Pastor Matt began a new 8-week series called "I am," examining Jesus' seven profound statements in the Gospel of John that reveal different facets of His identity and mission. The sermon focused on "life's most important question" from Matthew 16:15 - "Who do you say that I am?" - which determines not only how we live now but where we spend eternity.
Pastor Matt explained the significance of Jesus' use of the phrase "I am" (ego eimi in Greek), showing that when Jesus made statements like "before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58), He was deliberately echoing God's self-revelation to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. The name Yahweh (YHWH) means "I am who I am" and speaks to God's self-existence and self-sufficiency. By using this phrase, Jesus was explicitly claiming to be God Himself, which is why the religious leaders reacted with such hostility.
The sermon concluded with a call to personal response, emphasizing that neutrality about Jesus is not an option and mere admiration is insufficient. Pastor Matt invited listeners to surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord, to grow in their knowledge of Him as described in 2 Peter 3:18, and to share their faith with others.
