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Jesus Confronts Religious Leaders In A Tense Temple Moment · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: Imagine standing in a crowded temple, surrounded by the most
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Speaker 1: powerful religious leaders of your time. The care is thick
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Speaker 1: with tension. Every eye is locked onto one man, Jesus
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Speaker 1: of Nazareth. The Pharisees are furious, the people are confused.
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Speaker 1: The debate has escalated into a full blown confrontation. And
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Speaker 1: then Jesus speaks, before Abraham, was I Am? And in
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Speaker 1: an instant chaos erupts. Gasps fill the temple. The Pharisees
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Speaker 1: faces twist in rage. Without hesitation, they reach for stones,
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Speaker 1: ready to kill him, right there on the spot. The
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Speaker 1: crowd backs away, some in shock, some in fear. Others
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Speaker 1: stare in disbelief at what just happened. Why did these
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Speaker 1: religious leaders, men who had spent their entire lives studying
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Speaker 1: the scriptures, react so violently to Jesus' words. Was it
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Speaker 1: because he mentioned Abraham? Was it because they misunderstood him?
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Speaker 1: Or was it because they knew exactly what he was claiming?
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Speaker 1: Because make no mistake, this was not just a statement
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Speaker 1: about time. This was a declaration of divinity. Jesus wasn't
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Speaker 1: just saying he existed before Abraham. He was claiming to
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Speaker 1: be God himself. And the Pharisees knew it. That's why
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Speaker 1: they didn't argue, That's why they didn't ask questions. That's
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Speaker 1: why they went straight for the stones, because in their minds,
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Speaker 1: this was blasphemy. But here's the real question. If Jesus
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Speaker 1: really is the I am, what does that mean for
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Speaker 1: us today? Because if he was telling the truth, then
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Speaker 1: he is not just a prophet, not just a teacher,
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Speaker 1: not just a historical figure. He is Yahweh, the eternal God,
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Speaker 1: the Alpha and the Omega. And if that's true, then
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Speaker 1: everything about our lives should change. So let's go deeper.
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Speaker 1: Why did Jesus use the exact words I am and
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Speaker 1: why does it matter? What does this verse prove about
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Speaker 1: jesus identity, How does this connect to the Gospel and
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Speaker 1: the Old Testament, and most importantly, how will you respond
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Speaker 1: to it? Because by the end of this video, you
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Speaker 1: will never see Jesus the same way again. We have
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Speaker 1: created in depth explanation videos for every book of the
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Speaker 1: Bible to help you go deeper in your faith. Check
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Speaker 1: out our other videos. We've covered powerful topics that will
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Speaker 1: transform the way you see God's word. If you'd like
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Speaker 1: this Deep Bible Story's video, to be turned into an ebook.
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Speaker 1: Let us know in the comments, and if this message
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Speaker 1: has opened your eyes, like and share it so more
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Speaker 1: people can understand the true meaning of John eight fifty eight.
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Speaker 1: Because this truth demands a response. And with that being said,
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Speaker 1: let's get started. The moment Jesus declared before Abraham was
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Speaker 1: I Am was not an isolated statement. It was the
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Speaker 1: climax of a conversation that had been building in intensity,
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Speaker 1: a conversation that exposed the deepest divide between Jesus and
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Speaker 1: the religious leaders of his time. Because this wasn't just
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Speaker 1: a theological debate. It wasn't just a discussion about Abraham.
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Speaker 1: It was a battle over Jesus's identity, and it was
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Speaker 1: about to change everything. It all started in the temple courts.
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Speaker 1: Jesus had been teaching, and as always, people gathered around him.
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Speaker 1: Some were drawn to him, amazed by his wisdom. Others,
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Speaker 1: especially the Pharisees, were looking for a way to trap him,
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Speaker 1: a reason to discredit him. They had already made up
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Speaker 1: their minds this man could not be from God. But
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Speaker 1: why It wasn't because Jesus was a sinner, he was sinless.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't because he was breaking the law. He fulfilled
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Speaker 1: it perfectly. It wasn't even because of his miracles. In fact,
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Speaker 1: the miracles only made them more furious. The real issue
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Speaker 1: was authority. Jesus didn't speak like the teachers of the law.
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Speaker 1: He didn't reference other rabbis, he didn't quote human traditions.
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Speaker 1: He spoke with a kind of authority that made people
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Speaker 1: either fall at his feet in worship or pick up
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Speaker 1: stones to kill him. And the Pharisees couldn't stand it.
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Speaker 1: This particular debate began when Jesus made a bold promise,
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Speaker 1: if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death
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Speaker 1: John eight fifty one. That statement alone was enough to
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Speaker 1: shake the entire crowd. The religious leaders seized on it immediately.
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Speaker 1: They shot back, now we know that you have a demon.
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Speaker 1: Abraham died and so did the prophets, Yet you say
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Speaker 1: that whoever obeys you will never see death. John eight
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Speaker 1: fifty two to fifty three. Their logic was simple. If Abraham,
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Speaker 1: the father of their faith, had died, and if the
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Speaker 1: greatest prophets history had also died, who did Jesus think
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Speaker 1: he was to claim that he could offer eternal life?
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Speaker 1: Was he greater than Abraham? Was he greater than Moses.
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Speaker 1: And here, in this moment, Jesus could have backed down,
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Speaker 1: He could have softened his words, explain things in a
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Speaker 1: way that made them more comfortable. But he didn't. He
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Speaker 1: doubled down. He looked them in the eyes and said,
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Speaker 1: your father, Abraham, rejoice that he would see my day.
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Speaker 1: He saw it and was glad. John eight fifty six.
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Speaker 1: And that was it. The crowd erupted. The Pharisees scoffed.
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Speaker 1: This was insanity. Abraham had lived nearly two thousand years
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Speaker 1: before this moment. How could Jesus, a man standing before
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Speaker 1: them in his early thirties, claim that Abraham had seen
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Speaker 1: his day? They mocked him. You are not yet fifty
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Speaker 1: years old, and you have seen Abraham John eight fifty seven.
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Speaker 1: And then, in a moment that split history in, Jesus replied,
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Speaker 1: before Abraham was I am? Not before Abraham was? I was?
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Speaker 1: Not before Abraham existed? I existed, but I am. And
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Speaker 1: that was the breaking point because the Pharisees knew exactly
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Speaker 1: what he meant. They weren't confused, they weren't wondering if
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Speaker 1: he was talking about pre existence. They knew he was
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Speaker 1: claiming to be Yahweh, the eternal God. That's why they
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Speaker 1: reached for stones, not because they misunderstood him, but because
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Speaker 1: they understood him perfectly in their minds. This was blasphemy
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Speaker 1: of the highest order. Under Jewish law, anyone who claimed
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Speaker 1: to be God deserved death. And yet Jesus didn't take
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Speaker 1: back his words, he didn't run, he didn't apologize, because
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Speaker 1: he was telling the truth. And here's why this matters today,
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Speaker 1: because this wasn't just an argument in the temple courts.
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Speaker 1: This wasn't just an ancient debate. This was a moment
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Speaker 1: that demands a response from every single person who hears it.
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Speaker 1: Because if Jesus was lying, then he was the greatest
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Speaker 1: fraud in history. If Jesus was mistaken, then he was delusional.
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Speaker 1: But if Jesus was telling the truth, then he is
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Speaker 1: God and he demands our worship. And this is the
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Speaker 1: same battle happening in the world today. People are still
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Speaker 1: asking the same question the Pharisees did. Who do you
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Speaker 1: think you are Jesus. Some say he was just a
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Speaker 1: good teacher, Some say he was just a prophet. Some
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Speaker 1: say he was a revolutionary, a moral leader, a wise philosopher.
