Living a Christ-Centered Life: Embracing Sacrifice and Service
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the profound significance of living a lifestyle modeled after Christ. As we approach the season of Lent, our attention is drawn to the sacrifice of Jesus, which enables our relationship with God. This relationship is not just a personal journey but a communal mission to reach out to those in need, offering them a hand and leading them into a deeper understanding of God's love, mercy, and grace. We are called to be witnesses and lights in a world that often feels dark, embodying the commission to make disciples and teach them about Jesus.
The lifestyle of Christ is deeply rooted in prayer, which is the foundation of our communication with God. Through prayer, we receive guidance and strength to live out our faith. This lifestyle requires a confession of who Jesus is, as demonstrated by Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This confession is not just a statement but a transformative act that brings us into the family of God, where we are recognized as sons and daughters.
However, living this lifestyle is not without challenges. Like Peter, we may find ourselves stumbling, but God's grace is sufficient, and He calls us to rise again. We are reminded that our journey is not about perfection but about faithfulness and obedience. The power we receive through our confession and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit equips us to stand firm against the forces of darkness. We are given the keys to the kingdom, symbolizing authority and responsibility to bind and loose according to God's will.
As we take up our cross and follow Jesus, we are called to deny ourselves and embrace a life of selfless service. This path may lead to earthly trials, but it promises eternal glory with God. The paradox of losing our life to gain it is a profound truth that challenges worldly understanding. In a world that offers emptiness, God offers fullness and life. Our mission is to live out this truth, to be the church that goes on the offensive against the enemy, and to bring light to those in darkness.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Power of Confession: Confessing Jesus as Lord is not just a verbal declaration but a transformative act that brings us into God's family. This confession empowers us with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to live a life that reflects Christ's love and grace. [39:48]
2. Living a Prayer-Centered Life: A lifestyle modeled after Christ is deeply rooted in prayer. Through prayer, we receive guidance and strength to navigate life's challenges and fulfill our mission as disciples. Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with God and the source of our spiritual power. [35:06]
3. Embracing Self-Denial: Following Jesus requires us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. This means surrendering our desires and embracing a life of selfless service. Though challenging, this path leads to eternal glory and a deeper relationship with God. [01:01:48]
4. The Authority of the Kingdom: As believers, we are given the keys to the kingdom, symbolizing authority and responsibility. This authority allows us to bind and loose according to God's will, impacting both the spiritual and physical realms. [55:49]
5. Victory Through Obedience: True freedom and victory are found in obedience to Christ. By following His example and living a life of faith, we overcome the enemy's schemes and bring light to a world in darkness. Our mission is to be the church that actively engages in spiritual warfare with love and truth. [01:14:17]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:43] - Prayer and Thanksgiving
- [31:34] - Offering and Community Updates
- [34:08] - Weather and Personal Anecdotes
- [35:06] - Introduction to the Lifestyle of Christ
- [36:52] - The Confession of Peter
- [38:10] - Understanding the Cost of Discipleship
- [39:48] - The Significance of Our New Name
- [41:56] - Peter's Misstep and Our Human Nature
- [43:36] - The Importance of Aligning with Scripture
- [45:57] - Lessons from the Israelites
- [49:11] - The Power of Confession and the Holy Spirit
- [52:08] - Building the Church in Dark Places
- [53:55] - The Armor of God
- [55:49] - Keys to the Kingdom and Spiritual Authority
- [01:01:48] - Denying Ourselves and Following Christ
- [01:06:17] - The Paradox of Gaining Life by Losing It
- [01:14:17] - Victory and Freedom in Obedience
- [01:18:06] - Living a Counter-Cultural Lifestyle
- [01:19:39] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 16:13-26: This passage includes Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus' response about building His church, and the call to take up one's cross and follow Him.
#### Observation Questions
1. What was Peter's confession about Jesus, and how did Jesus respond to it? ([36:52])
2. How does Jesus describe the authority given to Peter and the church in Matthew 16:19? ([36:52])
3. What does Jesus say about the cost of discipleship in Matthew 16:24-26? ([38:10])
4. How does the sermon describe the role of prayer in living a lifestyle modeled after Christ? ([35:06])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean for a confession of faith to be a transformative act, as described in the sermon? How does this relate to Peter's confession? ([39:48])
2. How does the sermon explain the concept of "binding and loosing" in the context of spiritual authority? ([55:49])
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that self-denial and taking up one's cross lead to a deeper relationship with God? ([01:01:48])
4. How does the sermon interpret the paradox of losing one's life to gain it, and what implications does this have for believers? ([01:06:17])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own confession of faith. How has it transformed your life, and in what areas do you still seek transformation? ([39:48])
2. How can you incorporate more prayer into your daily routine to strengthen your relationship with God and receive guidance? ([35:06])
3. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to practice self-denial. What steps can you take this week to deny yourself and follow Christ more closely? ([01:01:48])
4. Consider the authority and responsibility you have as a believer. How can you use this authority to positively impact your community and those around you? ([55:49])
5. Think of a situation where you need to "take up your cross." How can you approach this challenge with faith and perseverance, trusting in God's promise of eternal glory? ([01:06:17])
6. Reflect on a time when you felt like you were losing your life for Christ's sake. How did this experience lead to spiritual growth or a deeper understanding of God's purpose for you? ([01:09:25])
7. How can you actively engage in spiritual warfare with love and truth in your daily life, bringing light to those in darkness? ([01:14:17])
Devotional
Day 1: Confession as Transformation
Confessing Jesus as Lord is more than a verbal declaration; it is a transformative act that brings believers into the family of God. This confession empowers individuals with the Holy Spirit, enabling them to live a life that reflects Christ's love and grace. By acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, believers are not only making a statement of faith but are also entering into a new identity as sons and daughters of God. This transformation is foundational to the Christian journey, as it sets the stage for a life of faithfulness and obedience. [39:48]
Matthew 16:16-19 (ESV): "Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'"
Reflection: Think about a time when you publicly declared your faith. How did that moment change your relationship with God and others around you?
