the Father is. How amazing he is and this whole concept and idea authenticates why he is God and God alone.

11:18 I'm going to show you in a second. Number two, this whole idea of Christmas and Jesus coming to save the whole world, it authenticates why he alone is the savior of the entire world. As you think of Jesus being the honoree, why is he the honoree? Why is he the celebratory focus of our minds? Why is it all about him? And why do you think that this whole process shows how amazing and real God is? I'll give you three ideas. Number one, the virgin birth. He is the honoree because of the virgin birth. And as I think of the virgin birth, I think of the audacity of God. The audacity of God the Father.

12:12 The virgin birth shows us that God is God. As Jesus comes into the world, Matthew 1, verses 18 through 25, can we have class before I preach? Matthew 1, verses 18 through 25, it says that Mary conceives before her and Joseph shake hands.

12:37 Which means Jesus is conceived unlike anybody else. Before Joseph and Mary hook up, Mary's already pregnant. Now we're trying to duplicate that and replicate that in our culture now in a human way. I think we call it in vitro fertilization. And we're trying to figure out with humanity how to plant seeds. But before scientists could get together and try to figure it out, the God who made science.

13:07 Brought Jesus in the world in verse number 18 of Matthew 1 says the Holy Spirit planted the seed in Mary. and she became impregnated. It is the virgin birth that causes Jesus to stand alone unlike any other. He is born unlike any other, conceived unlike any other, which qualifies him to be unlike any other and to be the savior for the entire world. He is fully man yet fully God all at the same time. The fullness and essence of deity, deity the fullness and essence of the glory of the father coming through a woman who was merely a tunnel a canal for him to enter into the world to die on the cross for all of our sins it is the virgin birth that enables him to stand alone all by himself for you and me to get here our mama and daddy had to shake hands.

14:05 can I talk to some real people in the building the audacity of God what do you mean pastor as I think about Jesus the virgin birth authenticating him as the savior but the audacity of God what makes God God is he could supersede our humanistic intelligence and rationale to even try to wrap our minds around the virgin birth even those who are so matriculated and intelligent that try to understand it. It is so far beyond them and above them intellectually that the only way to recognize it is to discredit it. to say it did not happen it could not be possible there is no historical Jesus cannot teach it before I preach it the only way to address it is since it cannot fit into the cerebellum or medulla I'm blonde daughter of my own mind I must dismiss it as not real because I can't conceive it that's what makes it God his thoughts are above our thoughts his ways are above our ways and he is higher it authenticates that he's God all by himself because he can do what we can never do he can accomplish what we can never accomplish and as we consider the virgin birth what it reminds us is God is in the impossibility business he can supersede our human intellect and our capacity and our ability that's what Abraham meant when he said when he when he when it went when Sarah got pregnant and and and the bible says abraham says is there anything too hard for god that that's what that's what that's what the apostle paul meant when when he looked at at jesus and then in this entire situation and and he and he says and he says uh uh uh there that there is this whole idea and concept and understanding of what it means to be more than conquerors we we could through him who loves us.

16:08 It is through him there that it is through this man who was born of a virgin that divinely enables us, watch this, to be more than because he is more than. It's the virgin birth. It's what makes him God and what makes Jesus the Savior. Number two, he lived for the Father. He's the honoree because he lived from the Father. He lived for the Father, should I say. He lived for the Father. In a conversation Jesus was having in John 6, 38, he says, I'm not come to do my will, but the will of him who sent me. In other words, he says, I wasn't born for me. I was born for him. In a culture where we make it all about us. Yeah, let me give you some terminology. Let me give you, when it's about us, I need me some me time.

17:02 Yeah, yeah, me time. I got to look out for I thought you were going to help me right there it's about my life yeah my happiness Jesus says no I have not come to be served but I've come to serve my life a ransom for many I came to hand my life over I came to give my life And as we think of this whole concept and idea of the audacity of God and what it means to be born of a virgin, we embrace this whole idea of the approval of God and what it means to live for the Father. Jesus shows in his coming that we should be reminded that we were not born for ourselves, but we were born for the glory of the Father.

17:59 of God the Father, watch this, did not allow any of us to be born without the expectation that we would bring him glory. There was a premeditated expectation that we would glorify him once we got here. Now we have free will which gives us the option to do it or not. It's our choice to serve him or not. It's our choice to tithe or not. It's our choice to praise him or not. It's our choice to worship. It's our choice to obey him. It's our choice to do his word, but he's looking for us to do it. And Jesus shows us through his model what it, what it looks like to say, I want his approval. I want, I want, I want, I want, uh, God to look at the Instagram of my life and every day he sees me, I want a like from God. Yes, yes.

