Extreme Living In Your Walk
Extreme Living – part 4
TODAY - is week 4 in our message series EXTREME living… SO FAR – in this series we have talked about LIVING extreme, about exceeding the ordinary, the usual or the expected IN; our CHURCH, our HOME and in our WORK.
You know these things now do them! That is the path of blessing.– Jn 13:17 (NLT)
THIS MORNING – we are going to talk about living EXTREME in your WALK. AND WHAT – I mean by your walk is you spiritual life. UNDERSTAND – throughout Scripture we see the word ‘walk’ being used to describe someone’s spiritual life… their relationship with God.
And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. – Genesis 5:22
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. – Genesis 6:9 (How – did he do that? Walk with God? By being righteous and blameless among the people of His time)
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul… - Dt 10:12
"Remember, O LORD , how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." (Hezekiah) bitterly. – Isaiah 38:3
OKAY – now, that we have established that our walk IS our spiritual life/our personal one on one relationship with God… I WANT - to ask you a question… HOW – (by the way) IS your walk? Is it EXTREME? OR – is it ordinary, usual and expected?
Usual & ordinary 0 1 2 3 4 5 Extreme
‘My Walk’
NOW UNFORTUNATELY – I think we all have an idea what usual, expected and ordinary looks like in a WALK… I’m sure we have all seen I few… and I for one have been a few… BUT – does living EXTREME look like in a walk…
WELL – let me try to give you a picture of what living EXTREME in your WALK looks like…
• He was a well educated man from a good family…
• He had risen to the top of his corporate ladder
• He was the guy everyone wanted to be with and to be seen with
• He was proud & he was confident
• When he decided to do something he did it
• AND – one day he headed out in the wrong direction
• He became a persecutor of the church
• Had men & women thrown into prison
• THEN – one day on the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with the risen LORD.
• AND – from that moment on, everything changed…
• Saul – became Paul
• AND – Paul became a warrior for Christ (ashamedly living and breathing the church… I MEAN if you cut him he bleed the church)
LET’S – take a look at a few passages of Scripture that give us some powerful snapshots of Paul living EXTREME in his walk… The first is in Acts chapter 20… Paul is wrapping up his 3rd missionary journey and feels compelled by God to go back to Jerusalem even though he’s been told (by God) that trouble with a capital T, was what was waiting for him there.
And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, 23except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love. – Acts 20:22-24 (NLT)
The NEXT passage is from 2 Corinthians 11; in these verses Paul lists the things that he had to endure BECAUSE he lived EXTREME in his walk…
I have…been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
THEN – from a prison cell in Philippi…
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly… 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. -Philippians 1:12-14, 20,21
AND – one final snapshot of EXTREME living in your walk… AGAIN – from a prison cell this time in Rome. AND - Paul knows that he is not getting out… He knows that at any moment they will come, bind him… AND – lead him to the edge of a Roman axe. So he writes to his good friend Timothy…
As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me--the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return. – 2 Timothy 4:6-8
GUYS – that’s LIVING EXTREME in your walk…
• Even if it costs me my life, I will finish the work God has given me (in fact if I don’t do that nothing else I ever do or achieve matters… my life will mean nothing to me.
• Enduring shipwrecks, beatings, hunger and betrayal…
• Writing from a prison cell… For me to live is…. CHRIST…..
• And laying on a stone slab on death row… moments away from having his head cut off… Reflecting back – and looking forward…. YES I HAVE - fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.. AND I – am about to receive the prize….
OKAY – there’s a picture of living EXTREME in your walk…. NOW – for the 4 points in your outline (they should look pretty familiar to you)… The Principle, The Power, The Practice and the Purpose for living EXTREME in your WALK…
The Principle
For living EXTREME in your WALK you must walk like Jesus
AND – you thought that having Paul as an example was EXTREME.. AND LISTEN – I didn’t make this principle up… IN FACT – it is found word for word in the bible.. IN – 1 John chapter 2….
