Moving Forward - Pt. 5
Notes
Transcript
Hey church, who can align with the lyrics of our new song for the month?
You know, the reality of your sin is no secret. It is not to you, and it is certainly not a secret to God!
Those around you may know about them, and they may not. But God does. And the truth of that song is that our sins are many - but God’s mercy is more.
Isn’t it a relief this morning knowing that you can run to God with your brokenness instead of needing to try to run away from Him?
God knows every failure - and loves you anyway. And friend, His mercy is tied to grace. Not only does he forgive sinners, he graciously brings those who come to Him in faith on a journey of sanctification - a journey of transformation.
You see our sins are many, but God’s design is not to overlook them as if they are ok. In His holiness He must judge sin, but Christ took that judgement - and now as the redeemed we are to live a life of holiness - a life that is now different because we have experienced His grace and mercy. And that life of holiness is not just expected by God, it is enabled by Him too.
You see, it’s very possible to live a religious life, even walk a presentable christian life, and not take the time to really walk with God.
I’ll say it again, It’s possible to walk the Christian walk, and not walk with God.
And that is why we are emphasizing Gospel-centered Transformation.
Gospel-Centered Transformation: Slowing down sufficiently for the will and presence of God to fill our lives doesn't happen naturally. We intentionally embrace our limitations and strive to allow the rhythms of our lives to reflect the grace and goodness of God. Centering our hearts and schedules on the gospel transforms the way we pray, rest, relate to others, and work. Although perfection is not a reality on this side of heaven, progressive growth is a result of a life impacted by the gospel daily.
Jesus confronted those who profess to know Him but who really don’t in Matthew 7
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In a bold way, Christ confronts the idea that doing is the same as being.
Now we know that God is all knowing. In fact, as we have been learning on Sunday evenings through Psalm 139 - God formed us and knew everything about us, even before Creation.
Of course God knows us all, but what is Jesus talking about in Matt. 7?
“Know” here refers to the intimate, personal knowing of relationship.
What Christ is saying, is that it’s possible to do the christian thing and not actually be a Christian. It’s possible to look, act, smell, and do right, without being in relationship with God. And that is what we are embracing when we speak of Gospel-centered Transformation.
Friend, we emphasize the Gospel in our transformation, because we are not just wanting lives that are different because we have tried harder this time. A Gospel-centered Transformation is not us depending on us, but rather pursuing and depending on God to work in us toward transformation.
As we spent time together last week, we looked at the truth that: There is no magical way to know and live out the will of God, apart from knowing the Word of God.
So we begin our understanding of Gospel-centered Transformation with the basics of our depravity and the desperate need we each have for God to change us - and that change begins in our minds. The key to your life being transformed by the Gospel is by incrementally renewing your mind in the Word of God.
And this renewal is accomplished through daily abiding in Christ. If you would, join me in John 15.
On His journey from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus teaches His disciples some incredible truths. Beginning in verse one of chapter 15, Christ gives His final words to those who will carry on His message. It is on this walk that we will learn that the secret to a transformed life is found only in an abiding life in Christ.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Notice with me this morning:
1. The Platform of Abiding (vv. 1-3)
A. The True Vine (v. 1a)
being Christ
B. The Vinedresser (Farmer) (v. 1b)
Being the Father
C. The Branches (v. 2)
1.) Fruitless Branches (v. 2a)
The New King James Version Chapter 15
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
These fruitless branches seem to indicate those who are not true believers. They look right, do right, but indeed were not in right relationship.
Many believe he is hinting toward Judas - getting ready to betray him.
2.) Fruitful Branches (v. 2b)
The New King James Version Chapter 15
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
God’s working in the lives of those who are truly His are pruned. He takes away what is not necessary, to produce what is necessary. And we find this
D. The Pruning (vv. 2b-3)
1.) The Action (v. 2b)
Hebrews 12:1 “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us....”
2.) The Agent (v. 3)
John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
2. The Purpose of Abiding (vv. 4-5)
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
A. Our Plight (v. 4)
Romans 3:10-12 “…There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
B. His Plan (v. 5)
Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
3. The Peril of Not Abiding (v. 6)
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
4. The Product of Abiding (vv. 7-8)
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
A. Unity (v. 7)
1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
B. Glorification (v. 8)
Ephesians 1:11b-12 “…according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”
So how does this apply to us?
I want you to think with me about pulled pork.
It is possible to take a hunk of pork and stick it in the microwave. It may explode, and it won’t taste very good, but it is possible to take it and cook it in a microwave.
On the other hand you could smoke the hunk of meat in a smoker - but that takes a lot longer. It takes the right tools and patience, and in the end - wow!
The same goes with our relationship with GOd.
You can run around, frantically trying to microwave your relationship with him.
Pray here, read your bible there, attend gatherings with your church family when it works in your schedule, create a system to make you feel better about your relationship with him. It is possible to look religious in your rushed life - but it’s likewise very possible to not know God in all of that.
On the other hand, there is an option of slowing down and embracing our limitations.
You know friend, we can’t do everything. We are not God. There are times when important things fall through the cracks of our lives. We miss the mark on the expectations of others and of ourselves. But Gospel-centered transformation embraces our limitations. And instead of trying to do it all in our own ability, we
strive to allow the rhythms of our lives to reflect the grace and goodness of God.
Friend, planning a day of rest is not a bad thing. It is not a badge of honor to burn the candle on both ends!
So instead of just running from point a to point b, we challenge each other to center our hearts and schedules on the gospel, transforming the way we pray, rest, relate to others, and work.
As we walk though healhty discipleship on Sunday evenings beginning on the 16th of this month, it will emphasize setting a Rule of Life that balances life into those four categories.
And as we conclude this emphasis, we embrace that Although perfection is not a reality on this side of heaven, progressive growth is a result of a life impacted by the gospel daily.
Friend,
Is your abiding sporadic? are you on spiritual auto-pilot?
We know that God knows everything about us - but the question this morning is: Does He have access TO everything about us?
Friend, Gospel-centered transformation boils down to surrender - giving God complete access to everything about us - and that can’t happen in a microwave - that’s a low and slow meat smoker type of situation.