18:52 I want likes from God. I want, I want. And here's the deal. As God looks at our life every single day, as he looked at Jesus, and Jesus got check marks every single day. He got check marks every single day. He got approval from God as he lived for the Father. What makes him the Savior is, watch this, he pleased him, watch this, 100% of the time. perfect attendance he showed up everywhere he was supposed to show up did everything he was supposed to do even unto the cross when he was in the garden of gethsemane he looked in the cup and said lord i wish you would let this cup pass from me that was his humanity but then before he went another further he said you know what not my will thy will be done never made it to an x he He got check marks all the way through and stretched his arms out on the cross, hung his head, and he died.

19:49 He was obedient, Paul says, even unto the cross. When God looks at our lives and he grades the paper of our life every single day, the idea and the concept is to look for his approval. Approval. Uh-oh. I might not just say that. I'm going to get an X. I want a check mark. I want to hear him say, well done, thy good and faithful servant. And if I want to hear him say that on the end, I got to live like that on the beginning and in the middle. Help us, Jesus. Help us, Jesus. Help us, Jesus. Anybody in here honest enough to admit you got some X's? You got some X's? We got some X's? Here's the drive in this season to be reminded that he lived for the Father and to work for checkmarks. I want to get it right, Jesus. Help me get it right. I was talking to one of my babies yesterday, one of our young members here, fellowship. and she walked in and said, Pastor, will you please pray for me?

20:44 I said, sure. She said, I got a final exam coming up. Will you please pray for me? I said, sure, I will. I'll pray for you. Have you studied? I had a bunch of people ask me. I said, I'm going to study. did you like that answer did you like that sometimes we want results on the back end for studying we might not do on the front end the invitation is for us as we consider this season the honoree he was born of a virgin that's what makes him the savior the audacity of god to supersede science and all of our thoughts the boldness of god it is what makes him god to do what would blow our minds and we cannot fathom I want you to know God is still in the impossibility business.

21:41 He's still in the supersession business. He can supersede our thoughts. This picture of a son who lives for the father and gets it right 100% of the time, we know we're not going to do that. Matter of fact, if we started today and said we're going to do that, it's because we're starting over. Yeah, he wipes our slate clean and gives us a brand new day and another chance every time we ask him for forgiveness. Did you know that? Yeah. But number three, what makes him, what makes the Father God and what makes Jesus the Savior of the whole world is Jesus died for the world. He died for the world. He died for the world. He was born of a virgin, lived for the Father, died for the world. You see that progression? Born, lived, died. Born, lived, died.

22:34 Born, lived, died. born of a virgin that makes him the savior that that that authenticates god being god live for the father and then lastly he died for the world what a plan when you think of planning and plans what a plan as soon as adam and eve sinned in the garden in genesis 3 15 god says wait a minute i got a plan to bring you back in the right relationship with me it is the prov evangelium theological terminology as Jesus as Jesus is is is is preordained to come even in Genesis God immediately shares his plan as as he says of Jesus and and and Satan will bruise your heel but you will bruise his head as to say that the Jesus would come and die for the world it is a trailer so to speak of a movie that would come in John chapter number 19 as Jesus is spoke of in Genesis chapter number three as as as God the father um would speak of a new covenant to come in the midst of an old covenant and and and as he would speak of Jesus he says Satan will bruise um your your heel in other words Jesus will experience some pain there there will be some scars and bruises and laceration but but Jesus you will bruise his head you you will defeat Satan on the cross and and at Calvary and the resurrection and let me talk to somebody and and say to you just like Jesus in this life um as God gives us some stuff to do there'll be points when there'll be pain and and you might get bruised and there might be some lacerations and there might be some scars but ultimately you're gonna get the victory the father will give you the victory just like he gave it to Jesus and and and and and it's an amazing plan it's an amazing plan it's an amazing posture as Jesus is down on that cross he could have come down but watch this what makes him the savior is he stayed there the old preacher would say he could have bite in the eye and smoked the

24:43 entire crowd he he could have took one breath exhaled it out and wiped everybody out what makes him the savior is the fact that he could have come down but he didn't he took on the cross and took the nails for you and for me. What makes the father God is he stayed there and watched his son die. You and me, we would have jumped on the whole crowd. We would have took him down. But what makes him the father is he stayed there because he said, my son is the propitiation of the sins of the entire world. He is the satisfactory offering that I must accept. Can you imagine what Jesus went through dying? But more than that, can you imagine what it's like to watch your child die. For some people that you know will violate you, disobey you, dishonor you, and disrespect you. But what makes him God is he stayed there knowing me and you were going to mess it up.

