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Knowing Jesus from Axis on Vimeo.

In week one of our Knowing Jesus series Jake posed the question, “Who do WE say Jesus is?” Was he a great teacher, a prophet, dynamic leader? Sure, he was all those things…and much more! Jesus himself was clear, he’s the one in whom “all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given.” Great. That’s simple and straight forward. Jesus is in charge. So then what’s left to discuss? Why do so many Christians disagree on what a life knowing and following Jesus should look like? Despite all the books, sermons, and discussions on Jesus, we still struggle to live out His teachings. Do we have a problem with authority? Are we neglecting key aspects of who He is? If Jesus is the one with all the authority, how should our lives look in response to that truth? This week Matt will help us look at what Jesus, the one with all authority in Heaven and earth, demands of his followers by looking at Luke 14.

The Gathering lasts for about one hour and takes place every Wednesday night at 7p.m. in the Activity Center (Gym) of Willow Creek Community Church. The address is 67 East Algonquin Rd, South Barrington, IL, 60010.  Park in parking lot F and walk right in.  The activity center is immediately on your left.

Wednesday, May 2nd the Gathering is being transformed into a seed packing event. Join hundreds of others as we come together to serve the needs in our world. The seed packing event will be from 7pm-9pm. If you are a part of the Axis community, don’t worry about registering, just show up to serve!

The Gathering lasts for about one hour and takes place every Wednesday night at 7p.m. in the Activity Center (Gym) of Willow Creek Community Church. The address is 67 East Algonquin Rd, South Barrington, IL, 60010.  Park in parking lot F and walk right in.  The activity center is immediately on your left.

Knowing Jesus: Week 1 from Axis on Vimeo.

To begin this series, we’re looking at something incredibly audacious Jesus said about himself in Mt. 28:18… 
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
…Who says this kind of thing??? Don’t get me wrong – Jesus had demonstrated some amazing & powerful things:

+In Mt. 7:29 He quiets the waves & the wind by speaking to them
+ In Mt. 9:7 He heals a man paralyzed from birth
+ In John 11 He raises Lazarus from the dead
+And as Jesus stands on this mountain He himself had already risen from the dead.

So Why does it say in Matthew 28:17, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; But some doubted?” It’s because…
These kinds of acts that demonstrate authority had happened before.

+ Elijah took on close to 1,000 false prophets and made them look foolish
+ Moses parted the Red Sea
+ In 2 Kings 4, Elisha feeds 100 men with only a few loaves of bread (sound familiar?). + + Then Elisha heals a man called Naaman of leprosy.
+ And Jesus rose from the dead, but Elijah never even died – he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot

These people on the mountain with Jesus had heard stories of men with authority their entire lives. They themselves had experienced similar authority with Jesus. Probably, they made the hike up the mountain per His request b/c they trusted his authority and precisely because they believed He was a prophet of God. So if they didn’t doubt his authority, what is it they doubt here?

To get an idea, look at Mark 8:27-29…

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

The idea here is Jesus asks the disciples, “Who are the people saying I am?” And Peter basically says, “They’re saying you’re one with authority – just like the other great prophets in our history.” And then Jesus asks the big question – “Well what do you guys think?” And Peter answers and says, “You’re the one that ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH has been given to. You don’t just have authority Jesus…

You are the ONE.

This question – “Who do you say that I am” – is the pervasive question of Jesus posed to you today.

Who do you say that He is?
*A good, moral teacher?
*A prophet with authority?
*The savior of your soul?
*Your friend? Your father?
*The one who loves you unconditionally?

All true. But these statements Don’t reach high enough. Not until He rules all of you.

You want to know Jesus? It starts by embracing his radical statement about Himself: “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me…”

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

Marshall Allman, the actor who plays the lead role in Donald Millers new movie “Blue like Jazz” will be at The Axis Gathering on Wednesday, April 18th. Marshall is also known for roles such as L.J. Burrows in the show “Prison Break” & Tommy Mickens in HBO’s “True Blood.”

Following the Gathering everyone’s invited to join Marshall to watch “Blue Like Jazz” at a theater that’s yet to be determined.

The Gathering lasts for about one hour and takes place every Wednesday night at 7p.m. in the Activity Center (Gym) of Willow Creek Community Church. The address is 67 East Algonquin Rd, South Barrington, IL, 60010.  Park in parking lot F and walk right in.  The activity center is immediately on your left.

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AXIS Beginnings Promo from Axis on Vimeo.

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AXIS Beginnings Course from Axis on Vimeo.

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Join others in their 20’s & 30’s for a 6 week experience as we explore questions like, “Who is God, really? Who am I, really? Do we even need each other?” And, “What’s life’s purpose and how do I fit into it?”

“…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NIV)
The Gathering lasts for about one hour and takes place every Wednesday night at 7p.m. in the Activity Center (Gym) of Willow Creek Community Church. The address is 67 East Algonquin Rd, South Barrington, IL, 60010. Park in parking lot F and walk right in. The Activity Center is immediately on your left. 

“And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” –Acts 2:47b

The word saved in this verse means “rescue”. And that is the whole point of Jesus’ trip to earth - To rescue us. That is the point of his life, that is the point of his morality and his teaching and his miracles, that is the point of his death and resurrection, that is the point of his ongoing work by the Holy Spirit through his people. That’s also the purpose of your life – to join Jesus in rescuing even as you are being rescued. You must choose to follow Jesus in the accomplishment of this great purpose, or you must choose to live for something else. Remaining neutral with a heart half committed to Jesus and the work He’s doing in the world is not an option. These two ideas – that Jesus’ purpose is to rescue you and that he’s calling you to join him in rescuing others – is clearly seen in the first four books of the New Testament known as the gospels.

C.S. Lewis says, “You must make your choice. Either this man was, & is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him & kill him as a demon; or you can call him Lord & God.”

Each gospel author calls Jesus Lord & God. And each one presents a unique perspective depending on their intended audience.

MATTHEW: Disciple of Jesus, Tax Collector

+Audience: Jews

+Purpose: Present Jesus as the prophesied Messiah from the Old Testament

+Theme: Kingdom of God – not an earthly kingdom w/ an earthly ruler to throw off Roman rule, but a kingdom w/ a King who rules in the hearts & lives of men & women

+Key Verse: “Go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19 & 20)

MARK: Teenager, Friend of St. Peter

+Audience: New Believers in Rome

+Purpose: Present Jesus as the Son of God, sharing His nature & characteristics

+Theme: Miraculous signs showing Jesus to be the Christ

+Key Verse: “’Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; & still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’” (Mark 8:27-30)

LUKE: Doctor, Journalist, Friend of St. Paul

+Audience: Gentiles (non-Jews)

+Purpose: Detail the humanity of Jesus & his affinity for the poor, sick & social outcasts

+Theme: Jesus is searching for the lost

+Key Verse: “Today salvation

has come to this house, because this man too, is a son of

Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek & to save what

was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10)

JOHN: Disciple of Jesus, Imprisoned on Patmos

+Audience: Non-Jewish, new Christians

+Purpose: Present Jesus as the Savior of the World

+Theme: Jesus is the remedy for our deepest aches and longings

+Key Verse: “God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We must deeply embrace that Jesus – this man so clearly presented in the Gospels – wants to rescue people through us. How will you join Him in the work he’s doing? There are 100,000 ways you may go about this as an individual. Here is one small way this week we want to go about it as a community:

1. Invite 1 to “Blue Like Jazz” this weekend

2. Chat about it over coffee following

3. Ask if they would like to meet Marshall Wed.

*Research and content developed by Nicky Gumbel