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Speaker 1: But Jesus never gave us those options, because no mere
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Speaker 1: teacher would say before Abraham was I Am. No mere
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Speaker 1: prophet would claim to have existed before time itself, no
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Speaker 1: mere moral leader would declare that he alone has the
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Speaker 1: power over life and death. Jesus left no room for neutrality,
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Speaker 1: and to day, just like in the temple courts, people
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Speaker 1: are either bowing at his feet or picking up stones.
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Speaker 1: Look around the world wants a version of Jesus that
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Speaker 1: is safe. A Jesus who inspires but doesn't convict, a
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Speaker 1: Jesus who affirms but never demands obedience. A Jesus who
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Speaker 1: fits into human categories instead of the Jesus who shattered
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Speaker 1: every expectation. But that's not the Jesus of the Bible.
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Speaker 1: The real Jesus forces us to make a choice. Will
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Speaker 1: you worship him as Lord or will you reject him
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Speaker 1: as a liar. There is no in between, because if
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Speaker 1: Jesus really is I Am, then that means he is
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Speaker 1: the God of Genesis, the creator of the universe. He
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Speaker 1: is the God of Exodus, the one who delivered his people.
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Speaker 1: He is the God of Isiah, the king seated on
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Speaker 1: the throne, and he is the God who stepped into
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Speaker 1: human flesh to die for our sins. This is why
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Speaker 1: this moment in John eight was so intense, because the
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Speaker 1: Pharisees thought they were debating a man, but they were
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Speaker 1: standing face to face with God himself. And to day,
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Speaker 1: that same Jesus stands before us. He is still speaking,
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Speaker 1: he is still calling, he is still asking the same
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Speaker 1: question he asked his disciples, who do you say that
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Speaker 1: I am Matthew sixteen fifteen? And how we answer that
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Speaker 1: question will determine everything. Because the religious leaders made their choice,
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Speaker 1: they picked up stones, they rejected him, But what about you?
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Speaker 1: Because ignoring Jesus is not an option. Shrugging him off
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Speaker 1: as a historical figure is not an option. Either he
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Speaker 1: is a fraud or he is the great I Am.
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Speaker 1: And if he is I Am, then he is worthy
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Speaker 1: of everything. So what will you do with Jesus? Will
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Speaker 1: you worship him or will you walk away? Will you
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Speaker 1: surrender or will you harden your heart? Will you bow
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Speaker 1: or will you reach for stones? Because this moment is
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Speaker 1: just as real to day as it was in the
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Speaker 1: temple courts, and the way we respond will define our eternity.
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Speaker 1: The moment was heated. The Pharisees had already decided that
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Speaker 1: Jesus could not be who he claimed to be. The
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Speaker 1: tension had escalated beyond mere disagreement. This was personal. They
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Speaker 1: prided themselves on being the spiritual authorities, the ones who
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Speaker 1: understood the scriptures better than any one, and here was
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Speaker 1: Jesus standing in the temple, speaking with an authority they
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Speaker 1: could not ignore. He had just told them that Abraham
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Speaker 1: had rejoiced to see his day, a claim that sounded impossible.
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Speaker 1: Abraham had lived nearly two thousand years earlier. How could Jesus,
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Speaker 1: a man standing before them in his early thirties, speak
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Speaker 1: as if he had first hand knowledge of Abraham. Their
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Speaker 1: response once was filled with mockery. You are not yet
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Speaker 1: fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham John eight
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Speaker 1: fifty seven. And then, in a single sentence, Jesus shattered
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Speaker 1: their expectations. Before Abraham was I am? John eight fifty eight.
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Speaker 1: At first glance, many assume Jesus was simply claiming that
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Speaker 1: he existed before Abraham. That he was saying I was
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Speaker 1: alive before him. And while that alone would have been astonishing,
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Speaker 1: it wasn't enough to make the religious leaders react with
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Speaker 1: such violence. If Jesus had only been referring to his
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Speaker 1: pre existence. He could have said before Abraham was I was,
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Speaker 1: but he didn't. Instead, he used I am, and that
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Speaker 1: changed everything because this was not just about time, this
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Speaker 1: was about identity. The Pharisees didn't just hear a claim
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Speaker 1: about existence, they heard a claim about divinity. They knew
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Speaker 1: exactly what Jesus was saying, and it left them with
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Speaker 1: only two choices worship him or kill him, because I
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Speaker 1: am was not an ordinary phrase, it was the name
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Speaker 1: of God himself. To understand the weight of jesus words,
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Speaker 1: we have to go back to Exodus three fourteen, where
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Speaker 1: Moses encountered God at the Burning Bush. When God called
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Speaker 1: Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses asked,
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Speaker 1: who shall I say sent me? And God responded, I
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Speaker 1: am who I am? This is what you are to
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Speaker 1: say to the Israelites. I AM has sent me to you.
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Speaker 1: This was the divine name, the self existent one, the eternal, unchanging,
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Speaker 1: all powerful God, the name so holy that many Jews
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Speaker 1: wouldn't even dare to say it aloud. And now here
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Speaker 1: stood Jesus using that very name for himself. He wasn't
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Speaker 1: just saying he existed before Abraham. He was saying he
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Speaker 1: was the God who called Moses, the God of Abraham,
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Speaker 1: Isaac and Jacob, the God who led Israel out of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: parted the Red Sea, and thundered from Mount Sinai. This
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Speaker 1: wasn't just a claim, it was a revelation, and the
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Speaker 1: Pharisees knew it. That's why they immediately picked up stones
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Speaker 1: to kill him, because in their minds this was blasphemy.
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Speaker 1: No human could claim to be I Am unless he
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Speaker 1: truly was God. But here's where it gets even deeper,
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Speaker 1: because Jesus didn't just use I am this one time.
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Speaker 1: Throughout the Gospel of John, he made seven bold declarations
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Speaker 1: using these exact words. I am the Bread of Life
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Speaker 1: John six thirty five. I am the Light of the
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Speaker 1: World John eight twelve. I am the Door John ten nine.
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Speaker 1: I am the Good Shepherd John ten eleven. I am
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Speaker 1: the Resurrection and the Life John eleven, twenty five. I
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Speaker 1: am the Way, the Truth, and the Life John fourteen six.
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Speaker 1: I am the True Vine John fifteen one. Each time
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Speaker 1: Jesus was doing more than just describing himself. He was
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Speaker 1: connecting himself to the name of God. And yet people
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Speaker 1: still try to soften this. Some say Jesus never really
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Speaker 1: claimed to be God, that he was just a wise teacher,
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Speaker 1: that his followers misunderstood him, that his divinity was something
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Speaker 1: the church added later. But the truth is right here.
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Speaker 1: Jesus didn't leave any room for that argument. The Pharisees
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Speaker 1: knew exactly what he was saying. That's why they responded
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Speaker 1: the way they did, and today people are still responding
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Speaker 1: the same way. Some people hear jesus words and fall
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Speaker 1: at his feet in worship. Others hear his words and
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Speaker 1: harden their hearts in reject Because if Jesus really is
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Speaker 1: I Am, then he is not just a religious leader.
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Speaker 1: He is Lord. And if he is Lord, that means
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Speaker 1: he is eternal. There was never a time when he
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Speaker 1: did not exist. He is unchanging. His character is the
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Speaker 1: same yesterday, today, and forever. He is self existent. He
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Speaker 1: is not created, not dependent, not limited. He is sovereign.
