The Message Jesus Preached: Things Were Different in the Church Jesus Started

By Shane James

THINGS WERE DIFFERENT IN THE CHURCH JESUS STARTED

We sing songs to Jesus. We pray to Jesus. But do we really know and understand what Jesus preached? Before you say, Yes, and move on, consider these shocking facts:

Most messages preached today have nothing to do with Jesus core message

Christian universities that train pastors, missionaries, and priests dont have courses that teach what Jesus taught, and its been this way for hundreds of years

The majority of believers in Christ have little or no understanding of what Jesus said or what He meant when He said it

God is realigning His church with the message Jesus preached, and Hes doing it to prepare us for Jesus return.

Get ready for a journey through the Bible that will help you:

Challenge your Christian experience and knowledge of Jesus teachings

Learn the true heart of Christs teachings as recorded in Gods Word

Discover the Kingdom life Jesus provided for, exemplified, and taught

Shed any belief barriers that have inhibited your spiritual life to this point

Embrace and renew a walk with God that is alive, growing, fresh, and purposeful

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512711769

Shane James

Shane James is a prophetic voice who brings the message and reality of the Kingdom of God to our generation in our time. He pastors Christ the King: Jesus’ Church of San Antonio, and oversees other church plants and a Bible and ministry training school in Texas. He is used of God to impart truth and prophecy to individuals and groups alike, and he cultivates leaders who embrace and expand the Kingdom of God.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 Shane James.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1177-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1178-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1176-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015915139

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/27/2015

Contents

Introduction

How to Use this Book

Part One: Assessment Jesus’ Message Verses Our Message

Chapter 1 Come and See Jesus Comparing Jesus’ Generation with Ours

Chapter 2 The Message We Preach Today Contrasting Jesus’ Message with Ours

Part Two: Acceptance Jesus’ Unique Kingdom Message

Chapter 3 The Message Jesus Preached Jesus’ Unique Message and What it Means

Chapter 4 The Message the Disciples Preached How the Disciples Continued Jesus’ Message

Chapter 5 Walking the Ancient Path Realigning Our Message with His

Chapter 6 On the Mount and On the Plain Bringing People into the Kingdom of God

Part Three: Alignment Embracing the Kingdom Life of Jesus

Chapter 7 In the Towns and Villages Orienting People to Kingdom Life

Chapter 8 According to Your Faith We Experience Kingdom Life by Faith

Chapter 9 Your Kingdom Come We Experience Kingdom Life with Faith in Action

Part Four: Advancement Expanding the Kingdom of God Today

Chapter 10 They Were All Amazed Preach and Teach Like Jesus

Chapter 11 Beyond Jesus’ Message into His Ministry Restoration Starts with the Message

Appendices

Appendix 1 Invite and Connect with Shane James A Tremendous Blessing to You and Your Ministry

Appendix 2 Small Group Bible Study Curriculum A Year’s Worth of Small Group Meetings

Appendix 3 Sermon or Teaching Series Notes Bring Jesus’ Message to Your Local Church

Appendix 4 Recommended Resources Great Resources for Continued Growth

Contact Shane James

E-mail:            [e-mail]

Mail:                Shane James, 5726 Mobud,

                         San Antonio, TX 78238

Websites:       www.christthekingsa.org

                    www.propheticvoicetoday.com

                    www.jc247.org

Dedication

For You, Lord Jesus, and for Your purposes in the earth.

To you, my wife, children, and family; and to Christ the King: Jesus’ Church of San Antonio.

To you, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to Kingdom citizens, sons and daughters of God spread throughout the world.

Introduction

Y ou picked up this book by divine call. You are part of a marvelous thing God is doing, as He realigns His church, the Body of Christ, with its Head, Jesus Christ. I’m a follower of Jesus who’s been in ministry for years, yet I long for the real, tangible and colorful experience with God that I see in the Bible. I long to see others know and love God personally too, not in religious, regulated, or impersonal ways, but in the ways illustrated in the Word of God.

Years ago, I began to experience something that you may have experienced or may be going through right now. I became very discouraged and dissatisfied with church as usual. I felt trapped in a world where ministry had lost its true meaning for me. My soul became sick as I saw an ever-growing gap between the church of the Bible and the church today – the experience of people in the Bible and the experience today. I share this so you can know you are not alone, and to show this is part of a process God is taking His family through.

I wanted what I read about in the Bible. I still do. My hunger caused me to realize that God also wants the church to be the church we read about in the Bible. This dissatisfaction eventually led me to a place where God called me to establish a church in San Antonio, Texas, that would bear His name, do His work, preach His message, use His methods and dare believe for His results. Our goal is simply to continue the work Jesus started and commissioned the early church to do. We embrace His vision and seek to apply His way of life and ministry at every level of worship and service to God. We simply seek the life Christ provided, the message and ministry He passed on and the impact He said is ours.

In the pages ahead, we will …

• Challenge our Christian experience and knowledge of Jesus’ teachings.

• Learn the true heart of Christ’s teachings as recorded in God’s Word.

• Discover the Kingdom life Jesus provided for, exemplified and taught.

• Shed any belief barriers that inhibit our spiritual life.

• Embrace and renew our walk with God so that it is alive, growing, fresh and purposeful.

• Be empowered to help others in real and meaningful ways.

As I write this, I prayerfully hope to touch ministers, missionaries, preachers, and the thousands who faithfully serve Christ all over the world. I also hope to touch your life with The Message Jesus Preached.

Each chapter ends with two important tools to help you apply and retain what is shared. The first tool is a question and answer section that will help you personally apply what I share in each chapter. The second tool is a review of the principles and insights shared in the chapter. This is for reinforcement, and if you are sharing this in a group, it provides an outline of each chapter’s main points.

