LIONS Part 1: Jesus The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah!

the Bible is the Word of God just hold the Bible in your hand and let's make this confession together I thank you Father that your word has the power to change my life today I give heat to it I allow it to go into my ears then into my mind and then into my spirit I'm a hearer of the word and a doer of the word and I'll never be the same after today in Jesus name Amen you may be seated revelation chapter 5 verse 5 but one of the elders said to me do not weep behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals now we could but we're not going to spend time today talking about the seven seals and and his being the root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and there's a lot of great teaching in that that we could get into but what I want to talk about today is where it says do not weep because behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah refers to Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah not the squirrel not the rabbit he's not the hamster of the tribe of Judah he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and it's important that we see Jesus this way because us in our society we've been taught to see Jesus sort of in a different light first of all it kind of starts this at Christmastime with Jesus is a little baby lying in a manger for many people that's the only Jesus that we see or we encounter at Christmas time you know we get the whole nativity scene of the little Jesus in the manger and and so we get that we get that part then Easter time we get Jesus there's poor Jesus that's been whipped and beaten and now he's hanging on a cross and he's bleeding and he's dying so Jesus doesn't look really triumphant in the cradle and he doesn't look very triumphant on the cross but the reason that the Bible calls Jesus the Lion of Judah first of all is because Jesus conquered death hell and the grave when he rose from the dead and he is our conquering King Jesus is there are a couple of things I want to talk about this morning when we're talking about Jesus as a lion again he's not the squirrel he's not the elephant he's not the giraffe of the tribe of Judah any other animals that we could name he's referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and there are a couple of characteristics of lions that I want to talk with you about today that apply especially to Jesus as our Lion of the tribe of Judah Lion of the family of God the Lion of the Church of God and in fact the Magnificent champion of our lives first of all he's our provider lions are the only big cats that live in families they're called prides of course and animals are strong providers the book of Nahum chapter two it says this where is the dwelling of the Lions in the feeding place of the young lions where the lion walked the lioness and the Lions cub and no one made them afraid the lion touring peace is enough for his Cubs he killed for his lioness filled his caves with prey and his dens with flesh this bible scripture even refers to a Lions ability to provide for the pride or to provide for his family if you will in Genesis chapter 22 verse 14 we begin to catch a glimpse in the Bible of Jesus's ability to provide Abraham is going up on Mount Moriah to make a sacrifice and he doesn't have a sacrifice and he needs one desperately because his son is going up on the mountain with him and his son doesn't know it yet but I've heard Abraham is actually consider considering sacrificing his son as a sacrifice to God not that he wants to do that but he gets up there on top of Mount Moriah and it's a type when you're thinking well that's gross that he would sacrifice his son but it is actually I type God never actually intended for him to sacrifice his son but it is a type it's a reference in the Old Testament to Jesus Christ being sacrificed by his father God the Father sacrificing his only son and so they go up on Mount Moriah and when they get up there the Bible says that there's a ram that's caught in the thicket and in Genesis chapter 22 verse 14 Abraham calls the name of that place Jehovah many of us who have heard this before it's jir eh many people call it Jehovah Jireh actually in the Hebrew it's Jehovah URI or Jehovah Ouray and it means the Lord will provide Jehovah yer a God will provide is actually one of God's names God will provide is not only what God will do but it's who God is God is our provider and we can spend a lot of our life scratching and clawing trying to make ends meet trying to make things happen trying to try to make a life for our family but when we put our trust in God and what God has done for us we find out that Jesus Christ is our provider Philippians 4:19 says my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus that every need that we have is met through Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross I like the way the message Bible says that it says you can be sure that God will take care of everything you need his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus how many of you are generous do you know if you're a generous for how alright alright don't raise your hand just ask yourself this question how many of you are stingy don't raise your hand I don't we just I'm just asking you or you there's some of you that would go yeah I'm pretty I'm pretty tight yeah I'm pretty stingy yeah but how many of you are generous how many of your generous you'd like to be generous you'd like to give you like to bless people well the Bible says here that Jesus Christ likes to meet our needs God will take a bit care of everything we need his generosity exceeding exceeds even ours well let me try this how many of you know a generous person everybody here knows a generous person some of you look baffled look at me I'm a generous person now everybody knows a generous person the Bible says that Jesus Christ generosity exceeds even any generosity that we could come up with so let me ask you this what are you struggling with what are you dealing with what eats up all of your time your energy your resources the Bible says that God is Jehovah Ray he is our provider Matthew of Psalm chapter 23 verse 1 says and some of us memorized this in Sunday school it says the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 says seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God