Jesus in the Marketplace
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 12/27/2020
Foundation Scripture:
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 NKJV
1. Purpose.
a. Jesus was born, lived, and died to fulfill the purposes of the Father, to destroy the works of the devil, and to empower us to do the same.
b. If you want to know what the works of the devil are, look at the works of Jesus—look at everything Jesus destroyed and undid.
c. The Bible tells us that it is the devil who lies, kills, steals, destroys, makes spiritually blind, sickens, weakens, hinders, resists, snares, tempts, sets traps, provokes to sin, provokes rebellion, causes offence, tries to steal the Word, confuses, murders, hinders the Gospel, causes distractions and diversions, causes people to doubt, causes them to be double-minded, causes delays and compromise, causes division and strife, and makes war on the saints.
d. The devil usurped the authority God gave Adam.
e. In His life, Jesus destroyed the devil’s works by preaching the Truth, forgiving, healing, delivering, restoring, and resurrecting from the dead.
f. In His death, Jesus defeated the devil and stripped him of all his power, authority, and dominion (Heb. 2:14).
g. In His resurrection, Jesus brought mankind back into God’s family—if they receive Him—and empowers them to do His same works (2 Tim. 1:9).
h. Believers are empowered to destroy the works of the devil wherever they go (Acts 26:18).
2. Power.
a. There are only two classes of people: The children of God, and the children of the devil (1 John 3:10).
b. Sin makes man a child of the devil; the blood of Jesus, makes man a child of God.
c. Jesus came to rip people out of the clutches of the devil and destroy any power he had over man.
d. The power of God is greater, by far, than the power of the devil.
e. Luke 5:17b NKJV — And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
f. John 1:12-13 KJV — But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
g. Matthew 10:8 NKJV — Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
h. Luke 9:2 NKJV — He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
i. Jesus did nothing but love, save, heal, deliver, and restore—and He directs us to do the same.
3. Compassion.
a. Everything Jesus said and did was motivated by love and moved by compassion.
b. Compassion is love activated.
c. Moved with compassion, He patiently taught them (Mark 6:34-35).
d. Moved with compassion, He fed them (Mark 8:2).
e. Moved with compassion, He healed them (Matthew 14:14-15).
f. Moved with compassion, He raised them from the dead (Luke 7:13-15).
g. In Jesus’ parables—out of compassion: the Good Samaritan rescued the robbed and beaten man (Luke 10:33) and the father of the prodigal son gladly forgave and restored him (Luke 15:20).
4. Jesus Goes to Where the People Are.
a. Mark 2:17 NKJV — [Jesus] said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
b. Jesus did not do what man expected but what God expected.
c. Jesus was radical; He was unpredictable; He did not do what people thought He would or should do.
d. Jesus was not religious, and He did not fit in with the religious crowd.
e. If Jesus were around today, He would quite possibly be kicked out of most churches.
f. Jesus went to the least worthy, the neediest, the humblest, the broken, and the rejected.
g. Jesus showed compassion on everybody, with no distinctions.
h. John 4:3-45
i. The Israelites looked down upon the Samaritans, but Jesus did not.
j. He just sees people who need a Savior, no matter who they are or where they came from.
k. In man’s eyes, the woman He ministered to was the least worthy of all of them..
l. Jesus offered Living Water and the woman asked, “Where can I get this Living Water?”
m. This is the cry of the world.
n. With God, your past does not disqualify you from receiving God’s forgiveness by faith.
5. Representatives.
a. Jesus is not physically here on earth where He can be seen.
b. The only Jesus the world will ever see is in, and through, born-again believers—children of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and moving in His power and compassion.
c. The only way that people can see Jesus in your eyes, hear Jesus in your voice and feel Jesus in your touch is if you allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in you.
d. They will see Jesus in you as you obey Him by walking in the love of God and doing the works of Jesus.
e. 1 John 4:4 NKJV — You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
f. Allow Jesus to live big on the inside of you so that the world may know He is alive!
6. The Harvest.
a. Matthew 9:37b-38 NKJV — The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
b. John 4:35 YLT — Do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already.
c. Lift your eyes and see that the harvest is ripe, and ready for harvesting, right NOW.
d. It is time for the mass-mobilization of the Body of Christ to reap this harvest—from the littlest child to the oldest saint.
e. Full of the Holy Ghost; full of compassion; meeting the needs of the people right where they are.
f. Bringing in the Harvest.
g. Souls, souls, souls!