#1 - Live Like Life is New

• New Series for April

• Jesus holds all the spoils

• Stands ready to share them

• To give you a fresh start

• A NEW start

• ALL THINGS NEW!

• SERIES TEXT :

2 Corinthians 5:16 NKJV

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

• Saw Him as a man come to establish an earthly kingdom

• Great teacher • Attractive leader

• But with the death and resurrection . . .

• Especially the resurrection - what he had done was promised to us

• Not only for eternal life, but for NOW

• That’s why Paul says this in the next verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

• His resurrection put it all together

• All the things He taught and promised now made sense

• When He said:

John 10:10 NIV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

• He was saying that if we learn to do life HIS way - a NEW way - our lives will expand, blossom and become more satisfying

• But it takes a fresh start - a NEW start for these things to happen

• So where do we start? What do I do to attain this new life, this better life, this fuller life, this contented life?

• Want to give you some starting points, some NEW ways to think about things

• First, our series text says that we are a:

New Creation

• What does that mean?

• Jesus said you have to be born again

• So that means you start over with a:

New Father

• Earthly father (or lack thereof) molded

• Someone who instilled morals, values, character

• Someone we looked to for direction

• One who provided discipline

• Whether you had an earthly father or not, whether they put something in you or not

John 1:12 TPT

But those who embraced him and took hold of his name were given authority to become the children of God!

• Its no small thing to have God as your Father

• New provision, New goals, New destinies, New discipline

• Learn His way of discipline to get best results

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New Family

• If you have a new Daddy, you have new family

•

Ephesians 2:19 NIV

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,

• We just talked about what it means to live in a household with God as your father

• Also means there are other members of the family

• Realize that some of you have families that you don’t WANT to be around

• Painfully, the same can be said sometimes of church people

• But there are connections within the church, within this new family, that you need to make AND CULTIVATE

• Keep hanging with those out there . . .

• Need good influence, GOOD influence

New Standards

• Before Jesus, standards were money, wealth, status and things

• Others who seem to have what we want

• But now we look for new inspiration

• Where do we find it?

2 Peter 1:20–21 The Message

The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.

• Our new Father, new family has different standards

• Not standards as rules, but what we want out of life

• What we go after FIRST

• How we judge success or failure

•

New Passions

• What excites you

• What DRIVES you

• What you can’t quit thinking about

•

Galatians 5:24 NLT

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

• If I was driven by sex, love and money before, now I have new passions

• I can still have those things, but now I trust God to give them to me

Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

• When my heart changes, when the things that delight me change, when my passions change, then my satisfaction level changes

• Its really simple - If what drives me is always something better, then I can never be satisfied

If what drives me is what the Lord provides, then I will always be content

• And I will never lack

• Widow and Elijah at Zeraphath

• Here’s my final new thing for today:

New Love

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1 John 4:17–18 NLT

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

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