Christ-Centered Alignment

Today we conclude the series Experience the Difference with an important message that requires… action.

The point of this series is simple… Knowing Jesus makes all the difference!

He makes all the difference in our lives. He makes all the difference in how we see the world.

Every message we have presented in this series has encouraged us to place Christ at the center of who we are.

We talked about having Christ-centered hearts, souls, minds, and relationships. We talked about depending on His power that is at work within us.

Such things will make a tremendous difference in our lives they all work to place Jesus at the center of our lives!

This last message is going to encourage us to… move. It is going to encourage us to look deep and to make corrections where needed. It is going to highlight the importance of Christ-Centered… alignment.

You’ve heard me use this word often and I want to define what I mean by alignment.

Alignment defined is arrangement in a straight line, or in correct or appropriate relative positions. Misalignment defined is the incorrect arrangement or position of something in relation to something else.

When it comes to alignment… there is a center or a standard by which everything must function in order for things to function… well.

For instance, if one of the four wheels on your car is not aligned according to the standard, it will result in an unpleasant driving experience and it can cause premature wear on your tires. The vehicle can/will pull to one side… as that wheel is not pointing in the same direction as the others.

If all four wheels are aligned properly, the car travels down the road with ease. It is able to navigate the curves, the hills, the obstacles, and the stops safely.

The same can absolutely be said of the way we navigate life. Our lives will be aligned with… something. All of us look in some direction for a center or a standard to align our lives with.

This might be the way we feel. This might be the way or direction of culture. This might be the way or traditions a family has always observed. This might be the direction our likes or dislikes tell us to go. There are many things, many ways, many “lifestyles” a person can choose.

The standard or the center we choose to align ourselves with is important. In fact, that standard will determine the direction you go in life.

As believers, it is essential to our walk with the Lord that Jesus is the standard or the center that we come into alignment with.

It is NOT enough for Jesus to become a part of who we are… Jesus must be at the center of ALL that we are. A person must make the proper adjustments if life in order to come into alignment with the Lord and His ways.

Ultimately… what I’m talking about is bringing our doing in alignment with our being.

First… who are we, today? If you are in Christ, then you are a Christian. you are a follower of Jesus. That is WHO you are. You are His Son, you are His daughter.

Second… if that is who you are, then it will show up in what you do. Your faith MUST be more than a claim. Your being a Christ follower should be reflected in ALL that you do.

It will show up in your conversations at the coffee shop.

It will show up in the way you treat your family at home behind closed doors.

It will show up in the way you interact with coworkers.

It will show up in the way you treat employees or your boss.

It will show up in the way you handle conflict.

(Main Point) Proper alignment with Christ will result in a life that radiates His light.

I desire for the light of Christ to make a difference in the heartland! but in order for that to happen, I know His light must be making a difference… in me. Church… it starts with us. It starts in this room. Before we look outward, I believe God is asking us to look inward.

Is your life properly aligned with Jesus today? Does your being a Christian impact what you do and say on a daily basis? Do you operate in the world as you do in this house?

If the answer to those questions is no… then things might be out of alignment. And here’s the deal… you don’t need me to stand here and tell you that. You know this already from the pull you feel in multiple directions.

Similar to a car that is giving you warning… you know today that some things are in need of adjustment. And praise be to God… Jesus has given us the standard… He has given us instruction on how to live life in alignment with Him. And… He His grace is there to help us along the way.

Misalignment requires correction.

Several years back, I had an eye problem. It was a problem that could not be fixed with glasses. I was seeing… double. Every time I looked to the left… I would see double.

The muscles in my eyes… were NOT working together. My brain tried to bring the images together which resulted in eye strain and headaches. It was frustrating and… it was something that would require corrective surgery. The surgery wasn’t fun per se… but my focus was fixed. My eyes now work together giving me proper vision.

Misalignment is not something we can simply place a band aide on.

For me… glasses could not fix the problem.

On a car, a set of new tires will not fix the problem.

Correction will ONLY come when we treat the cause of the misalignment.

Today, I want to encourage you to allow the Spirit of God to do a little… surgery. If you find some things out of line, then let’s allow the Spirit of God to help us bring things back to the standard… back to Jesus.

Jesus gave us an amazing teaching on what life in alignment with Him looks like. It’s called the Sermon on the Mount.

We are going to look briefly at three points today… but I would encourage you to read this sermon in its entirety from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7. Jesus helps us to see what it looks like when our doing is aligned with our being in Christ.

Seek First.