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Speaker 1: He holds all things together by his power. This means
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Speaker 1: that Jesus is not just part of our lives. He
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Speaker 1: is the source of life itself. He is not just
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Speaker 1: a piece of our belief system. He is the foundation
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Speaker 1: of everything. But here is the real challenge. If Jesus
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Speaker 1: really is the I Am, Then he is not someone
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Speaker 1: we can casually follow. He is not a weak nd convenience.
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Speaker 1: He is not just another teacher. He is not an
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Speaker 1: optional part of our lives. He is God and he
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Speaker 1: deserves everything. So the question is how do we respond?
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Speaker 1: And because this is not just a theological debate, this
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Speaker 1: is not just an interesting Bible fact. This is the
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Speaker 1: most important truth in history. And Jesus is still asking
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Speaker 1: the same question today. Who do you say that I
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Speaker 1: am Matthew sixteen fifteen. Some will call him a great
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Speaker 1: moral teacher, some will say he was a prophet, some
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Speaker 1: will dismiss him altogether. But Jesus never gave us those options.
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Speaker 1: He is either a liar, a lunatic, or exactly who
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Speaker 1: he claimed to be. I Am. And if he is
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Speaker 1: I Am, then he deserves our full surrender, our full devotion,
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Speaker 1: our full worship. This is the choice before us. The
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Speaker 1: Pharisees made their choice, They picked up stones, they rejected him.
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Speaker 1: But what about you? Because ignoring Jesus is not an option.
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Speaker 1: Shrugging him off as just another religious figure is not
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Speaker 1: an option. Either he is the greatest deceiver who ever lived,
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Speaker 1: or he is the great I Am, and if he
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Speaker 1: is I Am, then everything changes. So how will you respond?
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Speaker 1: Will you bow or will you pick up stones? Will
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Speaker 1: you surrender or will you harden your heart? Because this
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Speaker 1: truth demands a response, and the way we answer will
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Speaker 1: define our eternity. The moment Jesus declared before Abraham was
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Speaker 1: I Am, he wasn't just making a bold statement. He
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Speaker 1: was reaching back through history and connecting himself to the
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Speaker 1: very name of God. The Pharisees didn't hesitate or ask
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Speaker 1: for clarification because they knew exactly what he was doing.
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Speaker 1: He was claiming to be Yahweh, the same God who
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Speaker 1: spoke to Moses from the burning bush, the same God
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Speaker 1: who had delivered Israel from Egypt, the same God whose
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Speaker 1: name was so sacred that many Jews refused to say
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Speaker 1: it aloud. To understand why this was so significant, we
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Speaker 1: need to go back to one of the most powerful
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Speaker 1: moments in Biblical history, Exodus three. Moses had spent forty
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Speaker 1: years in the wilderness, tending sheep, far from the royal
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Speaker 1: palace of Egypt, where he had once lived. He was
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Speaker 1: a man who had once believed he was destined for greatness,
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Speaker 1: but now he was nothing more than a shepherd forgotten
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Speaker 1: and broken, but God had not forgotten him. One ordinary day,
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Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. Moses saw a bush burning, yet not consumed.
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Speaker 1: As he approached, a voice called out to him, Moses, Moses,
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Speaker 1: Exodus three four And from that moment everything changed. God
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Speaker 1: told Moses that he had seen the suffering of his
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Speaker 1: people in Egypt, that he had heard their cries, and
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Speaker 1: that he was sending Moses to lead them to freedom.
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Speaker 1: But Moses was hesitant. He doubted himself, He doubted his ability,
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Speaker 1: and then he asked a question that revealed just how
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Speaker 1: unsure he was. Suppose I go to the Israelites and
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Speaker 1: say to them, the God of your father's has sent
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Speaker 1: me to you, and they ask me what is his name?
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Speaker 1: Then what shall I tell them? Exodus three thirteen. And
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Speaker 1: in response, God revealed his name. I am who I am?
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Speaker 1: Exodus three fourteen. He continued, this is what you are
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Speaker 1: to say to the Israelites. I Am has sent me
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Speaker 1: to you. This was more than just a name. It
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Speaker 1: was a revelation of who God is. I am, not
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Speaker 1: I was, not I will be, but I am. This
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Speaker 1: name declared his eternal existence. He is not bound by time.
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Speaker 1: He has no beginning and no end. He is completely
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Speaker 1: self existent, needing nothing to sustain him. He simply is.
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Speaker 1: For centuries, the Jewish people treated this name with deep reverence.
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Speaker 1: They wouldn't even speak it out loud, fearing they might
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Speaker 1: take it in vain. Instead, they would substitute Adonai Lord
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Speaker 1: whenever reading the scriptures. This was the most sacred name,
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Speaker 1: the most holy revelation of God's identity. And now in
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Speaker 1: John eight, Jesus was standing before the religious leaders, and
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Speaker 1: he used that name for himself. He didn't just say
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Speaker 1: I knew Abraham. He didn't just say I existed before Abraham.
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Speaker 1: He said before Abraham was I am? At that moment,
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Speaker 1: he wasn't just claiming to be older than Abraham. He
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Speaker 1: was claiming to be the eternal God. This is why
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Speaker 1: the Pharisees were furious. This is why they grabbed stones,
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Speaker 1: because they understood that Jesus was declaring himself to be Yahweh.
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Speaker 1: And this is where many people today still struggle with
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Speaker 1: jesus identity. Some say he was just a prophet, Some
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Speaker 1: say he was a great moral teacher, some say he
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Speaker 1: was a wise philosopher. But Jesus never gave us those options.
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Speaker 1: He made it clear he is I Am. And if
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Speaker 1: that's true, then he is not just another religious figure.
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Speaker 1: He is the creator of the universe. The same God
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Speaker 1: who walked with Adam in the garden, who spoke to
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Speaker 1: Moses on Mount Sinai, who led Israel through the wilderness.
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Speaker 1: That same God stepped into human flesh and stood in
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Speaker 1: the temple revealing himself. This is where everything changes, because
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Speaker 1: if Jesus is I Am, then that means he is eternal.
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Speaker 1: He always was and always will be. He is self existent,
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Speaker 1: He depends on nothing and no one. He is unchanging.
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Speaker 1: He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is sovereign,
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Speaker 1: He holds all things together. And if he is truly
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Speaker 1: I Am, then he is not someone we can ignore.
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Speaker 1: This isn't just a theological discussion. This isn't just an
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Speaker 1: interesting historical fact. This is the most important truth in history.
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Speaker 1: And yet, just like in the temple that day, people
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Speaker 1: still have the same two reactions. Some people, when confronted
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Speaker 1: with this truth, fall to their knees in worship. Others,
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Speaker 1: just like the Pharisees, reach for stones. Because Jesus identity
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Speaker 1: demands a response. If he is just a teacher, then
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Speaker 1: you can study him. If he is just a prophet,
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Speaker 1: then you can admire him. But if he is I Am,
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Speaker 1: then he is God and he is worthy of everything.
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Speaker 1: Think about what that means for your life. If Jesus
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Speaker 1: is I Am, then he is bigger than your fears.
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Speaker 1: If Jesus is I Am, then he is greater than
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Speaker 1: your struggles. If Jesus is I Am, then he is
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Speaker 1: more powerful than your past. And if Jesus is I Am,
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Speaker 1: then that means he is not just someone we add
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Speaker 1: to our lives. He is the very reason we exist.
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Speaker 1: So let me ask you, how have you responded to Jesus.