and everything else that we need will be added to us we need to seek first God's kingdom we spent our whole lives don't we chasing a dollar trying to get enough for the vacation or the cruisers sometimes trying to get enough to pay the electric bill the Bible says that if will seek first the kingdom of God and will put God first that God is going to then see that our needs are met can you say amen to that first of all he is our protector or our provider second of all he's our protector lions are fierce protectors I guess maybe I had been watching too much National Geographic Connie and I went on a went to a game reserve when we were in one of the times actually both of the times that we've been to to Swaziland we've gone to a game reserve and one of the times we went to a game reserve and they're taking us around showing us a different animal different animals and we came around a corner and I'll never forget sitting lying there next to some rocks was a pride of lions to males for females several Cubs and we drive right up to it I mean we're as closest from here to the front row aren't we which is where and we're in an open we're in a jeep that's got an open cover it's like one of those could get ticked off and just jump right up in the Jeep anytime it wanted to and we said they said no they've already eaten we said really you want to be this folks now they've already eaten so we're good and but we're that close to these lions and you could just and one if I'll never forget one of the males picked it just picked his head up and looked over at us and the look on his face said that's close enough they're fierce protectors they told the story of a young man who wanted to get a picture and the Lions were lying there and were so docile and weren't making it and they weren't quite as close as we were and so they one man wanted to get a picture and he he leaned over the Jeep and he couldn't get the picture he wanted so he stepped out of the Jeep standing right next to him one of the male lions was so fast he could not get back in the Jeep we're taught that that lion covered 25 feet in a second and they had to watch that gruesome scene why that was gross why did you tell this is sure we're not supposed to talk about stuff like that what I want you to understand is lions are fierce protectors you know we look at them in the zoo and well oh look at the little Cubs don't go near him lions are fierce protectors I actually Lions a male lion will defend the territory of his family sometimes a Lions territory I was shocked when I read this alliance territory can be as large as 100 square miles and they protect that territory with their roar they will go around the perimeter of their domain and they will roar and everybody knows there is that not to go past a certain point all the animals know not to encroach on that area I have a video I want you to watch this is short I think it's 38 seconds long but I just want you to watch this video and watch how fierce Lions are and how they seemingly are not afraid of anything especially reptiles can we watch this of the lab today the prides protected has earned his keep Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah and he is our protector I say a chapter 31 verses four through five says as a lion roars and a young lion over his prey so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and its heel like birds flying about so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem defending he will also deliver it passing over he will preserve it and as this is talking about Jerusalem but it's also talking about in general God's people he is our provider and he's also our protector unless Psalm chapter 121 the whole chapter is only out the gate verses long and it says I look up to the mountains does my help come from there my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth he will not let you stumble the one who watches over you will not slumber indeed he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps the Lord Himself watches over you the Lord stands beside you as your protective shade the Sun will not harm you by day nor the moon at night the Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life the Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go both now and forever he is our protector I know right down here at the intersection at where Burlington mill comes into capital I was I had come up there and was getting ready to pull up on Capital have you ever gotten behind somebody that just sits there and misses all these opportunities to get out in traffic is that the most irritating thing ever it's like I am in a hurry and I you know I I don't wanna do anything dangerous I'm not gonna risk anybody's life but you know I can I can see all the way from here to Tucson could we please pull out in the traffic I got me high into this yes I shouldn't say lady just person okay it was a person so I get behind this lady person and so I'm sitting there and the traffic is going by so now that's great she's just sitting there and I'm thinking I you know what but you'd be proud of me I have to be careful what I because I'm a pastor I have to be careful about what I do when I'm out because people recognize me sometimes I want to honk my horn no obscene gestures or anything I don't I'm not into that but sometimes like there you know where the and the at the times I do if Connie's in the car the times I do haunt my horn she slaps my hands stop it but they but they stop bad so I saw I didn't know if my horn but I'm sitting there and I'm going to get out in traffic really wanted to get out and try and and this lady's just sitting there so finally we get into the trap and the the last one was the worst one it's like okay but it could have gone there we could have gone there okay here we go here we go here we and this was a this was a big opening this is a big opening I'm just like you know horn to horn or not to horn that is the question and I I just you know do I what I do is so finally she pulls out in traffic and I pulled out behind her but not another not another car for miles of course and we're driving up that we're driving up capital it happens right here we're driving up capital and here comes this black SUV careening from that side of the highway over across our side of the highway in front of her across our side of the highway