Why Jesus Matters
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12
God is our heavenly Father who loves us
"From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps reach out and find him, though he is not far away from each one of us."
Acts 17:26-27
Acts 17:26-27
Out of love, God created you, me and all people in his image. He created us so that we might live in a loving relationship with him and each other forever.
As the pinnacle of God's creation, made with infinite dignity and value, we are his beloved children and he is our loving Father.
With a father like that, how could we not live with him, for him and his way?
As the pinnacle of God's creation, made with infinite dignity and value, we are his beloved children and he is our loving Father.
With a father like that, how could we not live with him, for him and his way?
We have rejected our Father and left his family
"Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, for the Lord has spoken: "I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me"...
"Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on him."
Isaiah 1:2, 4
"Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on him."
Isaiah 1:2, 4
Just like any loving father, God wants us to live his way because his expectations are perfectly good, right and fair.
But instead of obeying his good, right and fair commands, we rejected God as our father. We chose to live our way rather than his - to live this life without him and all for ourselves.
In some sense, we placed ourselves outside God's family and cut ourselves off from his love. We estranged ourselves to our heavenly Father and made ourselves dead to the God of life.
But instead of obeying his good, right and fair commands, we rejected God as our father. We chose to live our way rather than his - to live this life without him and all for ourselves.
In some sense, we placed ourselves outside God's family and cut ourselves off from his love. We estranged ourselves to our heavenly Father and made ourselves dead to the God of life.
God sent Jesus to be the perfect Son for us
"When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons..."
Galatians 4:4-5
Galatians 4:4-5
Instead of abandoning us like we deserve, God sends his Son Jesus to be our older brother.
As our older brother, Jesus is everything we're not: he lived up to God's every expectation for us. And even though he didn't deserve it, he allowed himself to be cast out of God's family by dying in our place.
But that's not the end of the story. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, defeated death and guaranteed that we can be forgiven and live with God as our father forever.
As our older brother, Jesus is everything we're not: he lived up to God's every expectation for us. And even though he didn't deserve it, he allowed himself to be cast out of God's family by dying in our place.
But that's not the end of the story. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, defeated death and guaranteed that we can be forgiven and live with God as our father forever.
In Jesus, God adopts us back into his family
"... And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir."
Galatians 4:6-7
Galatians 4:6-7
Because of Jesus' perfect life, death and resurrection, God forgives us. Everything we deserved for rejecting God, he puts onto Jesus; and everything Jesus deserved for obeying God, he gives to us.
In Jesus, God accepts us back - he adopts us as his sons and daughters and gives us the church as our new family.
So now, we don't have to fear not living up to God's expectations because Jesus met every expectation for us. And we never have to fear God disowning us because Jesus was disowned in our place. We are free to live with God as our Father just as we were always meant to.
In Jesus, God accepts us back - he adopts us as his sons and daughters and gives us the church as our new family.
So now, we don't have to fear not living up to God's expectations because Jesus met every expectation for us. And we never have to fear God disowning us because Jesus was disowned in our place. We are free to live with God as our Father just as we were always meant to.
All we have to do is come home and trust in Jesus
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Mark 1:14-15
Mark 1:14-15
So how can we be reconciled to God again? It's wonderfully simple and even more beautifully liberating.
Firstly, repent; that means, come home. Stop living a life without God as your father, say "sorry" for having rejected him, and come home to him.
Secondly, believe; that means, trust in Jesus. Trust that he lived, died and rose for you, trust that he has done everything necessary to bring you home to God; and trust that living his way is better than living our way.
And when you do, you will find that knowing, loving and living for Jesus is a life of freedom and forgiveness forever.
Firstly, repent; that means, come home. Stop living a life without God as your father, say "sorry" for having rejected him, and come home to him.
Secondly, believe; that means, trust in Jesus. Trust that he lived, died and rose for you, trust that he has done everything necessary to bring you home to God; and trust that living his way is better than living our way.
And when you do, you will find that knowing, loving and living for Jesus is a life of freedom and forgiveness forever.
So what's next?
Come visit our church to explore what it means to know, love and live for Jesus.
Grow as a Christian through out Bible and Life Together Groups.
Discover what baptism means for a Christian and the baptism sessions our church runs.