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Speaker 1: Have you treated him as just another voice among many?
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Speaker 1: Have you followed him when it was convenient, but ignored
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Speaker 1: him when it wasn't, Or have you bowed before him
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Speaker 1: as lord, recognizing that he is the I Am, the
23:25
Speaker 1: only one worthy of your full surrender. Because the Pharisees
23:30
Speaker 1: made their choice, they rejected him, they hardened their hearts.
23:34
Speaker 1: But what about you? Because this is not just a name,
23:37
Speaker 1: It is a call to worship, and one day, whether
23:40
Speaker 1: willingly or unwillingly, every person will acknowledge this truth and
23:45
Speaker 1: the name of Jesus. Every knee will bow in heaven
23:49
Speaker 1: and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
23:52
Speaker 1: will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
23:55
Speaker 1: of God, the Father. Philippians too, tend to The question
24:01
Speaker 1: is will you bow now in surrender and love or
24:05
Speaker 1: will you wait until it's too late? Because the truth
24:08
Speaker 1: is unshakable. Jesus is I Am, and that means everything.
24:14
Speaker 1: The moment Jesus declared before Abraham was I Am. The
24:19
Speaker 1: reaction was immediate, violent, unrelenting, and deadly. There was no hesitation,
24:24
Speaker 1: no confusion, no debate. The Jewish leaders knew exactly what
24:28
Speaker 1: he was saying, and in their eyes, there was only
24:31
Speaker 1: one appropriate response. Death. They bent down, reaching for stones,
24:37
Speaker 1: their hearts burning with rage. To them, Jesus had crossed
24:40
Speaker 1: a line that no man should ever cross. This wasn't
24:44
Speaker 1: just another theological dispute. This wasn't just another argument about
24:48
Speaker 1: the law. This was blasphemy, and according to the law
24:53
Speaker 1: of Moses, blasphemy was punishable by death. Anyone who blasphemes
24:58
Speaker 1: the name of the Lord is to be put to death.
25:01
Speaker 1: The entire assembly must stone them Leviticus twenty four sixteen
25:07
Speaker 1: to the Pharisees, This was an open and shut case.
25:11
Speaker 1: Jesus had just used the sacred name of God for himself.
25:14
Speaker 1: He had taken the name that was so wholly, so untouchable,
25:18
Speaker 1: that most Jews wouldn't even say it aloud, and he
25:21
Speaker 1: had applied it to himself. And this left them with
25:24
Speaker 1: only two options, worship him or kill him at they
25:27
Speaker 1: chose the latter. But why why did these religious leaders
25:31
Speaker 1: who had spent their entire lives studying scripture reject the
25:35
Speaker 1: very one their scriptures pointed to the answer goes far
25:39
Speaker 1: deeper than just theology, because this wasn't just about words.
25:43
Speaker 1: It was about control. The Pharisees had built their entire
25:47
Speaker 1: lives on their status as the religious elite. They were
25:52
Speaker 1: the gate keepers of truth. They had created a system
25:55
Speaker 1: where righteousness was measured by rules, by traditions, by how
26:00
Speaker 1: well you followed their interpretations of the law, and in
26:03
Speaker 1: their system they were at the top. Then Jesus came
26:06
Speaker 1: along and he shattered their system. He exposed their hypocrisy,
26:11
Speaker 1: He challenged their authority. He called them out for their
26:14
Speaker 1: hardened hearts. Over and over, he told them that their
26:17
Speaker 1: legalism was not true righteousness, that their knowledge of scripture
26:22
Speaker 1: meant nothing if they didn't recognize the God they claimed
26:25
Speaker 1: to worship. You study the scriptures diligently because you think
26:30
Speaker 1: that in them you have eternal life. These are the
26:34
Speaker 1: very scriptures that testify about me, Yet you refuse to
26:39
Speaker 1: come to me to have life, John five thirty nine
26:43
Speaker 1: to forty. This is why they wanted to kill him,
26:47
Speaker 1: because if Jesus was telling the truth, if he really
26:50
Speaker 1: was the I Am, then their whole system collapsed. Their
26:54
Speaker 1: control was gone, their authority was meaningless. They would have
26:58
Speaker 1: to bow before him like everyone else, and they refused.
27:02
Speaker 1: They chose to fight for their own power instead of
27:05
Speaker 1: submitting to the one who held all power. And here's
27:10
Speaker 1: where this story is still playing out today, because people
27:13
Speaker 1: are still reacting the same way to Jesus. Some hear
27:17
Speaker 1: his words and fall at his feet in worship. Others
27:21
Speaker 1: hear his words and harden their hearts in rejection. Because
27:25
Speaker 1: if Jesus really is I Am, then that means he
27:29
Speaker 1: has authority over your life. He has the right to
27:32
Speaker 1: tell you how to live. He has the power to
27:34
Speaker 1: define truth, and you don't get to change it. And
27:38
Speaker 1: that is the real reason why so many people reject him.
27:43
Speaker 1: Not because they don't understand, not because there isn't enough evidence,
27:47
Speaker 1: but because accepting him means surrender. It means giving up control,
27:52
Speaker 1: It means admitting that we are not the gods of
27:55
Speaker 1: our own lives. This is why people today still fight
28:00
Speaker 1: against Jesus. This is why his name alone causes such
28:04
Speaker 1: a reaction. You can talk about God in general terms
28:08
Speaker 1: and most people will listen. You can talk about spirituality
28:12
Speaker 1: and no one will care. You can quote religious figures
28:17
Speaker 1: and no one will be offended. But the moment you
28:20
Speaker 1: say Jesus is God, the world reacts just like the Pharisees.
28:25
Speaker 1: Some bow, some pick up stones. Because Jesus' identity leaves
28:30
Speaker 1: no room for neutrality. And here's the most dangerous thing
28:34
Speaker 1: of all. Some people think they are neutral. They say
28:38
Speaker 1: I believe Jesus was a great teacher. They say I
28:41
Speaker 1: respect his moral teachings. They say he was an important
28:45
Speaker 1: historical figure. But Jesus never gave us that option. He
28:50
Speaker 1: didn't say I am one way to God. He didn't
28:53
Speaker 1: say I am just a teacher. He said before Abraham
28:57
Speaker 1: was I am. C. S. Lewis fan aamously put it
29:00
Speaker 1: this way. You must make your choice either this man
29:04
Speaker 1: was and is the son of God, or else a
29:07
Speaker 1: madman or something worse. You can shut him up for
29:11
Speaker 1: a fool, You can spit at him and kill him
29:13
Speaker 1: as a demon. Or you can fall at his feet
29:16
Speaker 1: and call him Lord and God. But let us not
29:18
Speaker 1: come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great
29:22
Speaker 1: human teacher. He has not left that open to us.
29:25
Speaker 1: He did not intend to. This is why the Jewish
29:29
Speaker 1: leaders wanted to stone him, because Jesus claimed to be God,
29:35
Speaker 1: and they refuse to bow. And to day, that same
29:39
Speaker 1: choice stands before you, because ignoring Jesus is not an option.
29:43
Speaker 1: You will either worship him or you will reject him.
29:47
Speaker 1: There is no middle ground. The Pharisees made their choice,
29:51
Speaker 1: they picked up stones, they rejected him. What about you?
29:56
Speaker 1: Because the truth is one day, every knee will bow
30:00
Speaker 1: at the name of Jesus. Every knee should bow in
30:02
Speaker 1: heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
30:06
Speaker 1: tongue acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord Philippians two ten
30:11
Speaker 1: to eleven. The question is will you bow now in
30:15
Speaker 1: surrender and worship, or will you resist until it's too late?
