Jesus: The answer to our deepest longings 90 days with Jesus Pastor Kile Baker March 3rd, 2024 What answers does only Jesus provide? Origin - where did I come from? Meaning - what is the purpose of my life? Morality - how should I treat people? Destiny - what happens to me after I die? Every person has two deep longings above all else: We all have a longing to be known for something and to be loved by someone. “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” — Timothy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God To be known and not loved is helpful, but superficial. To be loved and not known is comforting, but not relational. Feeding any longing becomes unhealthy if we feed it with the wrong thing, or with the right thing in the wrong amount. Matthew 16:13-28 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?” The world: Just be yourself Jesus: Just deny yourself. The world: Live fully. Jesus: Die fully. The world: Follow your heart. Jesus: Follow me. Jesus knows and loves you. Do you really know and love Him? Your deepest longing is to be known for something: be known as a follower of Jesus. Your deepest longing is to be loved by someone: let God love you when you’re unlovable. Next Steps: Share three things you’d like to be known for with others. Tell three people you’re grateful for their relationship. Attend a baptism class. Sign up to get baptized at Easter!