JESUS DEFICIT DISORDER
The early apostles were solidly committed to Jesus and gave their lives for Him
They were in awe of Him understanding that He is God
They saw His splendour
They had experienced His majesty
They had encountered His glory – “the glory of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14)
They gave up everything to follow Him and eventually gave their lives for Him – dying for their faith in Him
In everything they did they exalted Him – put Him first – lifted Him up for all to see
Philippians 1:20 “Christ will, even now, as always, be exalted.”
As I travel from nation to nation I sense that this is a missing element in the Christian faith and thus in the Christian Church
So, in many ways we no longer “life Jesus up” or exalt Him in our lives
We no longer stand in awe of who Jesus is
We do not see his majesty – His awesomeness
We are not experiencing His presence as Isaiah did in the temple (Isaiah 6)
Or see ourselves in light of His greatness
We are not embracing Him, His love, His acceptance …
Instead, we are somehow working for His approval
Performance religion
I believe that we, the Christian Church, are at a crossroads right now
We can turn to the left – legalism (rules and regulations)
We can turn to the right – License / licensciousness / “extreme grace” / anything goes
Or, we can turn back to Jesus and who He really is
“seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness (Jesus)…” (Matthew 6:33)
The world – the non-believers – are looking for this third alternative
The world is looking for…
“The Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)
So, it is time for the believers – the Church – to totally turn to Jesus for who He is
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Not who we think He is
Not the Jesus we have created to justify our lifestyle
Not the religious Jesus or even another Jesus
If I can be so bold, We need a fresh experience of the reality of an indwelling Lord
Colossians 1:27 “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Jesus – it is ALL about Him
His greatness, His beauty, His glory, His splendour
The early disciples gave their life to Him and gave their life for Him because they knew Him for who He was and had seen His glory…
So powerful to see – to know – to experience – to live with
Yet unknown to many believers today
BUT, when known and experienced and encountered, we have confidence and courage to face the unknown and uncertain future (assurance)
Canadian Supreme Court – new ruling that weakens the right to freedom of religious beliefs … Trinity Western (Christian) University
Sadly, we have, in many ways, downgraded the Bible into a book of information and life principles
When really it is our road map pointing us to the real Jesus and a deep life-changing relationship with Him
The person of Jesus in all of His richness, depth and glory
But we don’t see Him because we have made the Gospel / Church / Christianity about so many other things
Things other than Jesus the Christ
Our salvation
Our health and healing
Our comfort and security
Our going to heaven
Our ministry
Our church
It is, in many ways, all about us!
Thus Jesus is no longer the center of our faith
Or, we fall into worshipping “another Jesus” as Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 11:4
So, many times we emphasize a spiritual truth
A value
A virtue
A gift
A ministry … and still miss the real Jesus
Jesus is the center of our faith
He pulls everything together
He gives everything meaning and life
He is foundational to every action and thought
Without Jesus everything loses its value
Including the Church and even your life
In the Church today we are suffering with JDD – Jesus Deficit Disorder
But, we can heal this disorder and return to a proper foundation – Jesus Christ
Jesus is the only foundation – cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)
We can seek first the Kingdom and the King
We can embrace Jesus in all His glory
We can know Christ – the Bible Jesus
Jesus – in Him resides truth, values, virtues, gifts … all in living colour
So, what is Christianity?
