GOD’S CALLING CARD by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: This is our third message in our Christmas series “BELIEVING IS SEEING.” When you believe in Jesus, He becomes real and you can see Him everywhere in Scripture, history, and our own lives. Today’s message is titled – “GOD’S CALLING CARD.”
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Bridge: Many of you carry calling cards or business cards with you. They have your name, your contact information, and your capacity/stature on them. You give them out when you meet a potential client or someone you want to connect with in the future. What happens to those calling cards or business cards? It depends. If there’s a genuine connection or if they need a favor or if there’s a definite need, they keep your card. If not, they chunk it. God also has a calling card and it also has his name, his contact information, and his capacity/stature. He is constantly giving it out to every human being. Unfortunately, many people don’t see its significance and they chunk it.
Context: In this series we are examining what Jesus meant when He told His opponents “Moses wrote about Me.” The question is – how and where did Moses mention Jesus in the Old Testament? Last weekend we learned that where grace and truth come together, there Moses wrote about Jesus. What we’ll learn in this message is that when Jesus came into this world he gave his calling card with his name, position, and contact information. When you study that calling card carefully, it looks very much like the calling card Moses gave for God in the book of Exodus 33-34. The font is a little different. The information is in a different order. It has a few smudges on it because of time but it is identical!
Question: What have you done with God’s calling card? Let’s get more specific – what have you done with Jesus’ calling card? “Oh, I don’t remember getting it…” Every person in this world at some point has an encounter with God/Jesus and receives his calling card. Unfortunately, many never see any need for him in their lives and they chunk it. How about you? Someone might say, “I don’t even know what it looks like…” We will examine it today. But here’s the question – “When you find it, what will you do with it?” Are you willing to be saved?
Let’s look at what God/Jesus’ calling card looks like. We’ll begin with the calling card in the Gospel of John and then go back to the calling card Moses presented:
I. RECOGNIZE THE PATTERN OF THE CALLING CARD
Background: The pattern for God’s calling card is found in the Gospel of John chapter one. John introduces us to Jesus, not as the baby who was born in Bethlehem but as the Word who was in the beginning – 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then in verse 10 he gives us the initial reaction of the world to the coming of Jesus – “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” Meaning: Even though the world was a creation of Jesus, it failed to recognize its Creator. Verse 11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Meaning: This was not just some innocent failure to recognize but a deliberate act of rebellion and rejection.
Listen carefully – We don’t seek after God. God seeks after us. Even when we go seeking after God, it’s because He has first come to us and given us his calling card. What does it look like?
- The first thing on the calling card is the NAME of Jesus.
12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” Have you ever seen a calling card without a name, just a phone number or an email? So also Jesus’ calling card had His name on it – “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Emmanuel (God with us), Jesus (God Saves), Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, the Lamb of God, and the list goes on and on.
What’s next?
- The second thing on the calling card is the CONTACT INFORMATION of Jesus.
13 “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” Have you ever seen a calling card with no contact info? So also Jesus’ calling card had his contact info. He “dwelt among us” means “He has set up a branch in your area, where you can easily reach Him.” Have you ever try to reach a business or a service only to find out that they don’t serve your region? Jesus is in your location. Anyone, anywhere, anytime can call on Him.
- The third thing on the calling card is the CAPACITY/STATURE of Jesus.
14 “…and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…” Have you ever seen a calling card that only has a person’s name and contact information but nothing else about him or his services? Listen to what was on Jesus’ calling card – “we beheld His glory.” “Glory” implies that “He is powerful.” How powerful? the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…” As powerful as God the Father himself! He can do anything and everything. What does He offer? “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” We looked at those two last weekend.
Listen to what the sales rep John the Baptist had to say about him in verse 15 “…This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” Meaning: You don’t need me anymore. The boss is here. 18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Meaning: This is none other than the owner Himself!
Application: What have you done with the calling card of Jesus? Have you chunked it or have you called upon him? Do you realize how much you need his services in your life? Do you realize that you cannot circumvent him? He is the Boss, the Savior.
II. COMPARE THE ORIGINAL CALLING CARD
Background: Let me begin by giving you the context in which Moses handed God’s calling card to the people of Israel in the Book of Exodus. You remember the time when Moses was on top of Mount Sinai with God and the children of Israel had intimidated Aaron into making a golden calf for them. God was furious with them and wanted to destroy them but Moses interceded for them. Even though many died, God agreed to again lead his people. But Moses needed assurance from God that He would still lead them. Listen to Exodus 33 12 Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, “Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” What Moses is asking for is God’s calling card. He is asking for God’s assurance that He will not abandon His people when they sin against him again and make him mad. God promises him in 14 “…My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Now Moses makes an unusual request in verse 18 “…Please, show me Your glory.” God agrees but warns him that he cannot see his face and live.
Now comes the moment for God’s original calling card in Exodus 34. The order may be different but all the elements on the two cards are identical:
First thing on the original calling card is the CAPACITY/STATURE of God. Exodus 34:5 “Now the LORD descended in the cloud…” That is God’s glory. It is the visible presence of how powerful and capable He is. God had to veil His glory because no one, including Moses, could see it and live.
Second thing on the original calling card is the CONTACT INFORMATION of God. Exodus 34:5 “…and stood with him there…” Just like Jesus came and “dwelt among us,” so also God came down and stood with Moses. Meaning: God set up a meeting place with the people of Israel.
Third thing on the original calling is the NAME OF GOD. Exodus 34 5 “…and proclaimed the name of the LORD. Just the way those who heard the name of Jesus and believed in Him, so also Moses and the people of Israel heard the name of Jesus – 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” What a long and powerful name! Again, did you notice how it is full of grace and truth?!!
The point is this – How do we know Moses wrote about Jesus? Look at the calling card Jesus gave and the calling card of God that Moses gave. They are identical! They guy in the mailroom cannot walk around with calling card of the president of the company. Even the vice-president cannot walk around with the calling card of the president of the company. Only the president of the company can. Everyone else is an imposter. You have to decide if Jesus was an imposter or is He who He said He is – God come to dwell among us in all His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Invitation: The calling card is in your hand. Are you going to make the call? Or will you reject him and chunk his card in the trashcan? Who is Jesus to you? If you’ve never asked Jesus to be your Savior, today is the day. Make the call. He is waiting to come to you. If you are saved, when was the last time you called on Him? The king of kings has given you his personal calling card. What is keeping you from calling on him
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