Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Daily life with what matters...
What Matters is more than just a doctrine or a church motto. It has to change the way we live every day of our lives. Today I want to share what that means in terms of dealing with sin in my life.
Jesus died for our sins. If that is our core doctrine, then you cannot continue wondering if you are forgiven. Jesus handled sin when he died on the cross. It is forgiven.
He was buried. And when we were buried with him in baptism, our sins and our old life were buried with him. Romans 6 is about living out that reality. Making a choice to submit as slaves to holiness instead of the sinful nature. Not obeying evil desires. Offering ourselves to God as those brought from death to life.
He was raised. so we are raised to a new life. New life means it is not acceptable to stay in the old life. Grace is not some cheap get out of jail free card. It is the avenue to a new life.
Love God with all you have. Staying in a life of sin is to love your sin more than God. Loving God is to put to death the sin that wants to reclaim you. It is to radically live out kingdom values in this world.
Love your neighbor as yourself. That starts in your church family. We must take care of each other first. No one in your community of faith should go without basic needs. Treat everyone you interact with as Jesus would treat them. Put others first. And you cannot love your world neighbors and not try to share Jesus with them. You can't.
To not live out what matters is to prove that we do not believe the good news. To not live out what matters is to love yourself, or your sin, or your possessions instead of loving God and your neighbor.
Finally, the call to live out what matters is not about church budgets and programs. It is not about what we think our church should or should not do. It is about living radically in the world as an individual follower of Jesus. It is easy to focus on what the church should be doing rather than focusing on what I should be doing.
Love radically. Live faithfully.
Put your life where your mouth is.
Which is why my goal for this year, and the rest of my life, is to be more like Jesus, talk more about Jesus, and to give God the glory. Every day.
Jesus died for our sins. If that is our core doctrine, then you cannot continue wondering if you are forgiven. Jesus handled sin when he died on the cross. It is forgiven.
He was buried. And when we were buried with him in baptism, our sins and our old life were buried with him. Romans 6 is about living out that reality. Making a choice to submit as slaves to holiness instead of the sinful nature. Not obeying evil desires. Offering ourselves to God as those brought from death to life.
He was raised. so we are raised to a new life. New life means it is not acceptable to stay in the old life. Grace is not some cheap get out of jail free card. It is the avenue to a new life.
Love God with all you have. Staying in a life of sin is to love your sin more than God. Loving God is to put to death the sin that wants to reclaim you. It is to radically live out kingdom values in this world.
Love your neighbor as yourself. That starts in your church family. We must take care of each other first. No one in your community of faith should go without basic needs. Treat everyone you interact with as Jesus would treat them. Put others first. And you cannot love your world neighbors and not try to share Jesus with them. You can't.
To not live out what matters is to prove that we do not believe the good news. To not live out what matters is to love yourself, or your sin, or your possessions instead of loving God and your neighbor.
Finally, the call to live out what matters is not about church budgets and programs. It is not about what we think our church should or should not do. It is about living radically in the world as an individual follower of Jesus. It is easy to focus on what the church should be doing rather than focusing on what I should be doing.
Love radically. Live faithfully.
Put your life where your mouth is.
Which is why my goal for this year, and the rest of my life, is to be more like Jesus, talk more about Jesus, and to give God the glory. Every day.
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This is a great summary -- I may use it for a sermon outline if you don't object - God Bless Charlie
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