25:38 And said, but I'm going to allow my son to stay there. I'm going to allow him to stay there until the sun refuses to shine. I'm going to let him stay there till the moon run downs in blood. I'm going to let him stay there until history rolls up like a scroll. I'm going to let him stay there till the centurion says, surely. And you know why the centurion said, surely this must be the son of God. Because he stayed there from the sixth to the ninth hour. And not only did he say there, but he was blessing folk while he was bleeding. He was saying stuff like, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. He was saying stuff like, verily, verily, I say unto you, surely you shall be in paradise. He was saying stuff like, John, take care of my mama. mama take care of John he was saying stuff like and the centurion looks at all of this and says surely must be the son of God what makes us authentic Christians sometimes it's not what we do but it's what we don't do sometimes you could respond to foolishness but what makes you show that you're a child of God is when you practice restraint and you say I could do it but I'm not Thank you.

26:52 you ain't strong because you go off you strong because you could snap out but you don't I wish you would give somebody a high five and tell them I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong I'm strong he stays there but what makes him the Savior of whole world and what makes God the father the father it's a whole lot of folk die I was watching while we celebrating today and while some of y'all was looking at us looking at us like y'all stop all this dancing around and clapping jumping sit down it's time to move on sit down all this noise and going on is playing music who's the boy running around the church you sit down stop all this but you step on my shoes sister I'm saved I came to worship the Lord but if you step on my shoes it's gonna be one on this row over here oh my god is she screaming is she alright Lord have mercy this one I'll come to church in the first place he's shaking and going on Look at us like, why are we doing all of this?

28:12 Why are we doing this? Why is Isaiah up in the... What is all of that about? What's all that about? She just over here just in the aisle just. What are you doing this? What is all of this about? we're just celebrating his life says David dance before the Lord And some of y'all, you ain't been saved all your life. I know some of y'all are wallflowers, but some of y'all, when you go to the party, you went to turn. Some of y'all walk in the door just. What's that?

29:08 You just got behind somebody you ain't even know. Just. somebody acting like something wrong in here for us to be getting fired up for Jesus which your turn up self woke me up started me on my way kept me in my right mind provided for me gave me life kept in strength gave me another chance when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done for me my soul Hallelujah.

29:53 Nine. A friend of mine would say. What is all of this about? I was watching the news last night. and the fire department honored two firemen. to find one who passed away in 2011 one passed away in 2012 one died after running into a burning building to rescue somebody when they came out they got back to the fire station and they had a heart attack and died from the from running into the building the other one inhaled too much smoke and died yesterday one 2011 one 2012 years later they're still celebrating their life the commissioner read great things about their life, celebrated their contributions, and said that they both ran into buildings to rescue people.

31:17 They died in the line of duty. Over 2,000 years ago, Thank you. Jesus ran into a burning world to rescue all of us from our sins. And over 2,000 years later, we're all gathered together reading good things about his life and honoring his life, celebrating his life. This is a ceremony, and I'm the commissioner. leading the celebration for this Jesus who ran into a burning world to rescue all of us and I didn't omit this did he died in the line of duty In the process of saving us, he died.

32:15 But the difference as we celebrate those gentlemen and him, the difference is with much love and respect to them, what makes him Savior, what makes the Father God. It's on Sunday morning. There was a rumbling in the tomb and he got up with all power in the palm of his hand. If it was Easter, I would say, ain't he all right?

32:51 there's a whole lot of folk that died but what authenticates him as the Savior is that he so when people question you about about the authenticity of a resurrection of a Jesus there's a tomb you can check and what makes the father God is he raised his dead son from the dead.

33:26 And not only that, not only did he raise him, but he left those who would try to conceive it befuddled and bewildered. And some people, because it doesn't fit into their framework of rationale, the only way to address it is to dismiss it. Oh, it can't fit in my mind, so that never happened. That's who we celebrate today. We celebrate a man born of a virgin, a man who lived for his father, and a man who died for the world. What a plan. What a posture. What a project. he shows us all over again with our own lives that all things are possible if we only