It is Christ – nothing more, nothing less
It is not just a way of life
It is not a theology, ideology, philosophy
It is not a new morality, social ethic, world view
It is Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)
When we were born again – it was more than a change in direction (repentance)
It was a change in connection
Repentance in the Hebrew is “shubh”
Not viewing God from a distance but entering into a relationship where God is command central of the human existence
He is Lord
He is Ruler of your life
He is the center of who you are
He is your life source
He is all that matters
He is the Way, the Truth, and your life
He is Lord and God
It is more than, much more than, simply getting a “get out of jail free” card…. And knowing you are going to Heaven
It is coming to know and embrace – be connected relationally with – Jesus / God
We talk a lot about it – but the life reality is far less than out talk would indicate
So, there is a major disease in the Church today
JDD – Jesus Deficit Disorder
You hear a lot in Church about:
You – victory – heaven – healing – deliverance – ministry
Justice – morality – values – morals – social norms
But you don’t hear a lot about Jesus… the real Jesus
The world – young people especially – like Jesus
They don’t like the Church
Increasingly, the Church likes the Church
It doesn’t like the real radical and revolutionary Jesus
Some Christians can easily think of the world without Christ
They live like He is not real or relevant (Christian atheists)
Some Christians have a problem of thinking of the world without Bach, Beatles, Bono
Christians and the Church are losing sight of the real Bible Jesus
And, this is causing us major problems in every nation
In our global – Google world we need Jesus as the filter through which we understand everything else
Jesus needs to be first, foremost, and forever …
Jesus is speaking to His disciples
“Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13)
Each of us – every generation – needs to answer this question
Every believer
Every Church
Every generation
They need to personally find and experience the real Jesus
Not “another Jesus”
If we get this answer wrong – everything else is wrong
In every generation there is a need for:
A rediscovery of the “Living Word”
Scripture and its authority
A rediscovery of the “Living Christ”
His Lordship and supremacy
A rediscovery of the “Living Spirit”
His gifts and power to manifest Christ in the context of the culture
Jesus said that when He is lifted up He will draw all people to Himself (John 12:32)
Because we don’t trust Jesus to do what He says He will do
Or … Because we don’t believe He is who He says He is
Or … Because we have not caught a glimpse of the real Jesus
We draw up programs
We dream up new teachings and develop new theology
We design new methods to reach the world
We develop new strategies that we hope will bring people to Christ
But, Jesus was clear:
Our mission is to simply lift Him up in all / every aspect of life and in our life together
Lift Him up in full view of everyone in a way that our culture and our generation can understand and receive Him
If we do that – He does the rest
Each person / Every Church / every generation needs to answer “who do you say that I am?”
But, they can’t do that unless we lift up the real Jesus
We ask so many other questions:
What are you doing to evangelize the neighbourhood / world?
To who are you accountable?
Who is your spiritual covering?
How is your Bible reading going?
How is your prayer life?
Are you baptized in the Holy Spirit?
Do you speak in tongues?
Are you moving in the gifts of the Spirit?
What are your gifts?
Do you have a ministry in your local church?
Yet Jesus asked His disciples only one question
“Who do you say that I am?”
When we know Him – really know Him – we lift Him up and glorify Him in our life
When we know Him – truly know the real Jesus – we love Him with our whole heart…
And then they will know we are His disciples by our love as we focus on Him and speak of Him, lifting Him up
For our hearts to be captured by His love we need to connect (repentance) relationally with the real Jesus
Your heart will be captured by even a glimpse of the greatest person the world has ever known – Jesus
Out of the depth of your relationship with Jesus flows everything else
And your life shows others the real depth of that relationship
Not talking about the “cheap, happy-clappy Jesus talk” that creeps into religious conversations today
But a simple – plain – life-centred – real – realistic – practical reality solidly based in your heart relationship with Jesus
Karl Barth – greatest theologian of the 20th Century was asked to summarize his 12 volumes on church theology (dogmatic theology)
His answer: “Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so.”
No “happy-clappy Jesus talk” … just down-to-earth truth and reality
We need to go back to our first love
1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Not seen as an abstract principle or theology – or something we glibly speak of off-the-cuff
But seen in a real, actual person named Jesus because He initiated this love relationship
He is God /// He is love
1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”
So, how do we live our lives as believers / followers of the Christ in such a way that others will see this “first love?”
Well, sandwiched between verses 16 and 19 is verse 17b
“… as He is, so also are we in this world”
You and I are meant to be to be living life as He did and would if He were here today in the flesh
And He is – for He lives in us and wants to live life, His life, through us
“In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)
Then we will be “salt and light” in our world
Then we will be the “city on the hill” for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16)