Day 2: Prayer as the Foundation
A lifestyle modeled after Christ is deeply rooted in prayer, which serves as the foundation of communication with God. Through prayer, believers receive guidance and strength to navigate life's challenges and fulfill their mission as disciples. Prayer is not just a ritual but a vital connection to the divine, empowering individuals to live out their faith with courage and conviction. It is through this ongoing dialogue with God that believers find the spiritual power needed to overcome obstacles and remain steadfast in their journey. [35:06]
Colossians 4:2-4 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."
Reflection: How can you incorporate more intentional prayer into your daily routine to seek guidance and strength from God?
Day 3: The Call to Self-Denial
Following Jesus requires believers to deny themselves and take up their cross, surrendering personal desires in favor of a life of selfless service. This path, though challenging, leads to eternal glory and a deeper relationship with God. The paradox of losing one's life to gain it is a profound truth that challenges worldly understanding, inviting believers to embrace a counter-cultural lifestyle that prioritizes spiritual fulfillment over earthly gains. By choosing to follow Christ's example, believers find true purpose and joy in serving others. [01:01:48]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"
Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you can practice self-denial this week. How can this act of surrender bring you closer to God?
Day 4: Exercising Kingdom Authority
As believers, individuals are given the keys to the kingdom, symbolizing authority and responsibility to bind and loose according to God's will. This authority impacts both the spiritual and physical realms, empowering believers to stand firm against the forces of darkness. By exercising this God-given authority, believers can influence the world around them, bringing about positive change and advancing God's kingdom on earth. This responsibility calls for discernment and alignment with God's purposes, ensuring that actions taken reflect His will and character. [55:49]
Matthew 18:18-20 (ESV): "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
Reflection: In what ways can you exercise your spiritual authority to bring about God's will in your community or personal life?
Day 5: Victory Through Obedience
True freedom and victory are found in obedience to Christ. By following His example and living a life of faith, believers overcome the enemy's schemes and bring light to a world in darkness. This mission involves actively engaging in spiritual warfare with love and truth, embodying the church's role as a beacon of hope and transformation. Obedience to Christ is not about perfection but about faithfulness, trusting that God's grace is sufficient to empower believers to fulfill their calling and experience the fullness of life He offers. [01:14:17]
1 John 5:3-5 (ESV): "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can practice greater obedience to Christ today? How might this lead to victory and freedom in your spiritual journey?
