What Do You Call Him?

Today Sunday March 5, 2006, is the first Sunday of Lent which is a 
season of reflection and looking forward. For the next six weeks we 
will be taking a journey with Jesus to the cross at Calvary and Easter
morning. Remembering Jesus’ birth by the Virgin Mary who raised 
Him with his step-father Joseph and father God, watching Jesus 
grow to fulfill the purpose of His life. 

Master, redeemer, Savior of the world, wonderful, counselor, bright 
morning star. Lilly of the valley, provider and friend, he was 
yesterday; he’ll be tomorrow the beginning and end. But the angel 
called Him Jesus born of a virgin. Mary called Him Jesus but I call 
Him Lord. Jehovah, Messiah, mighty God and king, bread of life. 
He’s the lasting word of love that I sing. Light in the darkness, door 
to heaven, my home in the sky. The fountain of living water that never 
shall run dry. But the angel called Him Jesus born of a virgin. Mary 
called Him Jesus but I call Him Lord. But the angels call him Jesus 
born of a virgin, Mary called Him Jesus, but I call him Lord. Jehovah, 
Messiah is Lord.

Mark 1: 9-15 

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and 
was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when Jesus 
came out of the water, immediately Jesus saw the 
heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Jesus 
like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art 
my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” The 
Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. 
And Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted 
by Satin; and Jesus was with the wild beast; and the 
angels ministered to Jesus. Now after John the Baptist 
was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the 
gospel of God and saying “The time is fulfilled, and the 
kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the 
gospel.”

As Jesus lived and was tempted in the wilderness for forty days and
forty nights, there are some in the year 2006, at this very moment,
some who live in the wilderness of being tempted by temptations 
day and night. Some who are waiting in the sounds of silence for the 
heavens to open, for a dove to appear, for a sign that God is real and 
miracles do happen even to the person spending life without parole 
or on death row.

Remember one can be sitting in this sanctuary and be serving life 
without parole or living on death row. For the bars of prison are a 
perception. Where are you today? What you hoped to be or not what 
you were you before you asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and 
Savior? 

Are you listening, the 7th chapter of Romans, verse 14?

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold 
under sin. 

For the law is consistent with the character of God, but we are of the 
sin of the flesh living with sin in our lives and around us in our daily 
lives. And the real struggles in the sin of the flesh, in our daily lives, 
can confuse us.

Romans 7:15-20

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not what 
I want, but do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I 
do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is 
no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.
For I know that nothing good dwells within me that is, 
in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not 
want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is 
no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.

What we are dealing with in this scripture as in our daily lives is the
struggle of two natures, good verses evil. Our daily struggle in not 
doing the good that we want but the evil that is always right there 
before us, tempting us, come on it’s okay. It won’t hurt, GOT YA!! 

It’s like the time I went to the grocery with my honey-do list, you 
Know, honey do this or I’ll get you later! I came home and my wife 
Told me, you’re so good to me to go and get the groceries that we 
needed. Then my wife looked in the grocery bag and asked me, 
“WHAT ARE THESE CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES 
DOING IN HERE? Calmly I replied that I met what I thought was the 
nicest elderly lady at the grocery store until she threatened to hit me 
with her cane if I did not get the chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookies. 
THE DEVIL MADE ME GET THEM! HONESTLY!

Our lives can be similar to the eagle that was raised by a family of 
chickens. One day the eagle was sitting with the chicken family when 
they all looked up and saw a beautiful eagle fly overhead. The eagle 
sat there, ever so silently among the chicken family and then loudly 
pronounced while looking at the eagle flying in the sky above, I CAN 
DO THAT! I CAN FLY! JUST LIKE THAT! The chicken family laughed 
and said sarcastically, “SURE YOU CAN!”

The difference between the eagle raised by the chicken family and the
Chickens…belief in oneself and what can be accomplished. Reality is, 
some are impossible but through the grace of God we can still serve 
God. 

In our text from the book of Romans Paul is making four points:

(1.) Intelligence is not the answer. One may be intelligent but if one 
does not know who Jesus Christ is in their life then what good 
is intelligence?

(2.) Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t
matter. What matters is Philippians 4:13: I can do all things 
through him who strengthens me.”

(3.) Being a card carrying member, becoming a Christian, does 
not stamp out sin in our lives. 

(4.) Being born again takes a moment of faith, but being a Christian 
is a life-long journey that is not easy. 

Romans 7:21-25

So I find it a law that when I want to do right, evil lies 
close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my 
inner most self, but I see in my members another law at 
war with the law of my mind and making me captive to 
the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched 
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of 
death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our 
Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my 
mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM, a cry of despair and anguish from one 
Stuck, imprisoned in a mortal body with a longing to be free. A cry 
Of a person in a dual allegiance, trying to achieve righteousness 
only by human effort, without becoming what they want, a new 
creation in Christ. A cry from one who is paralyzed in their addiction 
and not knowing any way out. Not seeing an opening, not willing to 
humble themselves, by giving it into the hands of the Lord for 
healing. Healing emotionally, physically, spiritually, psychologically. 
Feeling that you are lost, but then why would God care? 

Matthew 1:23

“Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and his 
name shall be called Emmanuel.” 
(Which means God with us.)

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, 
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have 
eternal life.

In this the season of Lent let us all remember on our daily journey to 
the old wooden cross at Calvary. It’s not about me, it’s not about you, 
it’s about we, that a baby boy was born in a manger to grow into a 
man for one purpose, our, yours and my, salvation. For God has not 
given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and a sound mind. 

Whenever we are weary from the battles of life and hanging on by a 
thread we are not alone. It’s all a matter of our salvation. It’s all a 
matter of where we (you and I), want to spend eternity. Smoking or 
non-smoking, in the fiery pits of hell or the beauty of heaven. 

Whenever we’re weary from the battles of life and hanging on by a 
thread, we are not alone.

The angels called Him Jesus born of a virgin. Mary called Him Jesus, 
but I call Him Lord. Jehovah, Messiah is Lord. What do you call him? 

Let us be in prayer, 

Father God, I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I 
am not even what I hope to be. Words that I pray nobody feels 
in their life for my prayer Father God is that all will come to 
realize, “But by the cross of Christ, I am not what I was. 
May all come to realize His name is wonderful, his 
name is wonderful Jesus my Lord. It’s all a 
matter of where one wishes to spend 
eternity. My prayer Father God, 
is that all will chose Jesus 
Christ as their Lord and 
Savior and spend 
their eternity 
in heaven.
Amen



 


             


03/05/2006JWM



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