Grace Church
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Burlington, WI 53105

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His Name is Mighty God: He’s the strength for my weakness sIsaiah 9:6 His Name Is… Sermon #5 Are Mormons Christians? One of the side issues of this presidential election that’s gotten a lot of buzz is about Mitt Romney’s faith. In case you haven’t been staying up on the election, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president is a Mormon, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints.   Some have compared Romney’s Mormonism to John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism. To disarm his “Catholic problem,” JFK gave what is now a famous speech to Houston's Protestant ministers in 1960. And it worked because Kennedy could be honest about his lack of interest in religion. His Catholic label helped him win Catholic votes, but he was a secular liberal by belief, not a Catholic. He could honestly say, "the church does not speak for me." Furthermore, Washington reporters familiar with Kennedy's womanizing knew he was not faithful to his wife, so they believed his vow that he would not be faithful to his church. But Mitt Romney is a former Mormon bishop and stake president (a stake is like a diocese). By all accounts he’s faithful to his wife and to his church. On Dec. 6th he said, "I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers—I will be true to them and to my beliefs." That means while he pledges not to take orders from top Mormon leaders, he doesn't have to: his faith is imbedded in him.   Personally, I don’t have a problem with the fact that Romney is a Mormon. I believe that a lost person can be a good president and that a born-again Christian can be a lousy one. What greatly troubled me in all of this though were the comments by Pastor Joel Osteen on Romney’s Mormonism. Most of you have seen Joel Osteen on TV. You may even own one of his books. Recently, the pastor of the nation's largest church, approximately 47,000 people each weekend in a renovated former NBA arena, offered his take on Mormonism.   Two days before Christmas Joel Osteen made an appearance on Fox News Sunday with host Chris Wallace, where he was asked about the role of religion in politics. More specifically, Osteen was asked about the Mormon faith, and whether a Mormon could be classified as "a true Christian." Let me quote Joel Osteen, “In my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his Savior, and that's what I believe. I'm not the one to judge the little details of [Romney's religion], so I believe [Mormons are Christians] and Mitt Romney seems like a man of character and integrity to me.” When asked about specifics of the Mormon faith, such as the gold tablets allegedly found by Joseph Smith with the so-called "new revelation" from God, and the belief that humans can become gods, Osteen said he didn’t know enough about Mormonism’s beliefs to comment. Then, he said, “I certainly can't say that I agree with everything that I've heard about it. But from what I've heard from Mitt, when he says that Christ is his Savior, to me that's a common bond.” Joel Osteen is dead wrong! Mormons deny both the deity of Christ and the Trinity. Mormonism is a cult and they are not Christians. Who Jesus Christ is is fundamental to our faith!   Please turn again to Isaiah 9:6 (p. 489). “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus Christ is the Mighty God. He’s the omnipotent God-man because He’s God in the flesh. And because He is the Mighty God: He’s the strength for my weakness. If you’re taking notes then… 1. Jesus Christ is God. Suppose this evening that President Bush appeared on all the major networks and proclaimed that "I am God Almighty. I have the power to forgive sin. I have the authority to raise my life back from the dead." If that happened, he’d quickly and quietly be pulled off the air, led away and replaced by Vice President Cheney. Anyone who would make such a claim would have to be a lunatic or a liar, unless He truly was God.   When Jesus walked this earth, the people of His day suggested the type of person He really was. One truly impossible answer was first suggested by the people of Jerusalem. John 7:12 records for us that they said on one occasion, "He is a good man." But whatever else Jesus Christ might be, He certainly cannot merely be just a good man. No good man can honestly make the claims that He made. Jesus put Himself forward as the Savior of the human race, claiming to be God, and therefore able to save...but is He? If that's true, then He is obviously more than just a mere man. If not, then He is at best self-deluded (and consequently, not "good) and at worst a diabolical deceiver. We can’t escape His own personal claims to who He was. C.S. Lewis wrote "You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool; you can spit on Him and kill Him for a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that [option] open to us. He did not intend to." Liberal theologians would have us to believe that Jesus was a good man, a great moral teacher, but that’s the one impossible option that’s not open to us.   Since He is God, He deserves our faith, love, obedience, service, and worship. To reject Christ is to reject God, and to reject God is to reject life. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (Jn 3:36).   "After six years given to the impartial investigation of Christianity," wrote General Lew Wallace, author of Ben Hur, "as to its truth or falsity, I have come to the deliberate conclusion that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Jews, the Savior of the world, and my personal Savior." Jesus is Lord. Isaiah says that He is the Mighty God. What do you say? 2. Jesus Christ is the Mighty God. On one occasion Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, was flying to one of his engagements. Muhammad Ali’s name has never been synonymous with humility. During the flight the aircraft ran into foul weather and mild to moderate turbulence began to toss it about. The passengers were accordingly instructed to fasten their seatbelts immediately. Everyone complied but Muhammad Ali. Noticing this, the flight attendant approached him and requested that he observe the captain’s order, only to hear Ali audaciously respond, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” The flight attendant didn’t miss a beat and replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane either.”   