NOW – 1 John is an awesome letter… AND – it was written to confront a dangerous teaching that was trying to invade IT - was called gnosticism and basically what it taught was that if you are saved it no longer matters what your body does… it doesn’t matter how you walk … BECAUSE – your spirit is right with God…
John blows away this kind of thinking…
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. – 1 John 2:3-6
WOW! - let me read that again…. NO – let’s read it together… REPEAT – after me; “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did…”
HERE – is how a few other versions word this verse;
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did. (NLT)
Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. (Msg)
If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ. (CEV)
Whoever says that he lives in God must live as Jesus lived. (NCV)
• walk as Jesus did…
• live their lives as Christ did
• live the same kind of life Jesus did…
• follow the example of Christ…
• live as Jesus lived
NOW – that’s a pretty tall order… LET – that sink in for a minute… “I must live – as Jesus lived” (think about what you just said… think about how Jesus lived)
QUESTION – as you consider THIS principle for living EXTREME in your WALK… When reflect on the truth that God wants you to walk just like Jesus… HOW – does it make you feel?
Intimidated? Does it seem absolutely impossible… (me live a life like Jesus)… AS – I sat at my desk on Thursday, I thought about this huge challenge. AND – I tried to think of something to compare it to…
SO – I went online and found out a few facts about something that is really BIG… A Boeing 747 jet airplane… A 747 IS;
• 63 feet 8 inches high that is equivalent to a six-story building.
• The jet weighs 875,000 pounds
• The wings weighs 95,000 pounds and measures 5,600 square feet, an area large enough to hold 45 medium-sized automobiles.
That’s huge… HOW – is something that big ever going to get off the ground? (oh yeah – also carries 63,500 gallons of fuel)
LISTEN IF – you and I are ever going to get off the ground and walk as Jesus did… We are going to need some serious jet fuel in our tanks… (and I think a whole lot more than a mere 63,000 gallons)
WHICH – brings us to the next point in your notes…
The Power
For living EXTREME in your WALK (do you want to know what it is?) Grace
LISTEN – the ultimate power for living EXTREME in your walk does not come from you… (and aren’t you glad…? BECAUSE – on our power trying to walk as Jesus walked…is about as likely as you and I on your own power getting a 747 off the ground and taking from Atlanta to LA… in 6 hours… while serving cokes and peanuts…)
The fuel, the power for living EXTREME in our walk is grace… and it’s not of us it is a gift of God! CHECKOUT – these words from Peter…
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
- 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
QUESTION – where does the fuel come from for living EXTREME in your WALK….? From us? From you? NO – from God! NOW – the apostle Paul… UNDERSTOOD the power of GRACE to live EXTREME in your walk. I MEAN - he wrote about grace every chance and he experienced it. In Ephesians he wrote about the power of Grace to make dead people ALIVE! (talk about some jet fuel)…
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world… 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved… through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. – Ephesians 2:1-8
PAUL – not only wrote about grace… HE – experienced it… CHECKOUT – what he wrote to Timothy;
Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. – 1 Timothy 1:13-17
LISTEN – grace has the power to save and to change ANYONE… NO ONE – is beyond the reach of God’s grace… AND – when we really think about it… WHEN – we really think who and where we were BEFORE Christ… AND – who we are because of Christ… LIKE – Paul we will just bust out in praise!
Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible,
the only God,
be honor and glory
for ever and ever. Amen
AND [Tim…] - not only is grace the power that saves us… BUT – grace is the FUEL for life… UNDERSTAND – Paul had some struggles in his life… HE – had some things that he could not overcome on his own power… AND – on one particular occasion he was feeling pretty weak… He was feeling like he was not going to get this plane off the ground. (have you ever felt that way… do you feel that way right now… there’s to much weight – too much cargo to get off the ground?
WELL GOD – showed up… AND REMINDED PAUL – of the real fuel and power for life… CHECKOUT – what God said to him… (He might be saying the same thing to you this morning)…
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
CIRCLE - My grace is sufficient for you
my power is made perfect in weakness
THIS FRIDAY MORNING – at about 5:30 am while I was at LA Fitness… (MAN – there are some HUGE guys in there)… I was laying on the incline bench press. AND – for the first time I read the words that covered the entire wall in front of me… They were awesome. AND – I thought to myself, ‘Hey that fits perfectly with what I am trying to say about the power for EXTREME living…”
“NEVER Let Weakness
Convince You That You Lack Strength!”
LISTEN…. NEVER – let your own weakness convince you that you lack the strength that you lack the power/the fuel to live EXTREME in your walk… BECAUSE – you do have the strength… you do have the power to live EXTEME in your WALK… AND – that power is the grace of God!