This first point comes from about the midway point of Jesus’ sermon. It comes from His instruction found in Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:33 NIV

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

What things is Jesus talking about at the end of the verse? Everything a person might worry about! before we get there, let’s talk about Jesus’ instruction.

Jesus gives this command as an alternate path for worry. How often is a person guided by the “worries” they might have?

How often does a person align themselves with these worries? If we desire for the worry to go away, then we must seek a solution, seek a resolve for the worry at hand.

Some of the worrisome things that Jesus lists are

Life in general

Food - what you eat and drink

The physical condition of your body

What you will wear.

Jesus talks about the basic necessities of life. He talks about the things we utilize daily. He doesn’t get into the complexities… He keeps it pretty simple here. Why? Because sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can become the largest distractions!

Worry and fear is a leading cause of misalignment in our walk with Jesus. Worry and fear have a tendency to move us from Savior… to self. A person can become fixated on the worry.

What Jesus wants us to realize today is this… God has ALL of this taken care of! God is our protector and our provider. Worry will not add anything to your life… it will ONLY take away!

So the remedy… the correction Jesus gives is to seek first His kingdom AND his righteousness.

First, seek the kingdom of God. PLACE GOD FIRST in your life. Nothing should come before Him.

Troubles will come and troubles will go. If we desire to navigate those troubles appropriately, we need to seek God FIRST and the solution WILL come. That is a PROMISE you can take to the bank.

Seeking anything else before God is a gamble… we have no idea how it will work out. But in seeking God we are given a promise… ALL THESE THINGS will be given to you as well!!!

Second, we need to seek His righteousness.

Unchecked worry and fear… can lead to spiritual compromise. Unchecked worry and fear can cause a person to do what goes against who they are in Christ.

In relationships - the fear of not knowing if a couple is compatible might lead them to compromise by choosing to live together before marriage. Interesting fact: a secular study just came out saying that marriages that begin this way often fail later down the road.

In finances - the fear of not having enough money might keep a person from giving to God or to others. That fear leads a person to rob God and to rob themselves of the blessings God desires to pour out on them financially (See Malachi 3:8-12)

In overall health - the fear of not having enough time to get the job done might cause a person to compromise the need to practice Sabbath. The mental and physical and spiritual toll it takes is undeniable.

If worry or fear… often leads us to take matters into our own hands. It leads us to do as we see fit. But God has given us the way… a way that is greater than our own understanding.

Seeking God first means we place His righteousness first. When we feel led to compromise our walk out of worry… we need to allow the righteousness of God to kick in and to be our guide.

I have NEVER regretted doing things God’s way. NEVER. But I have plenty of examples of regret that resulted in doing things my way.

Proper alignment in our walk with the Lord requires we seek first the kingdom and His righteousness.

If anything else is being sought first over God… then it’s time we make the proper adjustments. Today is all about placing Savior over self and we will have the opportunity to do so at the end of the message.

Do the Will.

Do the will. What does this mean exactly? It means to carry out the will of the Father.

Proper alignment in our walk with Christ will result in doing the will of the Father. It will result in pacing His plan… over our plan.

God has a plan. He has a plan for you… and He has a plan for His church. And God desires for His people to follow and carry out His plan.

This second point relies heavily upon the first point that we discussed just a moment ago. Why? Because in order to know and live God’s plan… we must be seeking God… first… above everything else.

Doing the will of the Father requires that we surrender our will to Him. It requires that we do not attempt to go in multiple directions… but we align ourselves with the direction God is leading us.

Such will alignment separates the true disciples.... from the false ones.

Jesus drops a clear point on this in His sermon.

Matthew 7:21–23 NIV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Jesus gives some interesting details here. He lays out the truth that there will be people who “do” things for the Father, but they did so according to their plan. These folks will be rejected as they ultimately rejected God.

This all comes down to who’s plan we choose to follow. This all comes down to our agenda.

If we set out to do a work in the name of the Lord and it is a work that the Lord had nothing to do with, we are simply doing something for our sake and not for the sake of the kingdom.

This theme runs all throughout Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

For instance, in the are of giving (Matthew 6:1-4)- if we give to others so that our “good” actions will be seen by others, we can expect to receive no reward in heaven. Why? Because all that person was seeking was reward on earth.

However, if a person follows the will of the Father as displayed in something like the beatitudes, they can expect blessings from God as they place His will above all else.

Only those who do the will of God the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. Such are those who have properly aligned their lives to the ways of the Lord.

So how is it that a person becomes aware of the will of God? I do not believe any of us want to find ourselves in a position where Jesus says, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!”

Knowing His will comes through being transformed. Knowing His will comes through the renewing of our minds.

