How To Live As a Church
Notes
Transcript
What is your Perception of your self? What is the mirror that tells you who you are?
① We want to be dealt with bountifully
↳ We want our behaviors & actions to be rewarded
⊛ But what is the reward system? What Standard do you use for getting rewarded? Who gets to set it?
⊛ The answer is Scripture.
⊛ God would have to deal bountifully with His servant in order to live a life that conforms with His word.
⊛ To be able to live in a manner that is consistent with Scripture is the reward.
⊛ Unless your understanding is open by God Himself you won't be able to get any insight even if you wanted to.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
↳ the spiritually dead person is unable to comprehend God's word.
John 5:37–40“37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
↳ without Christ's reward you can't See Him nor have His word abide in you by the Spirit.
⊛ When He opens your eyes to this reality you find it you embrace it with a Careful, Sustained contemplation.
⊛ You get to enjoy it, you welcome it to be your standard, it encircles you, you embody its extraordinary wonderful truths/Promises) warnings/wisdom
⊛ It is only when God rewards you by opening your eyes to the surpassing reality of who Christ is and you make Him your own with faith that you're able to live your life in a way that is pure and attain the State of happiness
⊛ That is as a sojourner/an alien/a stranger
⊛ Someone who doesn't get to enjoy the native rights Of this earth unless the native/the owner is hospitable to them. Not even able to communicate b/c you don't know the language.
⊛ Someone who's dependent (contrary to popular notion of independence) on the protection & provision of the owner.
◦Not having God's authoritative direction/instruction as a Sojourner makes your reward painful.
⊛ So you ask/Plead don't withhold these direction that will lead to the desired reward.
What is your reward? What Should it be?
Php 3: 14 * Upward Call in Christ
8 ⊛ Surpassing value of knowing Christ
9 ⊛ To be found in Him
⊛ Having the righteousness that comes from
God
10 ⊛ Know Him & the power of His resurrection
⊛ Attain the resurrection from the dead.
⊛ If not the alternative is God's rebuke/disapproval/ reprimand/Strained relationship
⊛ Because of arrogance/Presumptuous attitude that is used as an excuse for Sinful & wicked thoughts and actions.
⊛ To be a recipient of God's divine judgment to harm you.
⊛ Because you drift from the commandments of God.
⊛ The result is that you are to blame how God rewards you with a disgraceful, shameful
⊛ What ever insult/scorn, reproach comes your way can't be avoided
⊛ You will feel the full force of this fallen world/ despise/ disrespect/ disregard to who you are and What you do.
⊛ The only way this is taken away/Removed from you is God's reward/His dealing bountifully with you that enables you to keep His testimonies.
↳ You therefore have to crumble yourself/Purify your hearts in the presence of the LORD according to scripture; He'll deal bountifully with you as a humble Servant
↳ Who even though there's an imminent threat/ although you live in a fallen world in a crooked and perverse generation your worldview reflects God's authoritative word in Scripture.
↳ You live from a biblical worldview where you find joy/ satisfaction/ Pleasure in Scripture and not in your own Pleasures or friendship with the world.
↳ Your decision making /direction of your life/ advice you give or receive is drawn from the Sufficient/authority of Gods word,