(Message 3) Who is Jesus to you? Not to your parents, your college professor, or your best buddy. Who is He to you? Today we look at one of many passages in the Bible that tell us the incredible reality and true nature and identity of Jesus Christ. Join us as we look at the Son of God: God in human flesh. #GCRooted
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him, God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
John 12:32
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
Have you ever been around someone who had a Messiah complex, ie. they thought you existed for their glory or to serve them? How did it make you feel?
Start thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking.
To you, who is Jesus? Who is He to most of our nation? Our world? Why is it so important to get who Jesus is right?
Troy went through these 4 definers of who Jesus actually is.
He is the eternal all-powerful Creator and God
Read Colossians 1:15-16. We often think of the human Jesus as the gospels describe him, ie. born in a manger, asleep on the boat, crucified, and feeling pain on the cross. How do you reconcile in your mind the humility of the Jesus who walked on this planet with how Paul describes him in this passage? How does this passage change the way you think of Jesus? Discuss this statement: Everything was created through Him and for Him. How should that change the way we live every day?
He is the sustainer of all thingsRead Colossians 1:17. Share a time in your life when you knew God was sustaining you.
He is the head of the churchRead Colossians 1:18. What does ‘Christ is the head of the church’ mean?
He is the Savior of the world Read Colossians 1:19 – 20. How do these verses explain the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus Christ alone? How did the blood of Jesus bring peace between God and man?
Start sharing. Choose a question to create openness.
Share with your group your moment of realization when the connection was made that God, through Jesus, created everything (i.e. Monarch Butterfly, the human eye, size of the universe, etc…)
If you are still struggling with believing Jesus and believing in Him, then share with your group that which is holding you back. What are you still fighting to believe?
At times we can all struggle with wanting control. What area(s) of your life are you clinging to and not giving God complete control over?
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
Commit this week to trust God with something that you are holding onto. If you aren’t sure what that is, then pray for God to reveal to you what you need to stop trying to control & trust Him to handle.
Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.
God, thank you that you came to earth as a baby and that you walked the earth in my human shoes. Help me to trust you and give up control to You. I want to see your greatness and pray that you help me to seek after You. – Amen
Here are some helpful tips. Most Smart TVs have an App or Channel Store or a way to search for applications to add to your TV or device. You’ll need to install either the “Vimeo” App or the “Facebook Watch” App. In some cases, you may need to have a Vimeo or Facebook account when installing these apps on your TV (you do NOT need an account when watching on the web).
The Vimeo App is available on the following devices:
Amazon Fire TV: search for “Vimeo” Samsung Smart TVs (2015 or newer) Apple TV (4th generation or newer): search for “Vimeo” in the App Store Android TV: search for “Vimeo” in the Google Play Store Roku: search for “Vimeo” in the Channel Store
*some helpful tips for locating us on Vimeo: • try searching for “Generations Church” under “People” or “Channels” rather than “Videos • link: vimeo.com/channels/generations
The Facebook Watch App is available on:
Samsung Smart TVs (2015 or newer) Amazon Fire TV: search for “Vimeo” Apple TV (4th generation or newer): search for “Vimeo” in the App Store Android TV: search for “Facebook Watch” in the Google Play Store Xbox One Oculus TV Portal TV
*some helpful tips for locating us on Facebook Watch: • search for “Generations Church” or “Generations Church NC” • link: facebook.com/GenerationsChurchNC
Note: If you don’t have one of the listed compatible platforms or prefer not to install the apps, you can stream Vimeo videos and Facebook videos from your iPhone/iPad and Android device to a TV:
Make sure your TV is connected to a streaming device (example: Apple TV, Chromecast or Samsung TV) and is on the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile device or computer.
Open Vimeo or the Facebook app on your mobile device or computer and find the video you’d like to stream.
Tap the video to expand it to full screen mode.
Tap in the top right of the video.
Select the TV/device where you’d like the video to play.