CHRIST ALONE
―I am the vine,
you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.‖
JOHN 15:5
Definition of a
Christ-awakening:
“God’s Spirit using God’s Word
to re-convert God’s people’
back to God’s Son
for ALL that He is.”
Jonathan Edwards
God has had it much on His heart, from all
eternity, to glorify His dear and only Son.
Even so, there are special seasons He
appoints to that end, where He comes
forth with omnipotent power to fulfill this
promise and oath to Christ. These
seasons are times of remarkable
outpourings of His Spirit.”
Ebenezer Porter
“When the Redeemer comes in the triumphs
of His grace to visit His churches, then his
true followers are seen waking from their
apathy, and going froth to welcome the
King of Zion with an energy and an
earnestness and an ardor of affection
greatly surpassing their first love!”
In a Christ-awakening we become
PERSON driven
so that we become
PROMISE driven
so that we become
PASSION driven
so that we become
PURPOSE driven
AUGUSTINE
You crackled, your burned
You scattered my blindness.
You shouted, your cried
You scattered my deafness.
You shed forth your fragrance
And I drew in my breath
And now my heart pants for you alone.
AUGUSTINE
“He who has Christ
has everything.
He who has everything
but does not have Christ,
has nothing.
And, He who has Christ
plus everything,
has no more
than he who has
Christ alone.”
“The disciples
were first called
‗Christians‘
in Antioch.”
Acts 11:26
Crises INSIDE the Church
80% - stagnant or dying
80% - teens leaving church
80% - fear of intimacy with Christ
70% - doubt Christ’s exclusivity
80% - pastors w/ melancholy
96% - biblically illiterate
50% - in pews unconverted
2.7% - tithe of income ($156 B)
40% - struggle with pornography
Over 100 million totally un-churched
The Crisis of
Christology
“The diminishing influence of the American
Church on American society is not simply
because fewer people are going to church, but
rather fewer people are going to church
because of the diminishing influence of
CHRIST upon the Church itself.”
THE UNSTOPPABLE CHURCH
Erwin McMannus
“In reality, the church in America is not booming. It is in
crisis. On any given Sunday, the vast majority of
Americans are absent. More troublesome, as the
population continues to grow, the church falls further
and further behind. By 2050 the percentage of
Americans attending church could be half the 1990
figure!
The renewal and restoration of the American
church must begin with an awe-inspiring
encounter with Jesus, the crucified,
resurrected and ascended Messiah and Lord.
That central focus on Jesus is critical to the
future health and growth of missional
churches.”
American Church Research Project
David Olson
Larry Crabb
―Unbelievers do not see Christ as their
greatest treasure. Neither do most
believers! We live as blind people,
chasing after the light we can see — the
satisfaction that blessings bring — and
not valuing the light we cannot see —
the glory of Christ. More is available to
us in Christ than we dare imagine. We
settle for so much less. We taste HIM
so little.‖
Michael Horton
Christless
Christianity
―Moralistic, therapeutic Deism –
with Christ at the fringes.‖
Test it yourself…..
Take a 3-week “Listening Tour”
1) How often did you hear the name of Jesus
mentioned at all as believers talked to one another?
2) If so, did you ever hear one Christian share new
insights they’ve uncovered about the greatness and
glory of Jesus in order to encourage a fellow
believer in their walk with Jesus?
John Piper
―There is no standing still in the Christian life.
Either we are advancing toward salvation, or we
are drifting away to destruction. Drifting is mortal
danger (Heb. 2:1). If we do not point our people
to the inexhaustible riches of Christ so as to stir
them up to go forward into more of God, then we
encourage drifting downstream where they will
make shipwreck of their faith.‖ (I Tim. 1:19)
Anyone who runs ahead
and does not continue
in the teaching of the Christ
does not have God.
But whoever continues in the teaching of
the Christ
has both the Father and the Son.
II John 9
I Corinthians 10: 3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage
war as the world does. The weapons we fight
with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the
we take
knowledge of God, and
captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.”
With Christ Alone (1873) /J. Lanphier
CHRIST IS THE TEXT: All preaching beside Christ, is
beside the text; therefore, keep to you text.
CHRIST IS THE VERY FOUNDATION AND SUBJECT
MATTER of preaching; preaching without Christ is
building castles in the air.