Quotes
I just pray that we are able to reach out to people who are hurting in our community I pray that we are able to give them a hand up and lead them into a deeper relationship with you Lord I pray that we have a heart for yours and that we have your eyes to see those people and that we are able to live out the commission that your son has called us to to see people and to make them a disciple by teaching them more about Jesus and his love for them and your mercy and your grace for all of us that is so free and willing for everyone to accept it and I thank you for the opportunity that we get to be your witnesses be your light in this world that is so dark Lord I also pray for the ones in our box Lord you know exactly the ones that are in there and Lord I know the hearts that have been praying for them I know how earnest they are that those people that they have written down and placed would come to a better understanding of you and of who you are and I pray that this week there will be conversations had that would pull them in and that they are able to receive the warmth of your love that they would understand the presence of you even when they're at their lowest points that you would just continue to fill them and allow the ones who are having the conversation let your words come out and let them not be stressed or anxious about trying to have something prepared Lord because I know that you will always be there for me that you will always bring to the hearts and minds the right words to say and I pray that for this week Lord I also pray for those who may be traveling whether it be for the Super Bowl or whether it be for other things Lord anytime we decide to walk outside there's a risk I pray that you would give them a blanket of safety we love you and we give you praise it's in Jesus mighty name that I pray Amen [00:27:52]
So, last week, we talked about a significant prayer life, right? And significant means it's got to be important, you know, or it's got to be an event that has to have some meaning to it. And so, we looked at it as being important. Now, this week, I want us to talk about a significant lifestyle of Christ, which means an event, but that event has to be your entire life. And in order to do that, we have to be rooted in prayer. That's where all of this stems from. You know, it's with the posture of your heart, as we learned in our last series, that everything flows from our heart. So, everything in the lifestyle of Christ is rooted in prayer. [00:35:10]
So, it's because in prayer is when we are in those conversations with God and we're able to hear what He's directing us to do, we get those inner proddings. We get those inner things that we need to do. And in order to understand this lifestyle and the power that we will receive as the church who follow this lifestyle, we're going to read out of Matthew 16, verses 30 to 26. [00:35:55]
So the very first thing that we have to come to an understanding of this lifestyle of Christ is that there has to be a confession of who Jesus is. And in that confession, Peter says that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Well, I guess he was Simon at this point, right? Simon says, you know, we should follow what Simon says, right? Simon says, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. In order for us to be in the kingdom of heaven and the family of God, we follow what Simon says. We have to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. And then Jesus immediately gives Simon a new name. [00:38:53]
And this new name means that you are not alone. You are now adopted into the family. See, we all have a name in here, right? We all have been given a name at our birth. Some names we pick up while we're in school, and they might be good names or bad names or somewhere in between. But the name you get whenever you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and come into the family is son or daughter. And that is an important distinction that we all get to have when we accept Jesus as Lord, because he comes along and says brother, and God recognizes you as son or daughter. [00:39:48]
We as Christians need to be extremely aware of when we are speaking, because we can either speak for God and build up the kingdom, or we can speak for Satan and destroy it. And if you destroy the kingdom, you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. And it's in this rebuke that we understand that Peter's rebuke did not line up with what the Scripture said. Because we know in Isaiah 53, it talks about the suffering servant and what he was supposed to do. And Jesus was here to fulfill all the laws and the prophets. [00:43:12]
Jesus challenged them to build the church where corruption was dominant. The gates of Hades, where this was, was one of the most most corrupt places in Caesarea Philippi of what sacrifices they were doing and what rituals they were doing. And I read them so you didn't have to. They're not very good, right? There's pretty, pretty gruesome. But where morality was turning towards evil, that's where Jesus was calling his people. That's where he was calling his people to build the church, to be on the attack against such forces. Ephesians 6, 12 -17 tells us what exactly we should do in these situations and how to be on guard for it. [00:52:18]
But what's more important is that the helmet of salvation has to be the finishing piece. Because without salvation, the sword of the spirit is not as good. The shield of faith is not as effective. The shield of faith is not as effective. Because if you don't have salvation and belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the word became flesh, how on earth are you going to wield the sword? How on earth are you going to have faith in something you can't see to guard yourself? How on earth are you going to have faith in something you can't see to guard yourself? [00:54:30]
When we become Christians, we get keys to one kingdom, and that key will open or shut whatever is within God's will in our life. I'm gonna say that because there are people who would take that and say, health, wealth, and prosperity. That's not how this works. I'm gonna say it right now. That's not how this works. You have to be living within God's will and be discerning of God's will and be using the key for his kingdom rather than your own kingdom. Now, if God chooses to bless you because of your obedience and what you do in your obedience, that's great. [00:56:23]
But we have to reject our own desires to accept the desires of God. Because if we're too full of ourself, there's not enough space for God to operate. So in order for God to operate within us, we have to start casting away. All those negative behaviors. We got to start allowing God to reveal those things to us so we can start casting them aside. But denying of self is different than self -denial, right? [01:00:37]
We practice self -denial like during a season of Lent or we're fasting or like, man, you know, I'm going to go on a social media fast. Well, that's self -denial. When you deny yourself. That means you're completely surrendering, surrendering your whole body to God and taking on a selfless service for others with nothing in return because the world is not going to understand it and they're going to do their best to use and abuse it because we are in a world of individualism where [01:01:48]
If we expect it to be pleasant or mild we will become upset with God because we're going to start questioning God why I'm denying myself but every time I do bad things happen to me I thought it was supposed to be all hunky -dory rainbows and sunshine when I started following you but if we go back to Scripture Jesus told his disciples in this world you will have trouble with God. But take heart for I have overcome the world so if we start twisting the scripture with our own heart just as Peter was twisting it unintentionally and thought man if I could just stop Jesus from getting killed man Jesus if this was more pleasant I would do this all the time he doesn't ask us to be comfortable Jesus didn't have a place to lay down his head he didn't have his own house [01:03:43]
So, there's victory and freedom found in the obedience of following Jesus. Following that cross each and every single day. When the enemy comes to play that Samuel song and dance, you have all the answers and you have the best weapon against him. You just have to be steeped in it. You have to train yourself in it. When I was younger, we flipped through a Bible so often, we called them sword drills, because you needed to be able to find whatever passage it was that they said and be able to read the verse before someone beat you. [01:14:43]
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