“My Condition”
“My condition in Christ is base on my relationship with Him.”
2 Cor. 5:16-21
Sunday Morning Sermon
05.20.07
Intro: (Start with text and title)
Did you hear about the man who was told he had three months to live? He goes to the doctor and they run tests, the cancer is not treatable and it’s spreading – his numbers are off the chart. He waits a few weeks and calls the doctor back, and the doctor confirms everything – 3 months would be good. You need to prepare your family, and get your stuff in order. The man buys a new car, a new boat, but stops paying for his mortgage. He stops paying all his bills – cause he doesn’t have long to live. He’s going on vacations, throwing parties, giving money away. After three months – he hasn’t died. He calls the doctor back, and come to find out the man has a rare, but treatable illness, and he will be just fine. The man is actually going to sue the doctor’s office.
That would be my luck. I don’t play the lottery, so it would be a miracle if I won, but assume for a second that I did – they would have some loop hole that on Saturday’s people with blonde hair couldn’t win. That’s the story of my life. There’s always a condition, a loop hole, an exception. I made the basketball team but they ran out of good uniforms – I was the one who had to wear the one that didn’t match the 30 kids who did make it.
Discussion:
What is my condition in Christ based on? If we have a condition in Christ what would it be based on – For some of us – it’s simply an extension of our parent’s faith. We believe what they do, and we talk to our heavenly grandfather every Sunday. For some of – it’s based on the Bible knowledge we have (this is where I am) – I love God’s word, I have some of the most boring books you have ever read, based on God’s word – they are GREAT – we approach our condition in Christ simply from the knowledge we can gain. For some of us – I know it’s about service – I’ve seen you endlessly, without being asked work on stuff here – So your condition is based on service (that’s good stuff). For some – it’s about attendance, or giving, or communion, or the other parts of our service – those are great things too.
Can I suggest something – Listen closely – Our condition in Christ is based on our relationship with him. It’s not based on our knowledge, or the service that we do, or have done, it’s not about the attendance pens we own, the amount of money we give, how pretty we are, or how nice we think we are.
It’s easy to get stuck in this cycle of impressing men so they think you are religious. If I impress all of you with my religiousness, we spend our time impressing each other with our religiousness but have no relationship, what good is it?
Maybe the most important thing in life – is not how wonderful everyone thinks I am, impressing people – or all the nice stuff they will say when I’m gone, but what my condition in Christ is, how my relationship with Christ is.
If I’m right and the most important thing is our relationship with Christ – maybe we should tell people. I don’t mean bragging that we are so holy because we have this relationship – but maybe we should demonstrate with our lives, our actions, our love, our speech, the condition we have in Christ – based on the relationship. You do have a relationship, right?
Turn with me to 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21 (Read) (Advance)
Paul tells us about condition and how that condition actually changes to a position in Christ. I see three things this morning:
(Advance)
I. Old Condition (16)
All of us have to start somewhere. People do not like those who do not have to start from somewhere. I’m a huge NASCAR fan – Jeff Gordan is hated by many, the reason – he didn’t have to start from somewhere – basically step-dad was very wealthy, and put him into the top level of NASCAR racing from an early age. Most drivers, including the son of the most famous driver – have to work their way up, and many never make it to the top level. When it comes to our old condition – we are all at the same starting point.
All of us were in rebellion – all of us like sheep have gone astray. When we look at the world:
a. It’s easy to label people – “He’s special”
Remember the scarlet letter? She commits adultery and has to wear this letter because of her sin. So you see the sin, and not the person.
i. She was unworthy
ii. She was unvalued – really when it comes down to it
iii. She was labeled
We do the same thing – Paul did the same thing because it has to do with the condition of our eyes, and our thoughts, and even our minds – He says (Advance) Vs. 16 – So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way we do so no longer.