CHRIST IS THE LIFE AND SPIRIT of preaching; all
preaching without Him is like a body without life and
spirit.
CHRIST IS THE GREAT END of preaching; preaching
is to manifest his glory; when Christ is not preached,
that great end is lost.
The
Regal
Bible
Supremacy Scriptures
“Follow the yellow brick road!”
The Glory of Christ in Scripture
Look for the “Supremacy Seven”
TO us
FOR us
OVER us
BEFORE us
WITHIN us
THROUGH us
UPON us
Robert Webber, Majestic Tapestry
My view of the work of Christ was severely
limited.
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe the right truth.
I simply didn’t understand how far-reaching
and
all-inclusive the work of Christ really was.
When I discovered the universal and cosmic
nature of the work of Christ, it was like being
born again, again.
I was given a key to a Christian way of
viewing the whole world, a key that unlocked
the door to a rich storehouse of spiritual
treasures, treasures that I am still handling in
sheer amazement.
Encounter Sessions Overview
Encounter # 1 – Where we’re headed and
why
Encounter # 2 – TO us and FOR us
Encounter # 3 – OVER us and BEFORE us
Encounter # 4 – WITH CHRIST – Together/
Alone
Encounter # 5 – WITHIN us and THROUGH
us
Encounter # 6 – UPON us
Encounter Sessions Overview
The Flow
Worship
Teaching
Tributes
Testimony
Prayer
Communion
We‘re having a national conversation about Jesus . . . but is it the biblical
Jesus?
The biblical Jesus can make little sense sometimes.
He‘s not a Jesus fashioned in our image.
The biblical Jesus is a consuming fire, a raging storm, who shocks people into
stupefaction or frightens them to run
for their lives!
He swirls like a tornado touching down, leaving only bits and pieces of our
former lives strewn in His path.
We need to talk with biblical honesty about a Jesus who not only forgives but
also demolishes all the cultural images we have of Him.
On Sunday mornings we should need a full supply of crash helmets!
–Mark Galli
Jesus: Mean and Wild
CHRIST ALONE
“I am the vine,
you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5
John Paul II
“We need to take aim
at a few good things.
We need to preach Christ better.”
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
We need to SEE Christ better
We need to SEEK Christ better
We need to SAVOR Christ better
We need to SPEAK Christ better
We need to SHOW Christ better
We need to SERVE Christ better
We need to SHARE Christ better
The ultimate answer to all our prayers
A Christ-Awakening
Movement
“God’s Spirit using God’s Word
to re-convert God’s People
back to God’s Son
for ALL that He is.”
A Christology Bibliography
Jesus: Son and Savior (John Paul II)
Pauline Christology (Gordon Fee)
Who is Christ for Us? (Dietrich
Bonhoeffer)
The Supremacy of Christ (Adjith
Fernando)
For the Life of the World (Alexander
Schmemann)
Jesus: Mean and Wild (Mark Galli)
The Glory of Christ (John Owen)
The Many Faces of Jesus (Volker Kuster)
Christ’s Lordship and Religious Pluralism
(comp)
Jesus in America (Richard Fox)
Above All Earthly Powers (David Wells)
The Person of Christ (Donald Macleod)
Preaching Christ in All of Scripture (Ed
Clowney)
The Challenge of Jesus (N.T. Wright)
Jesus Ascended (Gerrit Scott Dawson)
TO us
FOR us
OVER us
BEFORE us
WITHIN us
THROUGH us
UPON us
CHRIST ALONE
Who He is
TO us
and
FOR us
TO US
As defined by who He is to and in the Triune God
As the full and final revelation of God Himself
As portrayed by His unique attributes and
characteristics
As He embodies the principles, prophecies and
promises of Scripture
As the Father’s inexhaustible treasure for us to
uncover through all the ages
As we find out more of who He is for, over,
before, within, through and upon us.
FOR US
As He becomes forever one of us, in the
Incarnation
As He sacrifices Himself in the place of us,
in the Crucifixion
As He defeats death on behalf of us, by the
Resurrection
Lord Jesus Christ:
Here is our
Tribute
to You
CHRIST ALONE
“I am the vine,
you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5
Isaac Watts, 1719
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, does his successive
journeys run. His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To Him shall endless prayer be made and praises throne to
crown his head. His name like sweet perfume shall rise,
with every morning sacrifice.