30:20
Speaker 1: Because the truth remains Jesus is I am, and that
30:24
Speaker 1: means everything. The Jewish leaders had just heard the most
30:27
Speaker 1: shocking claim imaginable before Abraham was I Am. Their response
30:33
Speaker 1: was instant. They picked up stones, ready to kill him.
30:39
Speaker 1: But in that moment their reaction revealed something deeper than
30:42
Speaker 1: just outrage. It revealed that they understood exactly what Jesus
30:47
Speaker 1: was claiming. This wasn't just a claim to be older
30:50
Speaker 1: than Abraham. This was a claim to be eternal. And
30:55
Speaker 1: that is what makes this statement so powerful, because if
30:58
Speaker 1: Jesus is eternal, that means he is more than a man,
31:03
Speaker 1: more than a teacher, more than a prophet. It means
31:08
Speaker 1: he is God himself. The Pharisees thought they were arguing
31:13
Speaker 1: with a man who was no older than thirty three
31:15
Speaker 1: years old, but Jesus was telling them that he had
31:19
Speaker 1: no beginning, that before Abraham was even born, he was
31:23
Speaker 1: already existing. That before the world was created, he was
31:27
Speaker 1: already there. And that changes everything because if Jesus is eternal,
31:33
Speaker 1: then he was not created, He was not made, He
31:36
Speaker 1: did not come into existence at a certain point in time.
31:40
Speaker 1: He has always existed. He is the uncreated one. This
31:46
Speaker 1: is what separates Jesus from every prophet every religious leader,
31:50
Speaker 1: every human figure who has ever walked the earth. Moses
31:55
Speaker 1: had a beginning, Abraham had a beginning, Muhammad had a beginning,
32:00
Speaker 1: Butha had a beginning. But Jesus had no beginning. This
32:05
Speaker 1: is why John one one opens with these powerful words.
32:08
Speaker 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the word was
32:11
Speaker 1: with God, and the word was God. John didn't say
32:16
Speaker 1: in the beginning the word was created. He said, in
32:19
Speaker 1: the beginning, the word already was He, already existed before
32:25
Speaker 1: time itself began. Jesus was there. And in case there
32:29
Speaker 1: was any doubt about who John was referring to, he
32:32
Speaker 1: clarifies in John one fourteen, the Word became flesh and
32:37
Speaker 1: made his dwelling among us. Jesus is the eternal word,
32:42
Speaker 1: the word who was with God in the beginning, the
32:45
Speaker 1: word who is God. This is why Jesus could pray
32:49
Speaker 1: in John seventeen five. And now, Father, glorify me in
32:54
Speaker 1: your presence with the glory I had with you before
32:56
Speaker 1: the world began. Do you see what he's saying. Jesus
33:00
Speaker 1: didn't start existing when he was born in Bethlehem. He
33:04
Speaker 1: was already with the Father before creation, before the stars
33:08
Speaker 1: were placed in the sky, before the earth was formed,
33:12
Speaker 1: before time itself began, Jesus was already there, existing in
33:16
Speaker 1: eternal glory. And yet despite all of this, people still
33:20
Speaker 1: try to reduce him to something smaller. Some say he
33:24
Speaker 1: was a prophet, but no prophet is eternal. Some say
33:28
Speaker 1: he was a great teacher, but no teacher existed before creation.
33:33
Speaker 1: Some say he was just an enlightened man, but no
33:37
Speaker 1: mere man can claim to be I am. The reality
33:42
Speaker 1: is simple. If Jesus is eternal, then he is God.
33:46
Speaker 1: And if he is God, that means he has all authority,
33:50
Speaker 1: he holds all power, he reigns over all things, and
33:53
Speaker 1: that's exactly what scripture confirms. Paul describes Jesus this way
33:58
Speaker 1: in Colossian's one sixty seventeen. For in him all things
34:03
Speaker 1: were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
34:07
Speaker 1: whether thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things
34:12
Speaker 1: have been created through him, and for him. He is
34:16
Speaker 1: before all things, and in him all things hold together.
34:19
Speaker 1: Do you see that he is before all things, He
34:23
Speaker 1: created all things, and he holds all things together. That
34:26
Speaker 1: means that right now, the very breath in your lungs
34:29
Speaker 1: exists because Jesus is sustaining it. The earth continues to
34:34
Speaker 1: rotate because Jesus is holding it in place. The universe
34:38
Speaker 1: itself exists because Jesus spoke it into being and continues
34:43
Speaker 1: to uphold it by his power. This is why he
34:47
Speaker 1: could say in Revelation twenty two thirteen, I am the
34:51
Speaker 1: Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
34:55
Speaker 1: beginning and the end. This is who Jesus is. But
34:59
Speaker 1: here's this matters because if Jesus is eternal, then that
35:03
Speaker 1: means he is unchanging, and that's something we desperately need
35:08
Speaker 1: in a world that is constantly shifting. Everything around us changes,
35:13
Speaker 1: People change, circumstances change, The world changes. One moment life
35:19
Speaker 1: is stable, and the next it's falling apart. One moment
35:23
Speaker 1: we feel secure, and the next everything is uncertain. But
35:27
Speaker 1: Jesus never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
35:32
Speaker 1: today and forever Hebrews thirteen eight. The same Jesus who
35:37
Speaker 1: spoke the universe into existence is the same Jesus who
35:41
Speaker 1: walked with his disciples. The same Jesus who calmed the storm,
35:46
Speaker 1: is the same Jesus who stands with you in your storms.
35:50
Speaker 1: The same Jesus who conquered the grave is the same
35:53
Speaker 1: Jesus who holds your future in his hands, and that
35:56
Speaker 1: means you can trust him. Because if Jesus is eternal,
36:00
Speaker 1: then he is not limited like we are. He is
36:02
Speaker 1: not bound by time. He is not surprised by anything.
36:06
Speaker 1: He is not caught off guard by your struggles. He
36:09
Speaker 1: already knows the end from the beginning. He already sees
36:13
Speaker 1: what you can't see. And because he is eternal, he
36:17
Speaker 1: can promise eternal life to those who trust in him. Truly, Truly,
36:22
Speaker 1: I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life.
36:27
Speaker 1: John six forty seven. That's why this truth is so important,
36:32
Speaker 1: because if Jesus was just another religious leader, another prophet,
36:37
Speaker 1: another historical figure, then following him wouldn't change anything. But
36:43
Speaker 1: if he is eternal, then he is the only one
36:46
Speaker 1: who can offer eternal life. And that's the choice we
36:50
Speaker 1: all face. Because the Pharisees made their choice. They refuse
36:54
Speaker 1: to accept that Jesus was more than a man. They
36:57
Speaker 1: rejected the truth that he was eternal. But what about you?
37:02
Speaker 1: Because this truth demands a response. You can't ignore it,
37:06
Speaker 1: you can't stay neutral. If Jesus is eternal, then he
37:10
Speaker 1: is Lord. If he is Lord, then he deserves your worship,
37:15
Speaker 1: your obedience, your surrender. So how will you respond? Because
37:20
Speaker 1: one day every person will stand before him, the one
37:23
Speaker 1: who was, and is and is to come, the eternal
37:28
Speaker 1: I Am. And in that moment there will only be
37:31
Speaker 1: one question that matters. Did you bow before him in
37:34
Speaker 1: this life or will you be forced to bow before
37:37
Speaker 1: him in the next, Because make no mistake, every knee
37:42
Speaker 1: will bow at the name of Jesus, every knee should
37:45
Speaker 1: bow in heaven and on earth an under the earth,
37:48
Speaker 1: and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord Philippians
37:53
Speaker 1: two ten to eleven. The question is will you bow
37:57
Speaker 1: now in surrender or will you win until it's too late?