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…
OKAY – let’s do a quick review of where we’ve been so far this morning…
• We are without a doubt… called to live EXTREME in our WALK…
• IN FACT – we are called, we are commanded to WALK as Jesus did…
• GUYS – that’s a pretty big plane for you and I to get off the ground…
• Talk about a wingspan…
AND - the good news is that the power to getting EXTREME living in our WALK off the ground is not of is… IT’S – from God… It’s the power of GRACE…The free GIFT of God. GRACE - is the fuel for extreme living… {get it?}
The Practice
For living EXTREME in your WALK Load The FUEL
WHAT – I want to do now is share with you 5 things that will help you load the fuel of GRACE into your life… SO THAT – you can live EXTREME in your WALK… UNDERSTAND – having 63,000 gallons of fuel does us no good UNLESS that fuel is in our tank… SURE – we are saved… BUT - unless fill our tanks with the FUEL of grace we will never live EXTREME in our WALK…
FIRST – you load the FUEL of grace;
By CONNECTING To God…
Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. 3You are already clean because of what I have said to you. 4Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. 5I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. 6If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire. 7Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. – John 15:1-7 (CEV)
[various branches as an object lesson]
BOTTOM-LINE; IF you are connected to God you WILL produce fruit… you will live EXTREME… AND – IF you are not connected to God you will NOT live EXTREME in your WALK… you cannot do anything without me
(apple tree branch ON/OFF the tree… it’s not about positive thinking it’s about CONNECTION!)
QUESTION – how do you CONNECT to God…. 7Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you…
THIS ONE BRANCH – has been connected to a vine for over 1 year… AND – it has always looked like this… Why? BECAUSE – it’s been connected to the wrong vine…
NEXT – you load the fuel of grace into your WALK;
By REMEMBERING That The Pressure Is Off…
TURN – your bibles to Romans chapter 7… I want to read a few verse from there… BUT – before I do I want to give you an illustration of what Paul is teaching…
Betty was married to Jim for 10 years AND it was a very difficult marriage. I MEAN - she could never do anything right. Nothing was ever good enough. The house was never clean enough. Meals were never on time OR good enough… AND – Jim had no problem at all letting her know all the ways that she didn’t measure up. For 10 long years Betty constantly felt the pressure of trying to please someone, that she could never please.
WELL AFTER – those 10 years, Jim left and divorced her… IT – was a tough time for Betty…. BUT - 3 years later she meet and married a guy named Ryan. NOW - Ryan was a 180 from Jim. He loved Betty with all of his heart and in his eyes she could do no wrong…(he constantly praised, helped and encouraged her)
One night when Ryan came home the house wasn’t clean and dinner was late. Betty trembling and almost in tears began to apologize to Him. And he said, ‘Betty I’m not Jim, you’re married to me now – I love you… It’s not a big deal… Forget about dinner, forget about the house let’s go out to eat your the best…” (she knew she wasn’t… BUT – she also knew that in Ryan’s eyes she was)… NOW – let’s take a look at that passage in Romans 7;
Now, dear brothers and sisters--you who are familiar with the law--don’t you know that the law applies only to a person who is still living? 2Let me illustrate. When a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. 4So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God… (jump down to verse 6) Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit. – Romans 7:1-6 (NLT)
LISTEN – the pressure is OFF! You are no longer married to ‘rules and regulations’ that you could NEVER live up to… YOU – are married to Christ.. AND – he says to you (and to me)… FORGET ABOUT – trying to measure up… FORGET ABOUT – trying to earn my love and acceptance… YOU ALREADY – have it… I love you, I love being with you… LET’S – go out to eat…
QUESTION – once Betty ‘really’ believes IN and understands Ryan’s love for her… DO – you think that she’ll spend any time cleaning the house and cooking awesome diners for Him? YOU BETTER BELIEVE – she will… BUT – she won’t do it to earn his love… INSTEAD – she’ll do it express her love for Him!
UNDERSTAND – the fastest way to dump the fuel of grace is to live with the pressure on… BECAUSE – when the pressure is on there is no power to get your living EXTREME in your walk off the ground.