Understand a few things about the world – those still in the old condition – hopefully it will help you change your attitude.
b. You were there once too (Advance)
Romans 3:23 (NIV) – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
I don’t walk through Wal-Mart and see the cops bring out a kid who got caught shop lifting and see someone who is unreachable, unworthy or unvalued. I see a person, created in the image of God, who probably doesn’t understand that image. I was once there too. I don’t see a young person who rebels in whatever form that takes as unreachable, or unvalued – because I was once there too. It’s not so much about looking at the world and seeing our present condition, like we are so wonderful, but knowing for sure – we were once there too. Christianity is literally – one beggar telling another beggar where to find food. Here’s another thing about the world:
c. The lack of peace
I’m not saying everything about Christianity is peachy. I’m not saying it’s always a bed of rose pedals, and everyone is always a blessing. Because who wouldn’t sign up for that? You commit your life to Christ and the bills all get paid, the banker is always happy, the kids are always where they are suppose to be – church, it doesn’t work like that.
i. Have you ever known someone with a real sense of peace?
We have people like that in our church. Regardless of what happens, they are at peace, not because they are in control (I think that would have the opposite affect on them) – but because they know the one who is in control. They’ve laid down their burdens, they’ve laid down their cares – remember the Bible commands us to do that. (Advance)
Matthew 11:28 – "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
People who follow that verse – have a sense of peace in their lives because it comes from the prince of peace.
This is simple stuff, I don’t mean to put the cookies on the bottom shelf, but I will anyway – if I wanted a tire for my car – I’d go to a tire store – If I wanted an apple pie, I’d go to a bakery – if I want peace in my life – I go to the prince of peace, and surrender the things that cause me division.
What does that have to do with the old condition – the old way of life? EVERYTHING. It does because even Christians struggle with giving everything over – notice I said we have people like that in our church – but not every Christian is – because it’s hard to surrender, it’s hard to let go, it’s hard not to try and take care of it yourself. As we shed the labels, and look at people differently – we have to understand
d. People will do anything for a sense of peace.
i. Drugs
ii. Divorce
iii. Move
iv. Start habits that are not positive
v. Over work
vi. Quit their jobs
vii. Get married
Again, we must look at the world through the Christian eyes being built in us – and see people who are hurting, looking for peace, looking for a sense of belonging instead of seeing their sin. So if the old condition is about my past – then what about my present? (Advance)
II. The New Condition (17-19)
Let me read you one of the neatest verses in scripture. It’s part of our text:
(Advance)
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
If you are in Christ you are a new creation – the old has disappeared and the new has come to the front. This screams purity and being made clean.
a. This is not something you do
i. Left up to us – we wouldn’t clean everything up
1. We would justify
2. We would look around to see what everyone else didn’t clean up –
3. We’d make excuses – Daniel didn’t give that up, I’m not going to either. Look at the preacher!
We’ve lived right next to the church before in different ministries – one of them you would have thought I was a raging alcoholic – people throwing their beer cans in my yard all the time. I would hate to think that people would justify their actions based on someone littering in my yard, but I’m sure it happened.
If God is in charge of the new creation in our lives – he’s the one responsible for making the changes, and doing what the bible says – giving us the desires of our heart. Like a missions trip to India, or helping a local women’s shelter or giving your time at the hospital – those kind of desires. Let me ask you this – how’s the change in your life going? How’s the movement towards God?
Paul says:
b. God has “reconciled” us
If I am reconciling my check book and bank statement – I’m making sure they are consistent. I’m double checking every check, every deposit, every fee – to make sure that they show up on the check registry and the statement I get from the bank.
c. It works that way with God too
i. Only he couldn’t just make the unreconciled – reconciled or justified again – It’s not that he couldn’t – God can do anything – but the system he set up with the law and what it required because of sin – He had to offer a sacrifice, perfect without sin to bring us back – and make our lives match his.