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Knowing His will means unplugging from the pattern of this world… a selfish and consummeristic pattern… and plugging into His ways.

God’s will is knowable. God’s plan is livable. he has given us all that we need to operate according to His ways.

He has given us His Son, Jesus, so that our lives could be forgiven and redeemed by His blood.

He has given us His Spirit that our witness might be empowered and that our lives might be guided by His voice.

We truly have what we need to do the will of the Father!

The key in all of this is found in the supernatural renewal of your mind. That supernatural renewal comes through seeking God… FIRST.

We seek Him through the power of His Word.

We must know the Word… we must live the Word. We must move from self to Savior. We must trust and lean on His understanding over our understanding. We must… give it all to God.

We seek Him through the power of prayer.

We believe in the power of prayer! We believe in talking to God and making time to also hear from God! He speaks to us through His Word and through His Spirit. Prayer opens the doors for amazing possibility in the Lord… and it helps us in our alignment with His ways.

Prayer is the last point I want to bring out of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Pray Genuine Prayers.

Matthew 6:5–8 NIV

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus wants us to be real… Jesus wants us to be genuine. Jesus desires for our alignment with God to show up even in how we pray.

The first thing Jesus does is point out the wrong. Yes, church, we can get it wrong when we pray. But it might surprise you how that a person might get prayer wrong.

Many people struggle with prayer because they are afraid they might get it wrong. They fear they might say the wrong thing or that they might not know what to say at all. This is NOT what Jesus was talking about in His sermon.

Prayers are misaligned when they are for show. Prayers are misaligned when they are formulated to bring glory to another other than God.

Jesus talks about those who pray from high positions, who pray to be seen by others, and who pray using many words. He makes clear they have received their “reward” in full which is no reward at all.

A properly aligned believer will not pray to be seen, will not pray to impress, and will not pray to make a name for themselves.

Prayer is a POWERFUL tool that God has given us… it is a direct line of communication between the believer and God.

Prayer opens doors we cannot open on our own. Prayer helps us to align our hearts and our motives with the ways of the Lord.

Prayer moves us beyond ourselves and into what I call the posture of possibility. When we get on our knees, when we humble ourselves before the Lord, when we kneel in reverence and in worship and talk to Him, we know that God hears AND answers our prayers.

God wants you to be genuine when you talk to Him. God wants you to be real with Him when you talk to Him. God already knows what you need before you ask Him, but the way in which you ask also matters to God.

And I know today that you know today the value of genuine prayers! WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER!

We have seen God do amazing things because of the prayers of this church. We are going to continue to see God do amazing things because of the prayers of this church!

Genuine prayer places Savior over self. Genuine prayer places Jesus at the center… it places His will above all else… we seek God first and His righteousness as we call on His name. The example prayer Jesus gives highlights these truths.

Matthew 6:9–13 KJV 1900

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This prayer starts with praise - hallowed be thy name (holy is your name)

This prayer moves to humble surrender - thy WILL be done

This prayer call for spiritual sustenance from God - truth of His Word

This prayer calls for forgiveness AND the power to forgive

This prayer calls for guidance AWAY from sin.

This prayer… is FULLY centered on God, on who He is, and on what He has in store.

Prayer should absolutely move us from self to Savior. Genuine prayers help to align us with the will of the Father and they help us to seek God, first.

Closing

These are but three examples out of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount of HOW a believer comes into proper alignment with God.

This shows how our doing comes into alignment with our being… a believer. Remember, Proper alignment with Christ will result in a life that radiates His light.

Jesus Himself has called all of us… has identified all believers as the light of this world.

Matthew 5:14–16 NIV

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are here to be a guiding light to all… a light that shines through the love of Christ and brings glory to our Father in heaven.

Jesus’ sermon on the Mount gives very practical instruction on what this looks like. It is faith… IN ACTION. It is mission in motion. It is the saved who are serving. It looks different and sounds different than the way the world does things… and that is the point.

Knowing Jesus… makes all the difference. Living Jesus… will make all the difference in the heartland.

It will change your home, your family, your school, your workplace, your neighborhood, your community, and so on. It will change your life as worry gives way to trusting in God. It will change your trajectory as your plan gives way to His Will. It will open up new doors as potential gives way to infinite possibilities.

I desire for my entire life to be aligned with God.

A person must not try to make God align with who they are… instead we must come into alignment with who He is.

Are you willing to make that change? Are you willing to make the adjustments needed? Are you willing to do what it takes to get all that you are aligned with our Lord and Savior today?

PRAYER

Salvation

Help us Lord, to place the Savior over self in ALL things.