New Life In Christ

Introduction

Welcome back in this new year. I hope yall had an amazing Christmas and new year.

What is one thing that it seems like everyone is focused on whenever we get to the new year?

Change

Today we are going to start a series called New.

And today we are going to be talking about our new focus.

We will be focusing on 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Old Self

If there is a new life that means that there has to be an old life. so today we are going to dig in and see what the old life was all about.

Romans 6:16–18 (NIV)

16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

So we see here in Romans 6 that we have been slaves to sin so before we came to know Jesus as our Savior we had no control over the things that we did and yet our selfishness controlled us.

Scripture tells us that we are slaves to the one who controls us, which means that if we are not following Christ than we are instead being a slave to someone or something else.

What are some things that we are slaves to today?

money, stuff, followers, likes, friends, sports

The thing is that none of these things are inherently evil on their own, but when they become our focus they are harmful to us.

God changes our focus

If you watched the Monday night football game between the Bills and Bengals you got to see what happens when someones focus changes.

Damar Hamlin injury

Before his injury it was the biggest game of the week for the NFL, it was also the first week that people were allowed to bet on sports in Ohio. A lot of people were focused on that game and how well their team performed.

When he got injured and they were performing CPR on him in the middle of the field, those people and players didnt care about football anymore. They cared about Damar Hamlin’s life.

That same type of thing is what happens when we put our faith in Christ. Our focus moves away from the material things, to more eternal things.

What does God want me to do?

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (NIV)

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

So what is an ambassador? A person that come on behalf of another country to share their culture and their leaders thoughts and desires.

If we are ambassadors for Christ then everything that we say or do should be that which Christ would say or do.

WWJD

So if you are doing or saying something contrary to what Christ would want, and you are a believer not only are you making people doubt you, but you may be reinforcing peoples beliefs that Christians are just like the rest of the world, so I dont need Jesus.

So our focus should change away from what benefit can I get out of this life, to what can I do to benefit the kingdom of God.

How can we benefit the kingdom of God?

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

I think part of it goes back to our core values here, but the thing is we cant just follow these values here, but we also have to follow them outside of this room as well.