38:01
Speaker 1: Because Jesus is not just another figure in history. He
38:04
Speaker 1: is eternal, He is God, and he is calling you
38:09
Speaker 1: to himself. Jesus had just made the most controversial statement
38:14
Speaker 1: of his ministry before Abraham was I Am. The Jewish
38:19
Speaker 1: leaders knew exactly what he was, claiming that he wasn't
38:22
Speaker 1: just another prophet or teacher, but the eternal God himself.
38:27
Speaker 1: They picked up stones to kill him, because in their eyes,
38:31
Speaker 1: no human could dare take on the divine name of Yahweh.
38:35
Speaker 1: But this wasn't the only time Jesus used I Am.
38:40
Speaker 1: In fact, the entire Gospel of John is structured around
38:43
Speaker 1: Jesus revealing himself as the I Am in different ways.
38:48
Speaker 1: Each time, he wasn't just giving a metaphor. He was
38:51
Speaker 1: declaring his divinity. He was showing that he was not
38:55
Speaker 1: just the Messiah, but God in the flesh. And here's
38:59
Speaker 1: why this is so powerful, because every single one of
39:02
Speaker 1: these I Am statements answers a deep need in the
39:06
Speaker 1: human heart. People are searching for life, for truth, for direction,
39:11
Speaker 1: for hope, and Jesus stands in the middle of history
39:15
Speaker 1: and says, I Am everything you need. Look at these
39:20
Speaker 1: seven statements, each one a revelation of who Jesus truly
39:24
Speaker 1: is one. I Am the Bread of Life, John six
39:30
Speaker 1: thirty five forty eight fifty one. The setting was just
39:36
Speaker 1: after Jesus had miraculously fed over five thousand people with
39:40
Speaker 1: only five loaves and two fish. The crowd was amazed,
39:44
Speaker 1: but Jesus knew their hearts. They weren't following him because
39:48
Speaker 1: they believed in him. They wanted more food, they wanted
39:52
Speaker 1: miracles on demand. So he looked at them and said,
39:56
Speaker 1: do not work for food that spoils, but for food
40:00
Speaker 1: that endures to eternal life John six twenty seven. And
40:06
Speaker 1: then he declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever
40:10
Speaker 1: comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes
40:14
Speaker 1: in me will never be thirsty John six thirty five.
40:20
Speaker 1: This was a radical statement. He was saying that he
40:22
Speaker 1: alone can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human soul.
40:27
Speaker 1: People chase after so many things to fill the emptiness inside. Money, success, relationships, pleasure,
40:35
Speaker 1: but no matter how much they consume, they are still empty.
40:40
Speaker 1: And Jesus says, I AM the only thing that will
40:42
Speaker 1: truly satisfy you. Because the world will leave you hungry.
40:47
Speaker 1: Your career will never be enough, your possessions will never
40:51
Speaker 1: fulfill you. Even the best relationships will leave you longing
40:55
Speaker 1: for something more. But Jesus says, come to me, I
40:59
Speaker 1: am the bread of life. Two. I am the Light
41:03
Speaker 1: of the world. John eight twelve ninety five. Imagine standing
41:07
Speaker 1: in total darkness. You can't see where you're going, you
41:11
Speaker 1: don't know what's ahead. Every step is uncertain. This is
41:15
Speaker 1: what sin does. It blinds, It keeps people trapped in confusion, lost,
41:20
Speaker 1: in spiritual darkness, and right in the middle of a
41:24
Speaker 1: dark world, Jesus stood and declared, I am the light
41:28
Speaker 1: of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
41:32
Speaker 1: but will have the light of life. John eight twelve.
41:37
Speaker 1: This statement was made during the Feast of Tabernacles, when
41:41
Speaker 1: large golden lamps were lit in the temple to remind
41:44
Speaker 1: Israel of how God led them by a pillar of
41:47
Speaker 1: fire in the wilderness. In that very moment, Jesus was saying,
41:52
Speaker 1: I am the light that leads you. Follow me, and
41:56
Speaker 1: you will never be lost. This world is full of darkness.
42:01
Speaker 1: Everywhere you look. There is deception, confusion, and hopelessness. People
42:05
Speaker 1: are searching for truth, but they don't know where to
42:08
Speaker 1: find it. And Jesus still speaks, I am the light.
42:12
Speaker 1: Follow me and I will show you the way. Three.
42:18
Speaker 1: I am the Door John ten nine. In the ancient world,
42:23
Speaker 1: shepherds would bring their sheep into a pen at night,
42:26
Speaker 1: and the shepherd himself would lie across the entrance, becoming
42:29
Speaker 1: the door. No sheep could leave and no predator could
42:32
Speaker 1: enter unless they went through him. And Jesus said, I
42:36
Speaker 1: am the door. If any one enters by me, he
42:39
Speaker 1: will be saved John ten nine. He was making it
42:43
Speaker 1: clear there is only one way to salvation, not many doors,
42:47
Speaker 1: not many paths, only one. People to day want to
42:50
Speaker 1: believe that all religions lead to God, that as long
42:54
Speaker 1: as you're sincere, it doesn't matter what you believe. But
42:58
Speaker 1: Jesus never said that. He didn't say I am one
43:02
Speaker 1: of many doors. He said, I am the door. There
43:07
Speaker 1: is no other way. No one comes to the Father
43:10
Speaker 1: except through him. For I am the good Shepherd John
43:14
Speaker 1: ten eleven fourteen. A good shepherd lays down his life
43:18
Speaker 1: for his sheep. He protects them, leads them, and never
43:21
Speaker 1: abandons them. And Jesus said, I am the good shepherd.
43:26
Speaker 1: The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep
43:29
Speaker 1: John ten eleven. Religion tells people they must find their
43:33
Speaker 1: own way to God, that they must be good enough,
43:36
Speaker 1: work hard enough, earn their salvation. But Jesus says, I
43:41
Speaker 1: am the shepherd who came to rescue you. Five. I
43:45
Speaker 1: am the Resurrection and the Life John eleven, twenty five.
43:50
Speaker 1: Lazarus had been dead for four days. The mourners had
43:53
Speaker 1: lost hope, and in that moment of grief, Jesus looked
43:56
Speaker 1: at Martha and declared, I am the Resurrection and the Life.
44:01
Speaker 1: Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he
44:05
Speaker 1: live John eleven twenty five. And then with a single command,
44:11
Speaker 1: Lazarus come out. He proved his words were true. Death
44:15
Speaker 1: is not the end for those who are in Christ.
44:18
Speaker 1: He is the resurrection, he is the Life. Six. I
44:23
Speaker 1: am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John fourteen six.
44:28
Speaker 1: The disciples were troubled. Jesus had told them he was leaving,
44:31
Speaker 1: and they didn't understand. Thomas asked, Lord, we don't know
44:35
Speaker 1: where you are going. How can we know the way.
44:39
Speaker 1: And Jesus replied, us am the Way, the Truth, and
44:42
Speaker 1: the Life. No one comes to the Father except through
44:45
Speaker 1: me John fourteen six. This was an exclusive statement. He
44:51
Speaker 1: didn't say he was away a truth or a life.
44:54
Speaker 1: He said thee No one else, no other name, no
44:58
Speaker 1: other path. I am the true Vine John fifteen one five.