The history of mankind has been the story of discovering and using power. First it was manpower, then horsepower, then steam power, and now atomic power. Each step has enriched mankind materially and financially but it’s doubtful that we’re any richer spiritually. Man, though able to harness the powers of the universe, can’t control himself. He’s still a weakling when it comes to the things that matter most. But that’s not Jesus Christ. He’s the Mighty God.   a) He reveals His power in nature. What a paradox that a babe in a manger should be called mighty! Yet even as a baby, Jesus Christ revealed power. His birth affected the heavens as that star appeared. The star affected the Magi and they left their homes and made that long journey to Jerusalem. Their announcement shook King Herod and his court. Jesus' birth brought angels from heaven and simple shepherds from their flocks on the hillside. Midnight became midday as the glory of the Lord appeared to men. We also see the mighty power of Jesus Christ in the creation of the universe. “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Obviously, then, Jesus Himself was not created since He made everything that was made. No statement in Scripture puts it more majestically than Hebrews 1:1-3, turn there (p. 846). The Apostle Paul concurs with this statement. Turn to Colossians 1:15-16 (p. 833). What mystery, the Creator becomes a creature! He who fills all things becomes an infant in a cattle stall! The mighty God!   b) He reveals His power in history. The Bethlehem promise tells us this, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). The entire Old Testament history is the story of His interaction. As Dr. A. T. Pierson used to put it, "History is His-story." No matter where you turn in the Old Testament record, you find Jesus Christ. “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day;” said Jesus to the Jewish leaders, “he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Moses accomplished what he did because “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Heb. 11:26). Before conquering the city of Jericho, Joshua met Jesus one night and bowed before Him in worship (Joshua 5:13-15). The three Hebrew children walked with Him in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24, 25). No wonder the Lord Jesus was able to teach those discouraged road to Emmaus disciples from the Old Testament, for it records His coming and purpose, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). The mighty God!   c) He reveals His power through His miracles. When Jesus was here on earth, He revealed himself as "the mighty God" by the miracles He performed. The very accomplishment of these works was evidence of His deity and left the witnesses without excuse. Matthew 11:20 records for us, “Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.” His fellow countrymen marveled “that even such mighty works are done by His hands” (Mark 6:2). And yet they failed to trust him. “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:5-6). His enemies argued that His power came from Satan; but that was only an evasion of facts, and He quickly demolished their argument. “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” (Matt. 2:26). The mighty God!   d) He reveals His power through His death & resurrection. Of course, the greatest act of power that He performed involved His death and resurrection. Paul prayed that we might know “His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:19, 20). God the Father raised Jesus from the dead “freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him” (Acts 2:24). Not only did the Father raise Jesus from the dead, but Jesus raised Himself from the dead! Speaking of His life Jesus said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).   This miracle, of course, is centered in His work of redemption. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). His resurrection guarantees our redemption. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Jesus Christ is the mighty God! 3. What does this fact that Jesus Christ is the mighty God mean to us today? Remember when you were in high school and you had to take some required classes and you had no idea WHY you were taking them? Many a kid has asked, “What in the world will I ever do with Algebra?” We know that having that background increases options for a young person and is part of a well-rounded education. But to be honest, I can’t remember ever using Algebra…other than trying to figure it out to help my kids with their homework. More often than not, the first words out of my mouth were, “Go ask your Mother!”   So what’s the importance of the name Mighty God to believers today? What a loss it would be if we saw this as something like Algebra or little more than Spiritual Trivial Pursuit. In the midst of evidence that shows Christ to be the Mighty God, it’s important to remember that this is more than just theological data. It’s divinely inspired evidence that urges us to see and respond to Christ as He is, our "Mighty God."   a) He is the source of our power. Turn to Acts 1:8 (p. 770). In this passage Jesus promised to send the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be His representatives in all the world. Inherent to this provision of the Spirit is the fact that He wants us to live distinguishable lives and to be His representatives in an impure world as evidence of His presence in us.   