and over the bank and I calculated in my head and realized not the first time not the second time but the third time when I was just super impatient had she pulled out in traffic and I pulled out behind her that black SUV would have careened right into my lane right in front of me now let's be realistic Steve are you saying that you think God orchestrated that well I would be a fool not to think that because the Bible says that God is my protector I look up to the hills but my help comes from the Lord we made heaven and earth and it says he who watches his people never sleeps but he's always watching out for us revelation 5:5 Jesus is referred to as the lion the Lion of the tribe of Judah not the squirrel I like saying they don't come I say that he's not the squirrel of the tribe I do I just I just dig saying that not the rabbit not the hamster he's the Lion of the tribe of Judah because of his magnificence and his courage to come to earth as fully God and yet fully man to give his life as a ransom for us so that he could be our protector and our provider I find it interesting that Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and not the other 11 tribes he's the light of the tribe of Judah T risers a there's a tribe of Benjamin the tribe of Levi they were the priests it seems like if he was going to be the Lion of anybody it would have been the tribe of Levi who were the priests eleven twelve twelve tribes in all and he it doesn't describe him as the Lion of the tribes of Israel he's the Lion of the tribe of Judah why because Judah the word Judah means prey the tribe of juda they were the praisers and the tribe of juda would often go into the battles first in judges chapter one in judges chapter 20 verse 19 God tells Israel when they're getting ready to go into battle want you to send you two in first not because they were the fiercest not because they had the most or the best weapons not because they were the smartest he sent Judah in first to the battles because Judah were the praisers you know what Israel was used to winning by praise they had seen it happen before at Jericho Jericho was an interesting battle Jericho had walls 15 feet thick was impenetrable and God told the Israelites when you cross over it when you cross over into the Promised Land the first city that you're going to take this Jericho and I want you to go in one time a day for six days and I want you to march around the walls and nobody talks what marks around the walls one time so there go say your three million Israelites go marching around Jericho wonder what the people inside Jericho thought his people are insane not only they're marching they're not talking you know why you know why God had them March and not talking on yeah because he was trying to keep down the complainers is this since I mean can you believe we're doing this I mean I think I think Joshua has lost his mind here we are marching around here these people are gonna shoot arrows at us and kill us and but they marched around six days the seventh day they marched around seven times and the seventh time God told them I want you to shout how many of you know that shouting is a form of praise I want you to shout and when you shout the walls are gonna fall down and so when they did the walls fell down and they didn't they didn't use a single weapon until after the walls fell down then they were able to go into the city and conquer it they were used to winning battles by praise when you win battles by praise that means that you're trusting God to win battles for you instead of fighting and struggling with them yourself life can be a struggle I've been there life can be hard life can be tough life can be a struggle you don't know what you're gonna do from one day told the next how you're gonna make things work out it can be a struggle in your marriage it can be a struggle with your kids it can be a struggle with your health it can be a struggle with your finances it can be a struggle with your neighbors it can be a struggle with your boss life can be full of struggles people trying to figure out how are we going to work this out but listen when you go into your battles with God first putting God first in your life when you go into your battles and you're praising him instead of trying to work every detail out yourself then God will fight battles for you God will go into the interview before you do God will go into the boss's office when you're being reprimanded before you God will go into the bankers office before you God will go in to the the talk that you have to have with your family before you when you win battles by praise that means that you can keep your focus on God and not on the battle itself you know when you keep focusing on the problem it just gets bigger in your mind have you noticed that many of the problems that you've had to work out once you got to the end of it you realize it wasn't nearly as big a problem as you thought it would be problems I don't know about you but if I allow myself to worry about something once I get through it it's never as bad as I thought it would be it's never as hard as I thought it would be but when we worry about things instead of praising God through situations and allowing God to work them out when we worry and worry and worry and worry and worry worry is the opposite of trusting God early in my Christian life I'd probably been a Christian about a month and I was taught this if you're worrying you're not trusting but if you're trusting you're not worrying it's impossible to do both and so when we praise when we put ourselves in that mode that I'm gonna trust God and I'm gonna praise God in this situation isn't Romans 8:28 great it's all gonna work out for your good for those who trust God for those who put their hands in those who put their lives in the hands of the Savior when we trust God it's all gonna work out for our good whatever happens to you you lose your job you can just go in there and say thank you so much for letting me go because it's all gonna work out for your good all of it say all things work together for good for me because I love God and I am called according to his purpose it's all gonna work out for your good so we just need to smile what you need to go into work some of you tomorrow you've got a really challenging date we're going there with a smile on your face realizing that