45:11
Speaker 1: In the Old Testament, Israel was often referred to as
45:14
Speaker 1: a vine, but they had failed to bear fruit, and
45:17
Speaker 1: now Jesus was saying, I am the true vine. The
45:21
Speaker 1: only way to have true life, true growth, and true
45:24
Speaker 1: purpose is to remain in him. I am the vine.
45:28
Speaker 1: You are the branches If you remain in me and
45:31
Speaker 1: I in you, you will bear much fruit John fifteen five.
45:36
Speaker 1: Without him, we can do nothing. Jesus wasn't just making
45:40
Speaker 1: poetic statements. He was declaring his divinity. The Jewish leaders
45:45
Speaker 1: understood what he meant. That's why they tried to stone him.
45:49
Speaker 1: That's why they wanted him silenced. And today the world
45:53
Speaker 1: still reacts the same way. Some hear his words and surrender,
45:57
Speaker 1: Others reject him, picking up their own stone wounds of
46:00
Speaker 1: doubt and rebellion. But the truth remains. Jesus is I am.
46:05
Speaker 1: He is everything we need, and he still asks the
46:08
Speaker 1: question who do you say that I am? Because how
46:12
Speaker 1: you answer that question determines your eternity. Jesus had spent
46:16
Speaker 1: his entire ministry revealing who he truly was. He had
46:20
Speaker 1: healed the sick, cast out demons, calmed storms with a word.
46:25
Speaker 1: He had walked on water, raised the dead, and taught
46:29
Speaker 1: with an authority that left people in awe. But the
46:32
Speaker 1: moment he declared before Abraham was I am, everything changed.
46:39
Speaker 1: This was not just another lesson, This was not just
46:42
Speaker 1: another miracle. This was the moment where Jesus drew a
46:46
Speaker 1: line in the sand. Either he was God or he
46:50
Speaker 1: was a blasphemer, and that truth demanded a response. The
46:54
Speaker 1: Pharisees understood exactly what he was claiming. That's why they
46:58
Speaker 1: reacted so violently. They could not ignore Jesus. They had
47:02
Speaker 1: to make a choice worship him or kill him, and
47:06
Speaker 1: they chose to pick up stones. But here's the thing.
47:08
Speaker 1: We face the same choice today because Jesus is still
47:13
Speaker 1: asking the same question, who do you say that I
47:16
Speaker 1: am Matthew sixteen fifteen, not, Who do people say I am? Not?
47:21
Speaker 1: Who does your church say I am? Not? Who does
47:24
Speaker 1: society say I am? Who do you say that I am?
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Speaker 1: Because if Jesus is truly I am, then that changes everything.
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Speaker 1: It means he is God and we are not. It
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Speaker 1: means he has the authority to rule over our lives.
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Speaker 1: It means he is not just an option. He is
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Speaker 1: the only way, and that means we can't stay neutral.
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Speaker 1: Look at how people responded to Jesus throughout history. Some
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Speaker 1: like Peter, fell to their knees and declared, you are
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Speaker 1: the Messiah, the son of the Living God. Matthew sixteen sixteen,
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Speaker 1: like Thomas, after doubting, finally realize the truth and cried
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Speaker 1: out my Lord and my God, John twenty twenty eight.
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Speaker 1: But others, like the Pharisees, hardened their hearts and picked
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Speaker 1: up stones, and to day the world still responds in
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Speaker 1: the same ways. Some people surrender their lives to him.
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Speaker 1: They worship him, They build their entire existence around him.
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Speaker 1: Others reject him, They mock him, they try to erase
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Speaker 1: him from history. And then there are those in the middle,
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Speaker 1: the ones who don't want to pick up stones but
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Speaker 1: also don't want to bow, the ones who say, I
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Speaker 1: respect Jesus, but I don't need to follow him. But
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Speaker 1: Jesus never gave us that option. You can't call him
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Speaker 1: a great teacher if you ignore his teachings. You can't
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Speaker 1: call him a wise man. If you reject his wisdom,
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Speaker 1: you can't call him a prophet. If you refuse to
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Speaker 1: listen to his words. You must choose, because if Jesus
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Speaker 1: is I am, then he is not just a part
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Speaker 1: of your life. He is your life. This means he
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Speaker 1: is not just someone you acknowledge on Sundays. He is
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Speaker 1: not just someone you pray to when you need something.
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Speaker 1: He is not just a name you use in emergencies.
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Speaker 1: He is L O, R D and If he is Lord,
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Speaker 1: then that means one, we must fully surrender to him.
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Speaker 1: If Jesus is truly I Am, then we don't get
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Speaker 1: to live. However, we want our lives belong to him.
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Speaker 1: Our dreams, our plans, our future, all of it must
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Speaker 1: be placed in his hands. This is why Jesus said,
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Speaker 1: whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
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Speaker 1: take up their cross daily and follow me Luke nine
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Speaker 1: twenty three. Following Jesus is not about convenience. It's about surrender.
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Speaker 1: It means saying, Lord, my life is yours. Whatever you want,
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Speaker 1: wherever you lead, I will follow, and let's be honest.
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Speaker 1: This is where many people struggle, because most of us
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Speaker 1: want Jesus as savior, but not as Lord. We want
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Speaker 1: him to forgive our sins, but we don't want him
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Speaker 1: to change our lives. But Jesus never separates salvation from surrender.
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Speaker 1: If he is I Am, then he deserves everything. Two,
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Speaker 1: we must worship him as the only true God. The
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Speaker 1: Pharisees refuse to worship Jesus because they couldn't accept that
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Speaker 1: he was God, but many people today do the same thing.
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Speaker 1: They acknowledge Jesus as a great man, but they don't
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Speaker 1: worship him as the God. They say he was a
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Speaker 1: wise teacher, but they don't bow before him as king
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Speaker 1: of kings. But if Jesus is truly I Am, then
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Speaker 1: that means he is not just one way to God.
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Speaker 1: He is the only way. No one comes to the
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Speaker 1: Father except through me John fourteen six. This means that
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Speaker 1: every knee will bow before him, whether willingly in this
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Speaker 1: life or unwillingly in the next, at the name of Jesus.
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Speaker 1: Every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and
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Speaker 1: under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ
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Speaker 1: is Lord Philippians two ten to eleven. If he is Lord,
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Speaker 1: then he deserves our highest worship, not just in church
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Speaker 1: but in our everyday lives, not just in songs, but
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Speaker 1: in our obedience, not just in words, but in action.
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Speaker 1: Three we must obey him completely. If Jesus is I Am,
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Speaker 1: then he is not just our savior. He is our king.
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Speaker 1: And a king is not someone you take advice from
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Speaker 1: when it's convenient. A king is someone you obey. Why
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Speaker 1: do you call me lord Lord and do not do
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Speaker 1: what I say? Luke six forty six. This means we
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Speaker 1: don't get to pick and choose which of Jesus commands
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Speaker 1: we follow. If he says forgive, we forgive. If he
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Speaker 1: says love your enemies, we love. If he says live
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Speaker 1: in holiness, we walk in holiness. Too many people treat
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Speaker 1: Jesus words like suggestions instead of commands. But if he
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Speaker 1: is truly I Am, then we must follow him completely.
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Speaker 1: Four We must proclaim him to the world. If Jesus
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Speaker 1: is I Am, then he is the answer to everything.