People and realms of every tongue, dwell on His love with
sweetest song. And infant voices shall proclaim their
early blessings on His name.
Blessings abound wherever He reigns. The prisoner leaps
to lose his chains. The weary find eternal rest. And all
the sons of want are blessed.
Where He displays His healing power, death and the cure
are known no more. In Him the tribes of Adam boast
more blessings than their father lost.
Let every creature rise and bring peculiar honors to our
King. Angels descend with songs again, and earth
repeat the loud amen!
Great God, whose universal sway the known and unknown
worlds obey, now give the kingdom to Thy Son, extend
His power, exalt His throne.
The scepter well becomes His hands. All Heav’n submits
to His commands. His justice shall avenge the poor, and
pride and rage prevail no more.
With power He vindicates the just, and treads the
oppressor in the dust. His worship and fear shall last til
hours, and years, and time be past.
As rain on meadows newly mown, so shall He send his
influence down. His grace on fainting souls distills, like
heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.
The saints shall flourish in His days, dressed in the robes of
joy and praise. Peace, like a river, from His throne shall
flow to nations yet unknown.
CHRIST ALONE
Who He is
OVER us
and
BEFORE us
OVER US
As the King OVER all creation and the cosmos
As the Lord OVER the unfolding and outcome of
history
As the Sovereign OVER all nations, languages and
peoples
As the Ruler OVER all authorities in every sphere
of human endeavor
As the Master OVER all heavenly hosts and
demonic forces
As the Head OVER the one Body of Christ in
Heaven and earth
BEFORE US
As the one who goes BEFORE us into the
New Creation of God
As the one who goes BEFORE us into the
holy presence of God
As the one who goes BEFORE us into the
grand promises of God
As the one who goes BEFORE us into the
eternal triumphs of God
Lord Jesus Christ:
Here is our
Tribute
to You
CHRIST ALONE
“I am the vine,
you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5
CHRIST ALONE
Who He is
WITHIN us
and
THROUGH us
WITHIN US
As he INHABITS our life together in the
fullness of His Spirit
As he INDWELLS our hearts individually
in the witness of His Spirit
As he EQUIPS us to serve one another in
the power of His Spirit
As he UNITES us as one Body in the love of
His Spirit
THROUGH US
As He CALLS us to join Him in fulfilling
the purposes of His reign
As He EMPLOYS us as the base of
operations for extending His reign
As He SENDS us to impact the nations on
all levels with fruits of His reign
As He USES us in defeating the Dark
Powers by the triumphs of His reign
Lord Jesus Christ:
Here is our
Tribute
to You
CHRIST ALONE
“I am the vine,
you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5
Jonathan Edwards
“Christ Jesus has true Excellency, so great that when
it comes to seeing it, the mind stays there. It sees a
transcendent glory and an ineffable sweetness in
him. It understands that till now it has been
pursuing shadows, but that now it has found the
ocean.
It is an infinite Excellency in which the mind can
find no bounds. Every new discovery makes this
beauty appear more ravishing. There is room
enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper and
never come to the bottom. The soul that comes to
Christ feeds on this and lives upon it.
It is impossible for those who have
tasted of this Fountain,
and know the sweetness of it,
ever to forsake it.”
Respond?
SEEK the REIGN – “Lift the gates”
NAME the NAME – “Say Jesus”
SPREAD the FAME – “Seek and Speak”
Create your own REGAL BIBLE
Form “Kingdom Clusters” where you live
Make the lifetime commitment of every
“Messenger of Hope”
The Lifetime Commitment of every
“Messenger of Hope”
From this moment forward, every time
I share God’s Word with any of God’s people –
as fully as each opportunity allows, by the
power of the Holy Spirit –
I will set before them:
(1) A larger vision of the supremacy
and glory of God’s Son than they had
before we began, so that…
(2) they leave my presence with greater
reasons than ever to put their hope in
Christ alone.
CHRIST ALONE
Who He is
UPON us
UPON US
As He alerts us now to the COMING
CONSUMMATION of His eternal reign
As He stirs in us EXPECTATIONS of more
of His eternal reign right now
As He pours on us now dynamic
APPROXIMATIONS of His eternal reign
As He visits us now with refreshing
AWAKENINGS to His eternal reign
Lord Jesus Christ:
Here is our
Tribute
to You