LIKE JESUS
Snapshots of the Savior
#1 March 18, 2007
Mike Matijevich
mmatevich@aol.com

Intro:
TODAY new series -
Goal #1 to get as complete photo album of the MOST IMPORTANT person to walk on earth.
* We talk a lot @ Christ's Divinity… but little @ His humanity.

Goal #2 when finished this series you see the multi-faceted Jesus.
We don't process His humanity as much as His divinity.

*** Jesus CONNECTED / IDENTIFIED with us!
* Jesus was TOTALLY God & TOTALLY Man- something that we can NEVER fully comprehend.
* However- it something we need to try to understand.
*** If we understand this process of IDENTIFICATION we will leave this place a DIFFERENT person than when we came!

HOW?
Phil 2:5-7 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
- Basically emptied himself- NOT of GOD!
He limited himself! (The servant)
1. Jesus IDENTIFIES with our JOB…

Gen. 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
* Time for the men who like to compartmentalize things to let Jesus have the corner office in your marketplace; to call the shots, run the show.
* There is NO way we will ever understand OUR identity in the marketplace until you sync up with Christ.
* Apart from Christ I will NEVER know WHO I am. And you will never know WHO you are.
* Talk to Jesus @ the stresses, pressures & junk you deal with in the marketplace.
*** He is our SYMPATHEIC SAVIOR

2. Jesus Identifies with RELATIONSHIPS

* He was brought up in a family - (he had 4 brothers & at least 2 sisters)
MK 6:3 tells us about his brothers & sisters- IMAGINE what that must have been like.
* He had best friends- & they turned on Him in his hour of greatest need.
Have you ever felt like that before in relationships?
Have you ever felt misunderstood in relationships?
Maybe you're young and your parents don't understand?
No one understands--- Just add two words…LIKE JESUS!

*** SO it is with Jesus! He has been there.
He knows your situation better than you know it yourself. Call out to him- He knows!

3. Jesus identifies with TEMPTATION

Bible says, "When" we are tempted NOT "if".
You say, "Mike no one knows what I am tempted with."
Your WRONG! Jesus does.
Heb. 2:18 "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (come to their aid, to help them) them that are tempted."

James 1:13-14 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

* Jesus was tempted in Mt. 4- defeated the Devil with the WORD & the SPIRIT- Available to us!
* You can go to Him & get the strength to OVERCOME the temptation- whatever it is!

Heb. 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
* Good news Jesus is our High Priest! 24/7

4. Jesus identifies with our suffering & pain (are you suffering or in pain?)
* Jesus experienced pain like we will NEVER ever experience.
Isa. 53:3 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter (blue collar), the son of Mary (illegitimate son), the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

* Did anyone make fun of you because your skin was a different color?
Jesus was a Jew under Roman control
* Yes Jesus divinity is powerful & great but we have to think about his HUMANITY.
That was His IDENTIFICATION with US!

Isa. 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

*Jesus identified with us so much that He became SIN for us.
- Everything we have done… will do He took it.
* He didn't deserve it BUT& he took it because he loves us… YOU!
* That is how much he Identifies with us.
* He was 100% righteous- so when I trust Him He gives us His righteousness.

CONCLUSION: If God could take this digital camera and take a picture right now- would he see you & me or would he see a SNAPSHOT of the Savior -Jesus?

LIKE JESUS
Snapshots of the Savior
#1 March 18, 2007
Mike Matijevich
mmatevich@aol.com
Intro:
TODAY new series -
Goal #1 to get as complete photo album of the MOST IMPORTANT person to walk on earth.
* We talk a lot @ Christ's Divinity… but little @ His humanity.

Goal #2 when finished this series you see the multi-faceted Jesus.
We don't process His humanity as much as His divinity.

*** Jesus CONNECTED / IDENTIFIED with us!
* Jesus was TOTALLY God & TOTALLY Man- something that we can NEVER fully comprehend.
* However- it something we need to try to understand.
*** If we understand this process of IDENTIFICATION we will leave this place a DIFFERENT person than when we came!

HOW?
Phil 2:5-7 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
- Basically emptied himself- NOT of GOD!
He limited himself! (The servant)
1. Jesus IDENTIFIES with our JOB…

Gen. 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
* Time for the men who like to compartmentalize things to let Jesus have the corner office in your marketplace; to call the shots, run the show.
* There is NO way we will ever understand OUR identity in the marketplace until you sync up with Christ.
* Apart from Christ I will NEVER know WHO I am. And you will never know WHO you are.
* Talk to Jesus @ the stresses, pressures & junk you deal with in the marketplace.
*** He is our SYMPATHEIC SAVIOR

2. Jesus Identifies with RELATIONSHIPS

* He was brought up in a family - (he had 4 brothers & at least 2 sisters)
MK 6:3 tells us about his brothers & sisters- IMAGINE what that must have been like.
* He had best friends- & they turned on Him in his hour of greatest need.
Have you ever felt like that before in relationships?
Have you ever felt misunderstood in relationships?
Maybe you're young and your parents don't understand?
No one understands--- Just add two words…LIKE JESUS!

*** SO it is with Jesus! He has been there.
He knows your situation better than you know it yourself. Call out to him- He knows!

3. Jesus identifies with TEMPTATION

Bible says, "When" we are tempted NOT "if".
You say, "Mike no one knows what I am tempted with."
Your WRONG! Jesus does.
Heb. 2:18 "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (come to their aid, to help them) them that are tempted."

James 1:13-14 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

* Jesus was tempted in Mt. 4- defeated the Devil with the WORD & the SPIRIT- Available to us!
* You can go to Him & get the strength to OVERCOME the temptation- whatever it is!

Heb. 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
* Good news Jesus is our High Priest! 24/7

4. Jesus identifies with our suffering & pain (are you suffering or in pain?)
* Jesus experienced pain like we will NEVER ever experience.
Isa. 53:3 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter (blue collar), the son of Mary (illegitimate son), the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

* Did anyone make fun of you because your skin was a different color?
Jesus was a Jew under Roman control
* Yes Jesus divinity is powerful & great but we have to think about his HUMANITY.
That was His IDENTIFICATION with US!

Isa. 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

*Jesus identified with us so much that He became SIN for us.
- Everything we have done… will do He took it.
* He didn't deserve it BUT& he took it because he loves us… YOU!
* That is how much he Identifies with us.
* He was 100% righteous- so when I trust Him He gives us His righteousness.

CONCLUSION: If God could take this digital camera and take a picture right now- would he see you & me or would he see a SNAPSHOT of the Savior -Jesus?