This book represents a bold call and a radical cry from the heart of God for the church to come back to Jesus, back to the Bible, and back to the true ministry and example of the church Jesus started. We will rediscover the truth about Jesus’ church and bring to light what’s going on in church today. We will expose the falsehood, repent and return to Christ, His Kingdom and His way. Please be prayerful, read the verses cited, and answer the reflection questions. Then, be the change you desire to see in your local church and among your faith family. Share this book and its impact so others can also know Christ fully. I am praying for you, dear readers. Now, let’s move onward to the message of Jesus yesterday, today and forevermore.

How to Use this Book

1. Use this book for personal study and spiritual growth, and then share it with your pastor, church leadership, family, and friends. Pray for God’s insight as you read each chapter, answer the questions, and review the highlights at the end of each chapter.

2. Use this book and the Small Group Bible Study Curriculum offered in Appendix 2, in a small group Bible study where people can learn and be changed by Jesus’ unique message.

3. Use this book and the Sermon or Teaching Series Notes offered in Appendix 3, as a platform for bringing Jesus’ message to your local church.

4. Access the recommended resources in Appendix 4, and connect with the author, or even invite him to speak. Appendix 1 lists the author’s ministry websites, social media and email.

Part One: Assessment

Jesus’ Message Verses Our Message

Chapter 1

Come and See Jesus

Comparing Jesus’ Generation with Ours

J esus walked up a gentle hill as hundreds, and then hundreds more, gathered below and waited patiently. He reached the hill’s crest and turned around, pausing to take in the scenery. He saw faces, so many faces, and the lives and stories behind each one. He breathed deeply, sensing a pull from them for truth about the way of life with God. He sat down, paused again, and then uttered the very words of God.

Why was their hunger so tangible you could feel it? They lived under the oppression of a secular system that grew more immoral by the day. The religious system was steeped in hundreds of years of tradition that had turned colder, more rigid, and duty-driven than life-giving and effective. They were tired of the corrupt culture and obligation of God, and it weighed upon them heavily. They had heard of a hopeful change from John the Baptist, and he had pointed those he baptized to a commoner, Jesus of Nazareth, who now sat before them (Matthew 5:1).

Jesus always drew people. His example, message, and ways have always attracted people who want to know God. The only people who’ve ever been repelled by who He is and what He represents are religious leaders and devils. Check scripture on that, and you’ll find it is true.

A striking resemblance exists between the audience Christ saw spread on that hillside in Galilee and the audience we make up today. We are witnesses to an ever-increasing moral bankruptcy in our culture. We are members of a generation growing weary of empty, religious obligation. Exchange our blue jeans and sneakers for robes and sandals, and we are the commoners drawn to Jesus and a way of life with God that is real and tangible.

People Like Jesus, but They don’t Like Church

Lifeway Research conducted a survey revealing that people like Jesus, but they don’t like church. Some are also impacted negatively by the Christians they know (see www.lifewayresearch.com). Their studies reveal the overwhelming majority believe in God, dislike church, and believe they can have a good relationship with God without belonging to a church. They also believe Christianity is more about organized religion than about loving God and people.

I wonder: if we provide an experience in church like that in the Bible – one that exposes people to Jesus’ message, ministry, and way of life – would people accept the church more? Can we correct our ways, re-center ourselves around Christ, and see a revival where people embrace Jesus’ church as a real part of Jesus, an extension of Him?

Ascend the Hill

Climb the Galilean hill with Christ. Look into the faces of hungry people wanting something deeper and more real. Survey today’s church landscape and consider where we need to change. God is doing away with church as usual.

The experience of most believers in church is very different from the experience of those in Jesus’ first congregation, and God is bringing His church back to the experience of the Bible. He wants the church to preach His message, do His ministry, use His methods, and experience His results. He wants the church to fulfill His mission.

Here are some areas of needed transformation in the church:

In Message

• Self-centered messages focus on personal success and gain.

• Materialistic messages support self-sufficiency and carnal living.

• Motivational speaking yields no true transformation.

• Jesus’ values and message take a back seat to life enhancement.

• The church doesn’t understand or live Jesus’ message.

In Ministry

• What you say is more important than what you do.

• How you look is more important than how you live.

• The world has no respect for the church because of division.

• Emphasis is on physical expansion rather than Kingdom expansion.

• There is no real demonstration of the love and power of God.

• People are ignorant of the gospel Jesus preached.

In Method

• Jesus’ primary ministry method is usually ignored.

• A corporate mentality infects church decision-makers.

• Self-dependence replaces God-dependence.

• No power of God is revealed.

In Gatherings

• Biblical activities of the church are not followed.

• The preacher and his or her message are the primary focus.

• Come and be entertained yields shallow spiritual growth.

• Success means people enjoyed themselves.

• The church invests in polish and technology.

In Community

• Church finances are invested in buildings and belongings.

• Little reverence or respect for the church exists in society.

• Believers are individualistic and self-absorbed.

• Church is only a place for inspiration and comfort.

• Church is a place we go rather than who we are.

In Leadership

• People within the church focus more on man than they do God.

• Many leaders are possessive and controlling.

• An imbalanced serve the leader emphasis is not biblical.

• Passive mentoring takes place rather than active, enduring discipleship.

• A top-down approach distances and suppresses people.

The situation is quite bleak. Church norms today are so different from the norms in the church of the Bible. This difference is seen in the basic approach to ministry, in the philosophy of ministry, in what is actually preached,

Reviews for The Message Jesus Preached

[Angela · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first few chapters deal with the true message of Jesus and is supported by scriptural and other evidence. I’m not personally bought into the idea that the Kingdom of God is here and now, but I do believe that the church today is missing the true gospel and message that Jesus Christ our Lord came to preach