Jesus is the most popular figure in the world. People tend to visualize of Jesus based on who they are, not who He is.
Hebrews 13:8-9a
Three images of Jesus you will be tempted to embrace:
American Jesus
Hippie Jesus
Terminator Jesus
Today, American Jesus.
I’m using the term American Jesus in a negative way because as Amercians, we tend to view Jesus through the lens of our being American.
Christian nationalism.
Christianity Today defines it as “the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and the government should take active steps to keep it that way.”
Patriotism is good, but God doesn’t love America more than Bolivia.
Mark 12:17 ESV
God does not see your responsibility to your country to be the same thing as your allegiance to His Kingdom. You are not Christian American, you are an American Christian.
American Jesus is Jesus made in the image of American: materialism, self-reliance, achievement, excess.
Four signs that you might worship American Jesus:
1. Jesus is your savior, but not your Lord.
The word Lord in the New Testament means “master.”
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
The main marker of a disciple of Jesus is obedience. You do what He says to do because He is in charge—not you.
James 1:22-24
Jesus becomes your savior as He becomes your Lord. God doesn’t want to only be your crisis manager, but He wants to be your daily planner.
2. Jesus wants to make you comfortable and happy. God is the God of comfort but there is a difference between being comforted and being comfortable. You need comfort because you won’t always be comfortable!
Acts 14:22 NLT
God’s goal for your life is not a life of luxury, but a life of maturity.
Your happiness is not as important as your holiness because holiness is what makes you truly happy.
God will do things for you. But God is not as interested in what He can do FOR you, as He is in what He can do IN you and THROUGH you.
3. Jesus helps you achieve your dreams, even though you don’t help Him achieve His.
You exist to make God’s dreams come true
Ephesians 1:5 NLT
2 Peter 3:9 NLT
4. Your approach to Jesus is transactional, not relational.
Christian gold diggers are just after the streets of gold. They want to go heaven, but they don’t want a King.
Psalm 91:1 NLT
Everyone wants God for their protection, but not every one wants to make God their priority.
Too many Christians are “shacking up” with Jesus. They want benefits from him, without commitment to him. When we do this we are using God for what He can do, not loving Him for who He is.
There are too many green card Christians who are using Jesus to gain citizenship in Heaven.
American Jesus is transactional, the real Jesus is relational.
Who do you say that He is? Do you worship American Jesus?