When you die to self
Theme: Teach about being dead to sin and alive in Christ
Text: 2 Timothy 2:8-14
2 Timothy 2:8-14 MSG Fix this picture firmly in your mind: Jesus, descended from the line of David, raised from the dead. It's what you've heard from me all along. (9) It's what I'm sitting in jail for right now--but God's Word isn't in jail! (10) That's why I stick it out here--so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory.
(11) This is a sure thing: If we die with him, we'll live with him;
(12) If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us;
(13) If we give up on him, he does not give up-- for there's no way he can be false to himself.
(14) Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out.
Introduction
Paul Declared: Crucified with Christ
Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Symbol of Baptism
Rom 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (7) For he who has died has been freed from sin. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus taught that to gain our life we must lose it first
Mat 10:39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Mt 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
John 12:25 He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Paul carried this on
Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1Co 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
It Becomes Easier to find God’s Will
Eph 5:15-21 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Pharisees biggest problem was rejecting the will of God
Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
David’s Testimony
Act 13:36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
Eph 6:5-7 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; (6) not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (7) with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
You Learn to Be Content
Philippians 4:10-13 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. (11) Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: (12) I know how to be abased (bring low), and I know how to abound (excel). Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
You give God the first and the best
(sacrifice: time, money, attention, etc.)
From the Book “Axiom” by Bill Hybels
In Malachi 1:6 God tells the people of Israel that he has an offense against them. Their minds race as they try to figure out what they’ve done wrong; finally, they ask for some clarification: “Well, what did we do?”
Speaking on God’s behalf, the prophet Malachi responds, “What did you do? You know the laws about making sacrifices. You know that you ought to go out into your herds and select the best, most valuable, most prized lamb from your flock for your offering to God. But instead of doing what you know to do, you are heading out to your fields and intentionally overlooking the top sheep in the herd. Rather than selecting your prized lamb, you look for one that’s sick and blind and lame and leaning against the fence, ready to keel over! You grab that one and race for the altar before it dies, thinking,
‘It’ll suffice. It’s only for God.’ ”
Malachi then said to the people, “This is what God says. ‘Don’t even bother building a fire. Don’t waste your time. I don’t want the sick and lame and blind and almost-dead lamb. What a mockery to me! Either bring me
the prized lamb or bring me nothing at all!’ ”23 (Malachi 1:6 – 14, author’s abridgment.)
Can you imagine receiving a rebuke like that directly from God? I read the passage that afternoon all those years ago and felt as though something had permanently shifted inside of me. The Spirit of God seemed to be saying to me that everything I do in Christian leadership — every plan I put together, every meeting I lead, every talk I give — needs to be my best lamb, my very best offering! Not so that I’ll operate out of paranoia
or wild perfectionism, but so that I’ll live from my heart’s deep desire to honor God.
In my thirty-plus years as a senior pastor, nobody has ever set a standard for me to try to reach with regard to my preaching. It would be a waste of their time, because my internal standard will always be higher than that which others can mandate. People at Willow have had to tolerate a lot of pretty sorry sermons, but at those particular times in my life, those talks were the best ones I could give.
I wonder what would happen to every church on the planet if every pastor, staff member, volunteer, elder or deacon, and servant in children’s ministry were to say, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m committed to giving my best lamb, every single day. I’m going to live in vital union with God, and I’m going to consistently render my most excellent offering.
The standard I have established is higher than any you could possibly set for me!”
What would happen to our leadership? What would happen to our preaching? What would happen to our music? What would happen to our administrative functions if everybody in the church established their own level of quality control based on the excellence of Jesus Christ and remained dogged in their determination to honor him with their best every time?
You Take Control of the Sin Nature
Death to the Flesh
Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Rom 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
“Dead sacrifices don’t crawl off the Altar”
You Let Go of All Limitations
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
MSG 10 A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
NLT 10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
Conclusion
I think it is about time that some of you get some control of things in you life. I think it is time that you quit wrestling with the same sin and temptation.
We let the enemy dangle temptation in from of our face too much. It is like a carrot on a stick. We know that we should not give into it yet we continue to fall in the lines of temptation. We stay on the edge.