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Speaker 1: He is the only hope for a lost world, and
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Speaker 1: that means we can't keep this truth to ourselves. We
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Speaker 1: must boldly declare who he is, not just in church,
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Speaker 1: but in our families, not just among believers, but in
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Speaker 1: a world that is dying without him. The world wants
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Speaker 1: to silence Jesus. His name is being removed from schools,
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Speaker 1: from government, from culture. Society wants a version of Jesus
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Speaker 1: that is weak, that is silent, that is just another
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Speaker 1: ris religious figure. But we cannot be silent. We must
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Speaker 1: stand for truth even when it's unpopular. We must share
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Speaker 1: the Gospel even when it's uncomfortable. We must proclaim that
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Speaker 1: Jesus is Lord, because one day every knee will bow
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Speaker 1: before him. The Pharisees made their choice. They picked up stones.
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Speaker 1: They rejected him. What about you, Because if Jesus is
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Speaker 1: truly I Am, then ignoring him is not an option.
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Speaker 1: You must surrender, You must worship, you must obey, you
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Speaker 1: must proclaim, because one day every person will stand before him,
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Speaker 1: and in that moment, there will only be one question
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Speaker 1: that matters. Did you bow before him in this life
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Speaker 1: or will you be forced to bow before him in
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Speaker 1: the next. Because Jesus is not just a historical figure.
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Speaker 1: He is I Am. He is God, and he is
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Speaker 1: calling you to himself. The moment Jesus declared before Abraham
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Speaker 1: was I Am, the choice became clear. Either worship him
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Speaker 1: or reject him. There was no middle ground. The Pharisees
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Speaker 1: made their choice. They picked up stones. They refuse to bow,
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Speaker 1: refuse to surrender, refuse to believe. And today that same
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Speaker 1: choice stands before us because Jesus is not just a teacher,
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Speaker 1: not just a prophet, not just a religious figure. He
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Speaker 1: is God. He is I Am. He is the Alpha
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Speaker 1: and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the one
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Speaker 1: who was, and is and is to come. And if
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Speaker 1: we truly believe that, then he is worthy of everything.
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Speaker 1: So right now, wherever you are, this is your moment,
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Speaker 1: a moment to lay everything down at his feet, a
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Speaker 1: moment to acknowledge him, not just with your words, but
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Speaker 1: with your whole life. Because one day every knee will
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Speaker 1: bow before him. But the time to bow and surrender
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Speaker 1: is now. Let's pray. Father, I come bef for you,
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Speaker 1: knowing that I am nothing without you. You alone are
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Speaker 1: the eternal I am. You alone are the source of life,
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Speaker 1: the creator, the one who holds all things together. And
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Speaker 1: yet in your mercy you came for me. You step
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Speaker 1: down from glory, wrap yourself in human flesh, and revealed
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Speaker 1: yourself to us. Jesus, I believe you are the great
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Speaker 1: I am. I believe you are not just a man,
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Speaker 1: not just a teacher, but God in the flesh you
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Speaker 1: were before all things. You are the same God who
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Speaker 1: spoke to Moses at the burning Bush, the same God
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Speaker 1: who led Israel through the wilderness, the same God who
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Speaker 1: formed the universe by your word. And yet you chose
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Speaker 1: to humble yourself, to walk among us, to suffer, to
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Speaker 1: be rejected, and to die for my sins. Forgive me, Lord,
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Speaker 1: for every time I have treated you as less than
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Speaker 1: who you are. Forgive me for every time I have
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Speaker 1: made you small in my heart, for every time I
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Speaker 1: have placed other things above you, For every time I
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Speaker 1: have acted like you were just another part of my
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Speaker 1: life instead of the center of my life. To day,
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Speaker 1: I surrender completely. I lay everything down, my pride, my fears,
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Speaker 1: my plans, my desires. I give you my heart, I
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Speaker 1: give you my future. I give you my whole life.
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Speaker 1: Because you are worthy, because you are God, because you
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Speaker 1: are I am Jesus. Take your rightful place in my life.
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Speaker 1: Be my Lord, not just in name, but in reality.
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Speaker 1: Be my king. Rule over my heart, my thoughts, my actions.
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Speaker 1: Let every part of my life reflect who you are.
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Speaker 1: Let my worship be real, Let my obedience be true.
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Speaker 1: Let my surrender be total and Father. I pray not
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Speaker 1: just for myself, but for every person hearing this prayer.
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Speaker 1: I pray for the one who has doubted you, the
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Speaker 1: one who has resisted you, the one who has been
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Speaker 1: running from you. Lord. Open their eyes, Let them see
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Speaker 1: you for who you truly are. Let them recognize that
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Speaker 1: you are the Great. I am the only Savior, the
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Speaker 1: only way, the only truth, the only life. Break every
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Speaker 1: chain that holds them back. Tear down every lie that
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Speaker 1: keeps them from you. Let to day be the day
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Speaker 1: they stop fighting and start surrendering, the day they stop
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Speaker 1: picking up stones and start bowing before you, the day
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Speaker 1: they stop running and finally come home. Jesus, I declare
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Speaker 1: that you are Lord, not just with my lips, but
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Speaker 1: with my life. I will follow you. I will worship you,
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Speaker 1: I will proclaim you because you alone are God. And
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Speaker 1: no matter what this world says, no matter how many
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Speaker 1: reject you, I will stand for you. I will not
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Speaker 1: be ashamed of your name. I will not be silent
57:56
Speaker 1: about who you are because I know that one day
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Speaker 1: every knee will bow before you, and I choose to
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Speaker 1: bow now, willingly, joyfully, fully surrendered. So take my life, Lord,
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Speaker 1: take my heart, take everything, because you are I am,
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Speaker 1: and you are worthy in Jesus name. O men, if
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Speaker 1: you just prayed that prayer, this is not the end.
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Speaker 1: It is the beginning, because following Jesus is not just
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Speaker 1: a one time moment. It is a lifetime of surrender,
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Speaker 1: a lifetime of choosing Him every single day. And some
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Speaker 1: of you know exactly what God is calling you to
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Speaker 1: do next. Maybe it's letting go of a sin that
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Speaker 1: has kept you in chains. Maybe it's forgiving someone you've
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Speaker 1: been holding bitterness against. Maybe it's stepping out in faith
58:46
Speaker 1: and fully committing your life to Christ. Whatever it is,
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Speaker 1: don't wait, don't hesitate, surrender fully right now. And if
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Speaker 1: this message has spoken to you, don't keep it to yourself.
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Speaker 1: Someone in your life needs to hear them truth. Someone
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Speaker 1: is struggling to understand who Jesus really is. Someone is
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Speaker 1: searching for answers. Share this message. Let God use you
59:09
Speaker 1: to reach someone else. If you'd like this video to
59:12
Speaker 1: be turned into an ebook, let us know in the comments.
59:15
Speaker 1: And if this message has opened your eyes, like and
59:18
Speaker 1: share it so more people can understand the true identity
59:22
Speaker 1: of Jesus. And don't stop here. We have created in
59:26
Speaker 1: depth explanation videos for every book of the Bible to
59:30
Speaker 1: help you go deeper in your faith. Check out our
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Speaker 1: other videos. We've covered powerful topics that will transform the
59:37
Speaker 1: way you see God's word. Because in the end, this
59:42
Speaker 1: is what it all comes down to. He is either
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Speaker 1: Lord of all or not Lord at all. And for
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Speaker 1: those who choose him, those who surrender fully, those who
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Speaker 1: refuse to turn back, an eternal reward is waiting. So
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Speaker 1: stay strong, stay faithful and never stop saying yes to Jesus.
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Speaker 1: Stay blessed,