Who Do You Say I Am? Part 4 of 4
This message completes a multi part teaching on relationships, but shifts the focus to the most important relationship of all: knowing Jesus personally.
Dale McDonald explains why revelation, not hearsay or tradition, is the foundation for faith, identity, and effective Christian life. We discuss why understanding who Jesus is changes how believers pray, serve, and walk in authority. The message also ties that revelation to the church’s purpose, the believer’s identity in Christ, and the practical impact on family, neighbors, and everyday life.
Key topics
- In this episode, Dale McDonald frames relationships as God’s primary method for working through people, emphasizing that every believer has a ministry and a sphere of influence.
- He centers the message on Matthew 16, where Jesus asks, “Who Do You Say I Am?” and says that answering this question rightly is foundational to faith.
- Dale contrasts revelation from God with secondhand information, arguing that Peter’s confession came by divine revelation rather than human teaching.
- He warns against “canceling Jesus” through disappointment, misinformation, or shallow teaching, saying that wrong beliefs can block blessing and spiritual growth.
- The message stresses that the Bible is the only trustworthy source for understanding Jesus, not opinions, experiences, or religious tradition.
- Dale says the church is built on the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that this truth empowers believers to continue Christ’s ministry.
- He connects knowing Jesus to receiving what believers need from Him, including salvation, healing, provision, deliverance, and wisdom.
- Dale emphasizes that believers must also learn who they are in Christ, since relationship with Jesus is not one sided.
- He encourages listeners to develop confidence through prayer and scripture, describing confident assurance as certainty without doubt or hesitation.
- The message closes by affirming that Jesus is alive, unchanging, and a friend to believers, and by inviting listeners to pursue deeper study and relationship.
Timestamps
00:00 - Continuing the relationship series and why relationships matter
01:50 - The central question: Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
04:00 - Why people “cancel” Jesus and lose access to truth
05:22 - Life as a test and the only answer to the question is based on revelation knowlegde of who Jesus is
06:18 - Peter’s confession and revelation from the Father
07:15 - Knowing Jesus through the Bible and prayer
10:41 - The church built on revelation, not human opinion
12:30 - Authority given through knowing who Jesus is
13:47 - Jesus is more than a book on a shelf
15:02 - Knowing Jesus as Savior, Healer, Provider, and Deliverer
17:36 - The next step: knowing who we are in Him
18:23 - Reading the Bible as the words of Jesus
20:21 - Strange new ideas and the danger of wrong teaching
22:21 - How your revelation of Jesus affects others
24:25 - What confident assurance really means
26:47 - Faith, salvation, and sincerely seeking God
28:35 - The right answer to Jesus’ question
29:29 - Romans 5 and the peace, hope, and love found in Christ
Notable quotes
- “Who Do You Say I Am?”
- “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
- “The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, loves you, and He is your friend.”