A New Way To Live Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• One of the things most of us dread the most is one of the things that life is all about; change!

• We resist change, we fight change, we complain and about change.

• Life is really about change, particularly when it comes to our life in Christ.

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us of this fact.

• SLIDE #2

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

• We are called to be transformed into the image of Jesus, for that to happen we need to be able to allow God to work in our lives so that the transformation can take place.

• It is my belief that our resistance to change flows from issues of trust.

• We trust what we know and we do not trust what we do not yet know.

• This is one of the reasons I used to struggle with opening up to people. I was always afraid of what people would think of me if I let them into my “circle of trust.”

• I was afraid to open myself up to being vulnerable to those around me because if you open up, you risk getting hurt.

• The root of this was trust. Those you trust, you tend to open yourself up to.

• What about you, do you have trouble opening up?

• There are risks involved in opening up, but there are also great rewards.

• Now let us take this to our relationship with Jesus.

• Have you been afraid to open yourself up to Him? Are you afraid He will not love you or accept you? Are you afraid He would be ashamed of you?

• I used to really struggle with being able to accept God’s love for me even after I gave my life to Christ.

• Over time I learned I could trust Him enough to open myself up to Him, to allow Him to lead my life and to allow Him to work in my life.

• We have to trust Jesus enough to allow Him to help us grow in our faith.

• In our text today we are given three things that will allow us to enjoy our life in Christ.

• These three areas of life will show us a New Way To Live!

• SLIDE #3

• Colossians 3:15 (ESV) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. Allow the peace of Christ to be the referee of your heart.

• How many of us are stressed out with lives that seem to be in turmoil all the time. Does it seem that EVERY time we turn around that we are in the midst of some crisis?

• Do you feel tension around you all the time? Are you stressed out by you children, your spouse and your job?

• It is hard to enjoy a transformed life if we are living in constant stress about things in life.

• In the context of our passage it would seem like there were some issues in the church that was causing problems. There were people complaining against one another (verse 13) and it was causing problems.

• What is it that gets your blood boiling? Where do you lose your patience? For me it us a stop lights and in the long lines at the stores. Those situations seem to set something off in me if I am not careful. I really have to guard against getting all worked up over nothing.

• Why does this happen to us?

• It is because we have not opened ourselves up to the peace of Christ. We are trying to live life on our own power.

• We are trying to deal with things in our own power and as a result we stress over things we cannot control.

• What are you allowing to RULE your heart?

• Do you think that Jesus wants us to live in turmoil, chaos and crisis? NO

• God has a solution for you!

• SLIDE #5

• John 14:27 (ESV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

• Peace is an inner state of tranquility that comes from knowing that you are right with God. We are able to have this inner state of tranquility because we feel secure in our position with God. We feel safe in Christ.