In The Silver Chair, the 6th book in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, a girl named Jill walks into an opening in the forest. She’s very thirsty, and not far away she sees a stream of cool, clear water. But instead of rushing forward to drink, she hesitates in fear. Because lying there on the ground, next to the stream, is a huge lion; Aslan, the Christ figure. As she ponders what to do, he speaks: "Are you not thirsty?" said the lion. "I’m dying of thirst," said Jill. "Then drink," said the Lion. "May I -- could I -- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill. The lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. "Will you promise not to -- do anything to me, if I do come? Said Jill. "I make no promise," said the Lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. "Do you eat girls? she said. "I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. "I daren’t come and drink," said Jill. "Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion. "Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then." "There is no other stream," said the Lion. Jesus Christ as the Mighty God is the only source of our strength.   Remember Paul wrote, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). What a great promise! Jesus Christ will strengthen us for all the circumstances and all the inevitabilities of life. This doesn't mean that we will never know pain or hardship, but that we, by His might, can endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. How can we do that? Only as we do it in His power, not in our own.   b) He transforms our weaknesses into strengths. I read about a woman who telephoned a friend and asked how she was feeling, "Terrible," came the reply, "my head’s splitting and my back and legs are killing me. The house is a mess, and the kids are simply driving me crazy." Very sympathetically the caller said, "Listen, go and lie down, I’ll come over right away and cook lunch for you, clean up the house, and take care of the children while you get some rest. By the way, how is Sam?" “Sam?" the complaining housewife gasped. "My husband’s name isn’t Sam." "My heavens," exclaimed the first woman, "I must have dialed the wrong number." There was a very long pause. "Are you still coming over?" the harried mother asked hopefully.   There are times we all feel like we’re tired and worn out. We take some time to rest or sleep and that helps to refresh us and restore our strength. But what do we do when we’re spiritually tired and worn out? What do we do when the fire of our faith is all but burnt out? Jesus promises us in 2 Cor. 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” God intervenes in our weakness and He loves to do that, because then He gets all the glory. Where are you feeling the most weak today? That’s where the mighty God wants to intervene in your life.   c) He secures our eternity. Peter wrote that we are "kept by the power of God" (1 Pet. 1:5). Nothing can overcome the divine power that keeps us in Christ. What a great assurance it is to know that we are not secure because of our own strength to hold on to Him, but because of His power by which He holds on to us. Nothing can pull us out of His hand. We’re safe and secure in the hand of our Mighty God. Periodically, folk will talk of a sure thing. There are no sure things but there is true security with Jesus Christ. Conclusion: The Lord Jesus Christ is the Mighty God. Think of it! We can be strengthened with all power! And this power is according to His glorious might! Let’s be honest, we have no problem believing that Jesus Christ is almighty, but to believe that that the almighty power of God is available to us through Jesus Christ – that’s a lot more difficult to believe.   Too often we’re like the woman who lived in a remote valley in the country of Wales. When electricity was first made available to that rural area, one of the first customers was a young woman with a large family. She went to a great deal of trouble to have electrical power installed in her home. However, the electric company soon noticed that the woman was using a very small amount of electricity each month and, suspecting a problem with the installed equipment, sent a repairman to check the meter. After a close inspection, the worker found that the equipment was installed properly. Confused, he knocked on the front door to give his report to the lady of the house. "We’ve inspected the meter which seems to be working properly. The only thing I can figure out is that you are not using the power that is available to you. Don’t you use any electricity?" the repairman asked. "Oh yes," she said. "We turn it on every night to see how to light our kerosene lamps and then we switch it off again."   God’s power---ALL of His power---is available to us! If we would but grab hold of that fact alone, it could revolutionize our lives. Instead, our hearts are filled with doubt instead of faith. We live life under our influence and with our strength alone. We see only man-powered religious activities, when all along what God wants us to experience a holy, on-the-road-to-Damascus experience with Him! If we truly know and abide in Him, "God things" should be the norm. Ministry done in our own human power is consuming and futile. Ministry done in God’s power is truly powerful and life changing. God has provided all we need. We just need to tap into His power. He has provided salvation for us and also the power to live the life to which He has called us.   The great Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard points out that our Mighty God is even more wonderful and powerful as our Redeemer than He is as our Creator. He says, “God creates out of nothing. Wonderful, you say. Yes, to be sure, but He does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners.”   You and I can trust the Mighty God Who holds His universe in the palm of His hand and makes saints out of sinners to care for us. Charles Simeon of Cambridge was one of the great evangelical scholars and leaders of the Church of England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His biographer shares with us the comfort that Almighty God gave Charles Simeon on his death bed. “After a short pause, he looked round with one of his bright smiles and asked, ‘What do you think especially gives me comfort at this time? The creation! Did God create the world, or did I? I think He did; now if He made the world, He can sufficiently take care of me!’”     The Mighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ Who made the world and can sufficiently take care of you and me today and for all eternity!