Real Life Through Christ

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Connect: I dream of a church that connects all people into meaningful relationships with God and one another, in a caring and loving environment.

The church is all about relationships. Relationships with God and relationships with others. These relationships flourish in a caring and loving environment. And, these relationships are built for a purpose.

Illustration: Carol (a man who had no need of God or the church—experiencing the power of REAL LOVE through the example of two ladies in the church—who received the Gospel of Jesus and experienced REAL CHANGE—which empowered him to engage the world in REAL LIFE.

Real love and real change impacts real life. The reality is—when someone genuinely encounters the love of Jesus Christ, and as a result, experiences the miracle of real change—then that person’s real life experiences become saturated with the truth and activity of the Gospel.

Question: How can a person experience this real life immersed in Gospel living?

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As a genuine follower of Jesus Christ—a person who lives in the center of God’s grace—life is not our own. We life—not for ourselves, but for God and His purpose.

But, we are faced with another reality—we can buy into the false narrative that life is all about—us!

1. Be Aware of Self-Energy.

The Scripture says that we “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [we] who live, but Christ lives in [us].”

But it can be hard to life live that way. We live in a culture that preaches self reliance—if it is going to get done, we need to do it ourselves.

So, we rely on our talents, our resources, our intellect, and our ability to motivate others to accomplish things—even spiritual things.

And, if we are not careful, we can get to the point where we don’t need God.

However, living the real life in Christ means that we:

Embrace dependency on Christ and His work.

Just like a person who is getting into shape through dieting and exercising, embracing dependency requires commitment and determination.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I need to mature (grow) in my relationship with God—a relationship that discovers and learns about dependency on Christ (and what He has done).

What should the church do to help people to depend on Christ?

Grow: I dream of a church where people are mentored and nurtured in good works and through sound doctrine as they are being transformed into followers of Christ.

The aim of spiritual growth is to produce fruit—the actions that engage the gospel with fellow Christians and the world.

But, we can easily grow into spiritual lethargy—we can become spiritually lazy.

2. Be Aware of Self-Complacency.

Since Christ is the one who lives in me—then what do I need to do but to sit back and enjoy the ride.

We turn our relationship with God and the purpose of the church toward “making me happy.”

As a result—we want our churches to entertain us and feed us with all kinds of goodies—but we don’t see the need to engage in ministry. “Well, that’s why we have pastors—thank you very much!”

But, there is a reason why we grow. It is to:

Embrace God’s purpose for life.

Every believer is a minister. In fact, one of the main purposes of a pastor is to equip you for your ministry.

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

The vision of this church includes two heart-felt desires:

Serve: I dream of a church that enables everyone of all ages to discover, develop, and utilize their gifts in response to needs in the church, the community, and the world.

Go: I dream of a church empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach the lost by building relationships, showing love and compassion, and being a light in the darkness.

We are to be an enabling church and a church empowered by the Holy Spirit to help you fulfill your purpose for life.

And, when we engage in our God-called ministry, who will experience real joy and real peace—because you are in the center of what God has called you to do.

You will begin to experience the joy as a see the fruitfulness of your labor.

But, be careful, because an all-to-common pitfall is just around the corner:

3. Be Aware of Self-Glory.

It is natural to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. And, it can be intoxicating to receive the applause of those around you.

Don’t take the credit—but give the credit to God.

Embrace the life of a worshipper.

We ought to abandon self-glory and give the glory to God. It is the work of Christ that has set us free and has given us purpose—and has empowered us to do the work of God.

Worship: I dream of a church where people are fully engaged as a way of life in God-focused, Spirit-filled, and Spirit-led responsive worship.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Real Life Through Christ

One of the ordinances of the church is water baptism—where a follower of Christ illustrates the message of the Gospel and makes public their confession of faith.

Baptism illustrates that we have been crucified with Christ. Water symbolizes death and the old way of living.

Rising out of the water illustrates that “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

As a result, “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me.

Instructions to baptism candidates: Take your places to prepare for your baptism.