AS – Larry Crabb says in his awesome book (The Pressure is Off); “The rules for life have been replaced with an opportunity to LIVE.” NEXT YOU – to load the FUEL of grace into your tank…
By POURING More Of God IN…
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. – Eph 5:18
So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. – Gal 5:16 (NLT)
CIRCLE - let the Holy Spirit fill and control you…
Live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit…
UNDERLINE - Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves
OKAY - I want to do a little object lesson here to show you what I think those verse are talking about and to show another key to loading the fuel of extreme living…
THIS – picture of water represents are life right when we come to Christ… It’s clear… we are pure… BUT – then life comes (pretty much the same day) and we still have our struggles… (pour these into the picture of water as you talk about them)
• Anger – Tabasco
• Gossip/slander -
• Lust – ketchup
• Lies – mustard
• Addiction – beer
• Envy –
• Bitterness - vinegar
LISTEN – too may times we focus on how to get the crap, the sin, the stuff… out of our life.. WHEN - the reality, the FUEL is loaded when we pour God in… IF – we pour more of God in this stuff will go away…
(begin pouring pictures of a clear water into the picture with all the junk in it… I poured about 7… and as I poured and the water became clear the church went crazy… seeing the grace of God change their lives)
So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. – Gal 5:16 (NLT)
‘LET’ the Holy Spirit fill and control you
The 4th key to loading the fuel of grace in your life is…
By PURSUING A Knowledge Of Christ…
NOW – I think we all know what it is to pursue, to RUN after (hence the reason for these running shoes) something… QUESTION – have – you ever pursued… a job? a car? A house? A relationship…?
GUYS – you need to pursue you need to run after a knowledge of Christ… LISTEN – Paul was one extreme living dude… and this is EXACTLY what he ran after… IN – Philippians 3, Paul lists all the inferior pursuits that once ran after with a passion… AND – then he says;
all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ 9and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God’s righteousness. 10I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. 13Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. 14I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. – Phil 3:8-13 (MsG)
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally
I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
AND LISTEN – ‘anything’ that you & I pursue more than we pursue Christ is inferior…
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
- 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
QUESTION – how to pursue a knowledge of Christ… By pursuing Him as revealed in His Word!!!
By Partnering With Other Believers…
AS – I have said many times before… WE – were meant to do life together… Paul understood this concept… He partner with many believers as he did life… IN FACT – he list about 100 of them by name…
LISTEN – you are not going to live EXTREME in your walk by yourself… AND – in my years in ministry I’ve seen this truth lived out… I’ve yet to meet anyone who is living EXTREME in the WALK with being with other believers…
NOW – my object lesson for this is too big to put on the table… ACTUALLY – it’s a person… Kevin Buschmann who I asked to share about how partnering with other believers has helped him LIVE extreme in his walk…
QUESTION – how to you load the fuel for extreme living into your life…
• By connecting to God
• By remembering that the pressure is off
• By pouring more of God in
• By pursuing a knowledge of Christ… AND
• By partnering with other believers
AND – the last point in your notes….
The Purpose
For living EXTREME In Your WALK… To Be A Letter From God
CHECKOUT - these verses in 2 Cor 3:2,3;
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone BUT on tablets of human hearts....."
CIRCLE - in your outline; you are a letter from Christ
LET ME - give you a little background on this verse because it is so awesome.... Paul wrote those words to the church in Corinth because - there were a lot of people in and around the church who were attacking Paul’s credentials... Saying you don’t need to listen to Paul... “Where are his letters of recommendation...?”
YOU SEE - a lot teachers in that day, carried with them letters from so called "important’ people to verify their status of a teacher.... Paul had no such letters.... AND PAUL - said he didn’t needed such letters to prove that His ministry was valid... He told the church in Corinth - You are my letter.... The lives you now live for Christ are a letter that is known and read by everyone....
AND - let me tell you there were some people in the church at Corinth who had made some serious changes in their lives.... CHECKOUT - these verses from Paul’s first letter to the church.....
"Don’t you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshippers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers and swindlers - none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. (Okay here’s the punch line) There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God...."
Paul says to you want to know about my ministry - look at the changed lives; You all know Joe well Joe doesn’t get drunk anymore - and Jane is no longer an adulterer, and Bob gave up the homosexual lifestyle,
UNDERSTAND – those people were NOW living EXTREME… AND – their lives were read by everyone… AND – so is your life… AND – when you live EXTREME in your walk… what people read draws them to God and they get saved!
That’s the ‘primary’ purpose FOR living EXTREME in your walk… SURE – living extreme has some awesome secondary benefits… in this life ( peace, hope, fulfillment & purpose) and in the life to come…(rewards)… BUT – the main reason you should strive to live EXTREME in your walk is so people that read your letter will no longer face a Christ-less eternity…
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 5:14-16