If I’ve sinned and have fallen short of God’s glory – then I no longer match the image I was created in. What the reconciliation does is change my life, with enough of the right things that I closer match the image of the creator.
d. God gave us Jesus
i. As the way of reconciliation – the way of bringing us back
ii. He doesn’t want us to just sit on the peace that we have
He wants us to make it a ministry
e. We have a message
i. One of hope, and peace, and love
ii. One that brings those who are far off back to the one who can make them complete
If you have been reconciled with God – you have a ministry and that’s to tell those around you about what God is doing in your life. Build relationships first, build friendship first, not everyone will respond to “hey, my name is Jay, come to church with me.” This message is more about lifestyle than it is about words, but don’t be afraid to talk about it. It’s a message the world needs to hear, and one the church in general should be known for. Growth will happen in our hearts and lives when we are consistent with the message.
The conditions change – My old condition becomes the new condition – the new condition changes to
(Advance)
III. The New Position
You have a role in the life of this church. You have a role in the fulfillment of the great commission inside this church. If we are going to grow, if we are going to go, if we are going to be everything that we can be – and do all we are called to do – it’s time for us – you and me to step up and make sure it happens.
a. We are ambassadors for Christ – here’s what this means: (Advance)
Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
i. Complete surrender to Jesus
ii. Removal of self- and will
iii. Seeing the value of Christian living over the temporary value of this world.
iv. Understanding the power by which you live – it’s Christ living in you – reliance on the Holy Spirit (Advance)
We have a spirit inside us, given to us by God, but it’s not one of fear.
(Advance)
2nd Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
You know what’s going to keep you from getting angry the next time something happens? Christ living in you and your reliance on his presence. You know what’s going to keep you going, give you self-control, or love the next time you are in a situation where you need self-control or love? Christ living in you and your reliance on his presence.
As you Rely on HIM
v. A witness develops
vi. People around you take notice
vii. Things change
As God removes the old, and replaces the image, and makes you into this new creation. This ministry of reconciliation – becomes something that will give you hope and joy and peace. Just as Paul “appealed” to the brothers – “BE RECONCILED TO GOD” – we will have the same appeal for our families, and our friends, our co-workers.
Paul defines how God reconciled us in the last verse – (Advance)
vs. 21 – God made him who had no sin (speaking of Jesus) to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The work of Christ was to put himself in our place – taking our punishment, literally becoming our sin – so that as we live in him we become the righteousness of God. We are dead to our sin, church, we don’t have to live in it any longer – we don’t have to allow it to affect us, and infect our lives. We don’t have to allow it to grow, and hurt our children, our families and the church. We have all the power from God, to take control over our sin – and move the other direction towards God.
Conclusion:
I use to wrongly believe something. I once believed that I could by myself control my own sin. Listen, I thought if I was having problems with late night TV – I could just turn off the TV – that sounds simple enough, and sounds like it takes care of the problem – but it doesn’t. I used to think that if I had problem with whatever it is – I don’t have to get all confessional – we all struggle with many things – you fill in the blank. That all the church body had to do was move them selves away from “sin” physically – Resist the devil and he will flee.
I learned something – even from this text – I was reminded of something this week. I am powerless without Christ in my life over my sin. I can turn the TV off till the next night, I can shut the internet off till the next night, I can move myself away from the things I struggle with but it just becomes a cycle of sin, movement, sin, movement – finally, to get real honest – we stop moving. If that’s not the key – we’ll wrap this up – Because God has given us the ability to be made right with him, because we have the ability to approach the throne of grace with confidence – the only way, you and I will become the righteousness of God – is if we move ourselves closer to GOD. It’s not about moving ourselves away from our sin – it about moving closer to the one who defeated sin and death and the grave. The closer I am to God the further away, spiritually and mentally I am away from the sin that intangles my life. Church, I encourage you to bring yourself closer to God and his will in your life.
Pray
We encourage you to look inside this morning to examine and discover, if God has anything to change or move, or just plan get rid of in your heart. We come to the invitation time, and it’s a time that we make a decision – and we can move ourselves forward – away from our sin and toward the one who was the perfect sacrifice.
If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior we invite you to do so – maybe you are here this morning and you don’t feel very “reconciled” and truth be known, if God did a check in your life – a lot of things would be off centered. It’s time to change that this morning. Come as we stand and sing.
