Dying to Live (2)

We have BEEN TALKING the LAST FEW Sundays ABOUT:

OUTREACH MINISTRY

BEING A WITNESS

WHAT A WITNESS NEEDS TO BE EFFECTIVE

TODAY IS ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW BEFORE ANY OF THAT CAN HAPPEN.

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mark 8:34-35

In order to live you must die!!

do i mean real death like heart stop death? No

we are going to go on a spiritual death journey for a few minutes to help you see how to live truly.

in a spiritual sense Jesus calls us both in scriptures and in his life to:

stand against cultural tide

to swim upstream

deny ourselves selfish gain and earthly pleasures

we begin by trading in a life of safety, security, wealth, and ease for a live of service and sacrifice and suffering all for the sake of his kingdom

when we fully embrace a life in reverse as Jesus did we are:

acting like Jesus did

loving like Jesus loved

giving like Jesus gave

We are indeed following Jesus when we die to live. Christ came to reveal god to man. 

He it is who told us that God loves us and is interested in our lives. He told us of the mercy and long-suffering and grace of God.

He was manifested to take away our sins.

The very purpose of Christ was that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of me. He came to die!!

by rev. billy graham

We find life by losing our rights, our cravings, and wants, and obsessions.

we embrace death to all the things that would eventually kill you and me anyway.

death to a life wasted on the pursuit of personal pleasures that never last more that a few moments

death to decades of attempting to please people who don't know us or love us

death to the nightmarish existence of working jobs just for things like houses, cars, vacations, and retirement accounts

death to a life filled with anxiety and stress over finances and retirement that leads to heart disease that would kill us early in life

death to obsession with having more things, which demand us to work more and stay home less and eventually get divorced.

death to a fast paced lifestyle that cripples all family relationships and leads to an affair, which cost us everything of real value

death to childish envy and jealousy that arises when friends and colleagues live a lifestyle better than ours

Let me make sure and set something straight. work, homes, retirement accounts, are not evil.

when we begin to place our devotion on these pursuits and the pleasure and safety we feel when we achieve them, then we replace our total trust in God with temporary trust in our accomplishments.

Jesus wants to kill that before it kills us. this is how we awaken to life. a real life!

Sottish rogue William Wallace showed many people how to die

he knew what he was living for

living for Scotland

living for love

living for revenge

living for freedom

his died how he lived free, full of love for his country and its people.

this is how it is with Jesus.

his death alone would mean nothing were it not for how he lived.

it was in his living that he gave his death, and eventually his Resurrection, the traction to stick in peoples hearts.

this is how it is with us.

we die how we live and we must live in such a deliberate way as to assure that when we die, no matter the cause or context, we as followers of Jesus will leave this life, not basking in our own glory of accomplishment or accolades, but in the anticipation of his glory.

we find meaning and purpose when we live for something bigger and greater than us.

one thing i know that we die the same way we live.

in other words all of life is death practice.

in light of this realization there is a wrong question and a right question.

wrong: how will i die?

right: how will i live until i die?

that is the issue we have to deal with while we still have life ahead of us.

how will i live right now?

what will i live for before death comes knocking?

Johnny hunt, pastor of a large church in Atlanta.  

Once told a story about when he was young in the ministry, an older gentleman took him under his wing befriended him, and became a supporter and mentor. Before the church had reached its current size and before Dr. Hunt was able to draw a salary from his church, this older man had made it a habit to always slip the Pastor some cash in his hand as they were leaving one another's company.

The man eventually fell ill and was on his deathbed. Dr. Hunt went to visit him in the hospital. As he entered the room, the older man saw Dr. Hunt and instinctively reached for his wallet in his back pocket. It had been his practice in life. He was still practicing it upon his death.

we die the same manner we live.

by the time of our death it is to late to change anything.

our death will be a reflection of our life.

if we live for ourselves we lose everything when we draw our last breath.

if we live for the kingdom and the gospel and glory of Christ, we gain everything-

we live before we die, and we really live after we die.

we do this by embracing the paradox of Jesus Christ.

the God who became man

the deity who died and arose from death

the master who washed people's dirty feet

the savior who submitted to service

we gained life from his death, and now we participate daily in living out that life by continuously dying to all things that would exalt self and sin and pride.

Lord, high and holy meek and lovely,

   Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,

   Where i live in the depths but see in the heights;

   Hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

That the way down is the way up

That to be low is to be high

That the broken heart is the healed heart

That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit

That the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

That to have nothing is to possess all

That to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

That to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision

Lord, in the daytime starts can be seen from deepest wells,

And the deeper wells the brighter the stars shine

   Let me find thy light in my darkness

Thy life in my death,

Thy joy in my sorrows,

Thy grace in my sin,

Thy riches in my poverty,

Thy glory in my valley.

           from the Valley of Visions

AM I REALLY ALIVE RIGHT NOW BEYOND HAVING A PULSE?

IF SO, WHAT AM I REALLY LIVING FOR?