Unity Baptist Church

Apologies are in order. We had a lot of visitors, my wife Teresa was home sick and not there to lead music, I pulled double duty and forgot to record the sermon.

The text comes from 1 Timothy 3:14-16. We’ve been looking at post-resurrection appearances of Jesus leading up to the Day of Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell and believers went out in the the street of Jerusalem and proclaimed the Gospel. 1 Timothy 3 closes with a short paragraph that summarizes who Jesus is and why we can put our faith in him. Here is the text:

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.

Here is the fill-in-the-blank outline that I often refer to:

The church is the dwelling place of God. 

God is revealed in the person of Jesus.
 
Jesus is confirmed by many proofs.

I referenced Philippians 2 about the humility of Christ taking the form of a servant. I cited 2 Corinthians 4:7 which I quoted last week but couldn’t give a book, chapter and verse to. Somewhat out of character I discussed the translation issues and even gave a Strong’s Concordance number, 5319, in the discussion of phaneroó (φανερόω) which is translated manifested in some places but as appeared or revealed in others.

I don’t know if this morning’s sermon can be recreated but look at the text again. Verse 16 says everything that needs to be said. That’s who Jesus is in the New Testament Church. And now we wait for him to return.