This message is Part 2 in Pastor Chuck Bernal's series, "JESUS is _____________". The message is titled, "JESUS is an Outlawl". Pastor Chuck discusses how Jesus turned the religious establishment of the day upside down and by doing so was branded as a Loose lawbreaker, an Offensive Outlaw, a Radical Rebel and a Disruptive dissident - all because he was the LORD. Using the stories from the Gospel of John as a backdrop, Pastor Chuck helps us discover who Jesus really is - and it's not what we usually think. This message was delivered at LifePointe Church on Sunday, February 28, 2016.

2. From the very first
day, we were there,
taking it all in – we
heard it with our own
ears, saw it with our
own eyes, verified it
with our own hands.

3. The Word of Life
appeared right before
our eyes: we saw it
happen! And now
we’re telling you in the
most sober prose that
was we witnessed
was, incredibly, this:

4. The infinite Life of God
Himself took shape
before us.
We saw it, we heard it,
and now we’re telling
you so you can
experience it
along with us.

5. This experience of
communion with the
Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ. Our
motive for writing is
simply this: We want
you to enjoy this too.
(1 John 1:1-4 – The Message)

7. Reading the Gospels
without knowing the
personality of Jesus
is like watching
television with the
sound turned off.

8. The result is a dry,
two-dimensional
person doing
strange,
undecipherable
things.

9. We need to remove
the religious varnish
in order to discover
stunning new
insights into who
Jesus really is. He
was accused of
breaking the law,

10. keeping bad
company, heavy
drinking and of being
an evil person. He
was so compelling
and dangerous they
had to kill him.

11. But others loved him
passionately. He had
a sense of humor.
His generosity was
scandalous. His
anger made enemies
tremble.

12. He'd say the most
outrageous things.
He was definitely
not the Jesus of
the stained glass.

13. To understand
Jesus, we must
break him out of the
typical stereotypes.

14. By uncovering
the real Jesus,
our understanding
of Him – and our
own lives will
change.

15. All of the remarkable
qualities of Jesus
burst like fireworks
with color and
brilliance when we
see Him as He
really is –

16. and we can
experience this
Jesus in their lives
every day.
(John Eldredge)

17. JESUS is
an Outlaw!

18. John 2:1-12:
Turning water
into wine

19. John 2:13-23:
Clearing out
the temple

20. John 3:1-21:
Confronting
preconceived
religious beliefs

21. John 4:4-42:
Showing
compassion to
an outcast

22. John 5:1-15:
Healing on
the Sabbath

23. John 5:16-47:
Claiming to
be God

24. John 6:22-68:
Preaching hard
truth about God

25. John 8:1-11:
Extending mercy
and grace to a
sinful woman

26. John 8:12-59:
Risking His life
to tell the truth

27. John 9:1-34:
Healing a
blind man

28. Loose lawbreaker

29. Loose lawbreaker
Offensive outlaw

30. Loose lawbreaker
Offensive outlaw
Radical rebel

31. Loose lawbreaker
Offensive outlaw
Radical rebel
Disruptive dissident

32. JOHN 7:
THE REBEL
CHAPTER

33. Jesus traveled around
Galilee. He wanted to
stay out of Judea,
where the Jewish
leaders were plotting
his death . . .
But after his brothers
left for the festival,
Jesus also went,

34. though secretly,
staying out of public
view . . . There was a
lot of grumbling about
him among the
crowds. Some argued,
“He’s a good man,” but
others said,

35. “He’s nothing but a
fraud who deceives
the people.” But no
one had the courage
to speak favorably
about him in public, for
they were afraid of
getting in trouble with
the Jewish leaders.

36. Midway through the
festival, Jesus went up
to the Temple and
began to teach. The
people were surprised
when they heard him.

37. “How does he know
so much when he
hasn’t been trained?”
they asked . . . Some
of the people who lived
in Jerusalem started to
ask each other, “Isn’t
this the man they are
trying to kill?

38. But here he is,
speaking in public,
and they say nothing to
him. Could our leaders
possibly believe that
he is the Messiah?
Many among the
crowds at the Temple
believed in him.

39. “After all,” they said,
“would you expect the
Messiah to do more
miraculous signs than
this man has done?”
When the Pharisees
heard that the crowds
were whispering such
things,

40. they and the leading
priests sent Temple
guards to arrest
Jesus . . . So the
crowd was divided
about him. Some
even wanted him
arrested, but no one
laid a hand on him.

41. When the Temple
guards returned
without having
arrested Jesus, the
leading priests and
Pharisees demanded,
“Why didn’t you bring
him in?” “

42. “We have never
heard anyone
speak like this!”
the guards responded.
“Have you been led
astray, too?” the
Pharisees mocked . . .

43. This foolish crowd
follows him, but they
are ignorant of the law.
God’s curse is on
them!”
(John 7:1, 10-15, 25-26, 31-32, 40-51 –
New Living Translation)

44. Counter - cultural

45. Unexpected

46. Politically
incorrect

47. THE REBEL
CODE:
ACCEPT NO
SUBSTITUTES
FOR GOD’S
BEST

48. Substituting
religion for
relationship

49. Substituting
externals for
internals

50. Substituting head
knowledge for
heart knowledge

51. Substituting
judgment for
forgiveness

52. Substituting law
for love

53. Substituting
exclusiveness for
inclusiveness

54. Some say He was
an outlaw that He
roamed across the
land with a band of
unschooled ruffians
and a few old
fishermen

55. No one knew just
where He came
from or exactly what
He’d done but they
knew it must be
something band
‘cause it kept Him
on the run

57. Some say He was
poet that He’d stand
upon a hill and His
voice could calm an
angry crowd or make
the waves stand still

58. That He spoke in
many parables the
few could
understand
but the people sat for
hours just to listen to
this man

59. Said he was
an outlaw

60. Some say He was a
sorcerer, a man of
mystery. He could
walk upon the water,
He could make a
blind man see

61. That he conjured
wine at weddings
and did tricks with
fish and bread
and he talked of
being born again and
raised people from
the dead

62. Said he was
an outlaw
Said he was
an outlaw

63. Some a politician
who spoke of being
free – He was
followed by the
masses on the
shores of Galillee

64. He spoke out against
corruption and He
bowed to no decree
and they feared His
strength and power
so they nailed Him to
a tree

65. Said he was
an outlaw
Said he was
an outlaw

66. Said he was
an outlaw
Said he was
an outlaw

67. Some say He was
the Son of God a
man above all men –
that He came to be a
servant and to set us
free from sin

68. And that’s who I
believe He was
cause that’s what
I believe – and I
think we should get
ready cause it’s time
for us to leave

69. Said he was
an outlaw
Said he was
an outlaw

70. Said he was
an outlaw
Said he was
an outlaw

71. Said he was
an outlaw

72. Consider this one
piece of evidence:
millions of people
who have spent
years going to
church and yet they
don’t know God.

73. Their heads are filled
with stuffing about
Jesus, but they do
not experience Him.
There are millions
who say they love
Jesus but rarely
connect with Him.

74. They stumble along
short of the life He
promised. If you sent
someone you loved
to school for a
decade, yet they
remained illiterate,

75. How would you feel
about the education?
Religion gives the
impression of having
Christ, while it
inoculates you from
truly experiencing
Him.

76. If you want to
destroy an economy,
flood the market with
counterfeit bills. If you
want to destroy your
walk with God,
substitute religion
for relationship.

77. Let’s Pray