Implications:
I asked myself what are the important implications for my own life?
I learned the importance of listening to the teachings of Jesus because they are teachings with authority that can transform my life. Jesus' teachings have power in my life when listened to and followed. No wonder the people were amazed with His teachings because they were so different from the teachers of the law. This also reminded me that Jesus is more concerned with what I need to hear than what I want to hear. In the synagogue, I believe Jesus spread the message of grace that I need to spread too. There is a reason that it is mentioned not as the teachers of the law which means Jesus' message had a different kind of authority that should be heeded and followed even now. Jesus is setting a powerful example for me to follow the kind of teaching that I need to listen to at church. It has to be biblical coming from the Word of God because then I will be getting Jesus' teaching. Whatever is taught, it cannot contradict God's whole message found in Genesis to Revelation. I thank my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus Christ that I have found that church in Oakland International Fellowship led by Senior Pastor Hugo Cheng. That said there are other wonderful churches out there too but there are also churches that don't give you God's Word and what people need to hear instead give them what they want to hear. This is not biblical.

So I need to place such an importance on Sunday morning worship because it is the Lord's day and listen to teaching that has authority instead of man-made traditions.

For me that starts with listening to the Word of God exposited and preached at worship services, on radio stations, on the internet, on tv, etc because God's Word has authority. When I hear God's Word then I am actually hearing God speaking to me from His Word. I need to test what I hear from priests, pastors, reverends, etc with the Word of God.

This also means to me that I need to know what the Word of God says from Genesis to Revelation and believe 'Bible is the Word of God', not 'Bible becomes the Word of God' or 'Bible contains the Word of God'. When I say Bible, I mean the Bible verses from Genesis to Revelation. Unless I know God's Word, I cannot test what pastors preach.

All the teachings of man must be tested with Scripture and that's what was different about Jesus. Jesus spoke with authority and the authority of Scripture which He has revealed to humanity that we have now known as the Bible.

I personally love to listen to teachings/sermons that focus directly on God’s Word and is given in expositional format. Mostly, I look to see if the person speaking to me is speaking from the Word of God and relating it to current life or whatever is spoken can be backed up by Scripture. For Scripture alone is right.

With personal views can enter man made traditions over God's Word and hurt the congregation more than help it. Jesus spoke with authority because He was giving them the right message as opposed to what they were getting from the teachers of the law.

When you go to church and you hear a pastor say something that conflicts with what you have known from God's Word, don't just accept it just because that person is a pastor. Only accept it after you have tested it with God's Word. Anything that is contrary to God's Word is not valuable to take in no matter how comfortable it makes you feel. If it is contrary to God's Word, the joy and the message will not last.

This does not apply just to pastors but anyone who teaches God's Word or shares about God's Word. People need to hear what God wants them to hear rather than selective listening.

When I used to do full-time ministry and put in 40-80 hrs/week, I wanted the students to know that they could question me anytime if what I said was not in line with the Word of God. I told others never have the attitude, "Ramesh said it so it must be right since he is a campus minister'. I would tell them to know God's Word and funnel even what I write or say through the Word of God.

For that to happen, I encouraged them to seek the Scriptures and study them. Even now when I share my devotional times with others, I encourage them to do the same. I encourage you to ask me any questions or give me any feedback on the devotionals you read.

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world"(1 John 4:1)

Knowing and testing teachings is very important so you are not deceived. Jesus spoke with authority and His authority amazed the people because He was actually giving them the instruction manual He had put together. Jesus  knew the message to give based on what they needed to hear and not what they wanted to hear because Jesus is the One that created humanity and all that is in it.

Who better to go to learn about a creation than the Creator! Who better to listen to about a creation than the Creator. Jesus created each one of us because He is God and has been there from the beginning of time. Jesus came to earth as God-incarnate to give us teachings and redemption so that we can be saved.

Friend, the Bible teaches that you and I have been separated from God because of our sin. Our sin created a big chasm between us and God. There is no way we can reach God on our own. All the good works we think we are doing so we can be accepted by God does not negate the fact of the things we have done that have missed the mark of the standard set before humanity but Adam and Eve failed and brought sin into this world by their disobedience.

The Bible teaches that death came into this world through one man, Adam and now life comes into this world through the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. This life Christ wants to impart upon us is Eternal Life.

Andrea and Jason of Asian InterVarsity Christian Fellowship used an excellent example to talk about sin and God's Holiness. If someone gave you a pure glass of milk to drink but spit in it in front of you, would you still drink it? Would you think to yourself it's okay to drink it because it is 99.99% pure and only has 00.01% spit in it? Sensible people would say, 'Of course not, it has been tainted with the spit, it is not pure anymore.

But the Good News is the Bible teaches that God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life.

The Bible is talking about Jesus and His role to save humanity. Jesus loves you so much that Jesus taught with authority to save those around Him when they believe in Him for what He will do.

Friend, not only has Christ taught with authority but fulfilled prophesies from the Old Testament of what would happen for the redemption of humanity.

To save you and me, Jesus Christ went to the cross at Calvary, shed His precious cleansing blood to give us the antidote, was buried, and came back to life on the 3rd day to save.

So, it is exciting to know that no other teaching can save us except the teaching from the Word of God when we accept it. We learn as we read through the Word that Jesus became our Sacrifice that we may be saved from the bondage of sin and death when we accept the free gift of grace given to us.

While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us.

Now friend, when you accept Jesus into your heart, you are actually accepting the Bridge provided for you to reach God. The chasm was covered over by the Cross of Jesus Christ so that we can reach God.

Now when God sees us, He sees us covered in the Blood of Jesus Christ and His judgment will pass over us. Yes friend, that is so exciting to know that we are forgiven and saved because of what Jesus did for us when we turn our lives over to Him. Friend, please join me in turning your life over to Christ and asking Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life, for He will.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and His teachings are meant to give you Eternal Life and save you but also to give you abundant and a blessed life here on earth. This is not to say that we won't face hardships for Jesus never promised that but did promise He will always be with us.

Jesus said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me...You will face hardship and trouble but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!" (John 14:6, John 16, NIV)