it's all gonna work out for your good in fact the tougher situations are at work the greater opportunity for advancement it is for you people want to hire people who can solve problems on people that run away from problems when you win battles by praise that means that you're demonstrating you recognize that there's a power at work in your battle that's stronger and more capable than you are why do we try to take the place of God in our lives there are things that no matter how hard we work at it no matter how how much energy we put into it God's gonna have to work it out and that's one of the great things about the Bible the Word of God it teaches us what the parts that God will do and the that we will do and nine times out of ten what we need to do is trust trust we just need to trust God God is going to work it out the Lion of the tribe of Judah wants to fight for you and provide for you but he fights and provides in the lives that he is invited into the lives that he is invited into Wow pastor Steve this was a this was a great message and it's great to know that he's the Lion of the tribe of Judah and that he's going to provide for me and he's gonna fight for me listen he provides for and he fights in the lives of those who invite him in he doesn't just how come God doesn't do all that cool stuff for me have you invited him into your life that's the question would you stand with me please everybody in the house everybody stand with me my friend God wants to be your provider and God wants to be your protector God loves you God has a plan for your life because of sin everybody's been separated from God every single person in this building has been separated from God but Jesus Christ came and he paid the price for our sin with his death on the cross so that we could be free to serve Him free to spend eternity with him free to fulfill our destiny and would you bow your heads please close your eyes all over this building I want to give you an opportunity to make a decision to follow Christ today as I said God loves you God has a plan for your life and Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and he wants to be the lion of your life he wants to be your protector he wants to be your deliverer he wants to be your provider your protector your deliverer he wants to live big on the inside of you because of sin all of us have been separated from God every single person in this building has been separated from God Jesus Christ came and paid the price for your sin with his death on the cross but I want this to sink in I know I've already said this I want this to sink in so that you could be everything that God has called you to be what you need to do is make a decision to follow Christ today and you can do that right there where you're standing in just a moment I'm gonna ask you to raise your hand signifying that you want to pray a prayer with me repenting for your sins acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life and asking the Holy Spirit to come in and empower you to be the Christian but the Bible promises you that you can be and you can do that right there where you're standing it's just a moment I'm gonna ask you to raise your hand signifying that you want to pray that prayer maybe you've never done this before maybe you've never made a decision to follow Christ before maybe you've never even been to church before or maybe you used to serve God and you fallen away from the Lord and if you went into eternity too you don't know what would happen to you today is your day and the Holy Spirit is drawing you into the kingdom of God well every heads bowed and every eye is closed all over this building today all of those who want to make a decision to follow Christ you want to pray this prayer with me right there where you're standing this morning you don't want to leave here the same way that you came but you want God to do something powerful in your life everybody wants to pray this prayer with me I want you to raise your hands all over the building and I'm going to pray this prayer with you right there where you are raise your hands now thank you Jesus thank you go I see that hand in that hand that had there who else wants to raise your hand he wants to make a decision to follow Christ today anybody else anybody else I see your hand there and your hand there god bless you anybody else I see your hand god bless you anybody else want to make a decision to follow Christ anyone else see those hands right back there god bless you good for you I see this hand right here god bless you man anybody else anybody else I want to make a decision to follow Christ today hands all over the building join them don't leave here the same way you came the Holy Spirit wants to come and live on the inside of you right now anybody else raise your hand you can put your hands down everybody can look up here we've got several people Jewish people don't want to make this business too far apart so I'm gonna lead you in a prayer right there we want you to pray this trend with you actually we're all going to pray this prayer with you because you're about to become our brothers and sisters in the Lord let's all bow our heads close our eyes and let's all pray this prayer together Heavenly Father thank you that you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for me Jesus thank you that you willingly came and paid the price for my sin with your death on the cross so that I could be free to serve you free to spend eternity with you free to fulfill my destiny in you so I repent for my sins and I say Jesus you're the Lord of my life Holy Spirit come and live on the inside of me now empower me to be the Christian that the Bible promises me I can be as I come to church and get involved in church life my life will never be the same after this moment in Jesus name and the people of God shouted amen let's give a big hand for all those who may decision to follow Christ god bless you we are so proud of every single one of you not

Channel: Living Word Family Church

Views: 62,453

Keywords: lions, lionsseriespart1, jesuthelionofthetribeofjudah, lwfc, living, word, family, church, churches, sunday, blessed, god, father, jesus, holy, spirit, creator, lord, almighty, bible, weekend, sundayinwakeforest, faith

Id: PP1iRqFOwKo

Length: 31min 36sec (1896 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 18 2016