Raised With Christ

Intro

In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller tells of a lecture delivered to students at a Christian college. He began by telling them that he was going to present the gospel, but leave out one very important element.

He described the rampant sin that plagued our culture: "homosexuality, abortion, drug use, song lyrics on the radio, newspaper headlines, and so on." He said that the wages of sin is death, talked about teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and all the supporting statistics. He described how the way sin separates us from God. He spoke of "the beauty of morality," telling stories, citing examples of how righteous living was better. He detailed greatness of heaven. He spoke of repentance and how their lives could be God-honoring and God-centered."

Describing what happened when he finished the lecture, Miller writes:

I rested my case and asked the class if they could tell me what it was I had left out of this gospel presentation. Not a single hand raised … I presented a gospel to Christian Bible college students and left out … Jesus. Nobody noticed.

To a culture that believes they “go to heaven” based on whether or not they are morally pure, or that they understand some theological ideas, or that they are very spiritual, Jesus is completely unnecessary. At best, He is an afterthought, a technicality by which we become morally pure, or a subject of which we know, or a founding father of our woo-woo spirituality.

(Source: Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What (Thomas Nelson, 2004), p. 158.)

Moments with Jesus Series - EXPLAIN

Ms. Amy Spoke last week about the two thiefs on the cross

“Don’t Pass” -EXPLAIN

Don’t pass on God’s invitation for His salvational Grace through JESUS!

If any of us have not taken this invitation and recieved Christ, I urge you to not pass on it today

Just as the illustration points out, Jesus is often looked at like a founding father and not the foundation of Christianity. - EXPLAIN

It is not enough to simply know that HE died for our sins but rather that we die along with HIM! In this death, we LIVE!

Sounds like an oxymoron, but I will explain here in a little bit.

Christ took on our sin in HIS death, therefor satisfying Gods wrath upon sin in the world. Sin, and therefor death, no longer has a hold on us! We LIVE through JESUS's Death, Burial, and Resurrection.

JESUS HAS SAVED US FROM OUR SINS WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO DEATH! WE NOW ARE RECONCILED WITH GOD!

All we have to do is Believe in JESUS. John 3:16

** THIS IS THE GOSPEL (The Good News!) THIS IS CHRISTIANITY! ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST RELIGIOUS IDOLS! **

So, what does this belief in JESUS look like?

Is it simply claiming Christianity?

Is it believing Jesus to be like a Genie in a bottle? (Where we believe HE exist but He only exist to give us blessings?

Maybe, You believe Jesus to be a real Historical figure but HE didn’t actually rise from the dead.

or, do you believe that belief itself is not enough to reconcile us to GOD? that believing Jesus’ work on the cross alone is not enough to save us. So , therefor we constantly try to save ourselves through works or laws.

This is what some of the Colossians believed.

Certain members within the Colossian church were teaching that observing Jewish rules about food, the sabbath, and special festivals would help believers earn their salvation.

Some were also teaching that Jesus was not GOD but rather a Higher being or a great prophet.

Paul refutes these ideas and reiterates Jesus’ supremacy in his letter to the Colossians.

Or does our belief in JESUS look like the GOSPEL told in The Bible.

Where our belief Mirrors his Death, Burial, and Resurrection

At the same time, If we are to truly have a moment with Jesus, we need more than a Santa Clause belief in HIM.

We don’t just believe in Him and our Belief is what makes Him real.

This is why we take communion.

Communion is a call to remember Jesus and His Death Burial and Resurrection.

When a child (or sadly when an adult) believes in Santa Clause, they are not called to remember him, but rather, to just believe.

That is the difference between what is real and what is not. Remembrance.

Let’s take loved ones who have passed for example. (EXPLAIN)

Or Fond memories (EXPLAIN)

They are real and we remember them.

Our faith should be rooted in Remembrance and not in blind belief.

Communion helps us do this.

Earlier I mentioned that we LIVE through Jesus’ Death, Burial, and Resurrection.

Belief and Remembrance in Jesus is the formula for this LIFE!

NOTICE Belief and remembrance are sorta the same thing, like a variation.

Belief is a TRUST, a Confidence in knowing JESUS is real and alive today and that He promised to come back one day and until that day He comes back for us, we are to TRUST Him and follow HIM

Remembrance is the sub action of true Belief. EXPLAIN

Belief + Remembrance = LIFE

Let’s talk about the first part.

Belief!

We are called to believe in Jesus.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I want to take us a different route to help explain this.

I want to start in John 6 (FOR CONTEXT)

Jesus Feeds the 5K (Five loaves, 2 small fish)

They wanted to make him king, so He left before they took Him by force.(by himself)

Walks on the water to the disciples on the sea

The next day the people found Jesus and asked him why He left.

John 6:26-29

A couple of things happen when We believe in JESUS

1. In this belief, our old self dies Just like Christ’s Death

Romans 6

2. We are Buried through baptism just like JESUS’ Burial.

Romans 6:4

3. We are Resurrected in Christ

Romans 6: 9-12

Our Belief therefor mirrors the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ

2. Remembrance

How does partaking in communion help us remember Jesus?

1. Communion helps us remember that Jesus is the Bread and wine of Life

John 6:47-55

Point is that Jesus is What ultimately gives real LIFE.

Something perishable foods could never give. John 6:58

2. When we feed on Jesus, we are abiding in HIM and He in US.

John 6:56-57

4. Communion helps us remember His Death

1 cor 11:26

This is a Big deal! EXPLAIN

Passover and the lamb

Our Life is Hidden with Christ in God. Col 3:3

5. Communion Helps us remember HIS GLORIOUS RETURN.

1 Cor 11:26

Okay, We talked about Belief and Remembrance, How are we to partake communion.

We take it together. 1 Cor 11:33

It’s the definition of Communion

the sharing or exchanging

2. We Sacramentally eat of Jesus’ Body and Blood.

(Bread and Wine)

This represents us proclaiming Jesus’ Death 1 Cor 11:26

We are abiding in Him and HE in US John 6: 52-58

3. We are to not take communion in an unworthy manner.

1 Cor 11:27-29

“Discerning the body”

Colossians 3:1–4 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”