Transformative Gospel: From Old Self to New Creation
Summary
In the sermon, I was reminded that the gospel is not just about escaping hell or becoming a better person, but it's about a transformative exchange from old to new. The gospel is a funeral service for our old selves and a rebirthing into something new. This rebirth is not about behavior modification, but about becoming a new creation in Christ. This means walking in fellowship with Him, having faith, belief, and confession in Him, and becoming a son or daughter of God. This transformation is not just about gaining victory over death, hell, and the grave, but also about gaining freedom from sin and becoming slaves of righteousness.
The sermon also emphasized the importance of putting our faith into action. It's not enough to just repeat a prayer or lift our hands in worship. We need to actively live out our faith and be ambassadors of the good news. This means not just believing in God, but also living in a way that reflects His love and righteousness. The sermon also highlighted the importance of guarding our hearts, as everything in our lives flows from it. If our hearts are not touched by God, then what flows out of it will not be of God.
Key takeaways:
- The gospel is about a transformative exchange from old to new, not just about escaping hell or becoming a better person. ([01:14:40])
- Becoming a new creation in Christ means walking in fellowship with Him, having faith, belief, and confession in Him, and becoming a son or daughter of God. ([01:15:29])
- Our transformation in Christ is not just about gaining victory over death, hell, and the grave, but also about gaining freedom from sin and becoming slaves of righteousness. ([01:16:10])
- We need to actively live out our faith and be ambassadors of the good news, not just repeat a prayer or lift our hands in worship. ([02:08:55])
- It's important to guard our hearts, as everything in our lives flows from it. If our hearts are not touched by God, then what flows out of it will not be of God. ([01:03:56])
Study Guide
Main Points from the Sermon:
1. God has formed and created us, and He is waiting for the moment we say yes to Him. He gives us all the authority, and when we say "Your Kingdom Come," we are actually saying, "Lord, your rule, your authority, your reign is coming into the life in which I'm living." ([01:51:22] - [01:52:35])
2. One of the greatest torture chambers in our mind is the fact that we sometimes think we've got to do everything. This is called striving. We think our freedom from sin, our job promotion, our insert whatever is predicated on what we are or are not doing when the reality is it's all predicated on "your will be done." ([01:53:20] - [01:54:02])
3. Agreement with the Lord puts these things into action. It's a practical step. We believe what He told us and we want to put this into action. ([02:08:55] - [02:09:35])
4. God wants to do a new thing or continue to do a thing in your heart. Everything in your life flows right through your heart. If God hasn't touched your heart, just imagine what's flowing out of that heart. ([01:03:56] - [01:05:12])
Bible Chapters for the Group to Read:
1. Matthew 6
2. Matthew 17
Discussion Guide:
Observation Questions:
1. What does it mean when we say "Your Kingdom Come"?
2. How does the concept of striving relate to our relationship with God?
3. What does it mean to put our agreement with the Lord into action?
4. How does the condition of our heart affect our life?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Matthew 6 relate to the concept of God's authority and rule in our lives?
2. How does striving hinder our relationship with God according to Matthew 17?
3. How does our agreement with God put things into action in our lives?
4. How does the condition of our heart affect our relationship with God and others?
Application Questions:
1. How can we apply the concept of "Your Kingdom Come" in our daily lives?
2. How can we avoid the trap of striving in our relationship with God?
3. What practical steps can we take to put our agreement with God into action?
4. How can we allow God to touch and transform our hearts?
Devotional
Day 1: The Misconception of God's Love
The sermon emphasizes that our relationship with God is not transactional. We often fall into the trap of believing that our spiritual activities, such as reading the Bible or praying, are what earn us God's love and grace. However, God's love for us is constant and unconditional, regardless of our actions. This misconception can lead to feelings of guilt and shame when we fail to meet our own spiritual expectations. (Reference: [01:55:06])
Bible Passage: Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reflection: Reflect on times when you felt distant from God because you didn't meet your spiritual expectations. How can you shift your perspective to understand God's unconditional love?
Day 2: The Power of Agreement with God
The sermon highlights the importance of agreeing with God and putting our faith into action. This agreement is not just about believing in God's promises, but also about actively participating in His plans for our lives. (Reference: [02:08:55])
Bible Passage: James 2:26 - "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
Reflection: What are some practical steps you can take this week to put your faith into action?
Day 3: The Importance of Heart Transformation
The sermon underscores the importance of heart transformation in our spiritual journey. God desires to do a new thing in our hearts, transforming us from the inside out. This transformation is not about conforming to the world's standards, but about becoming more like God. (Reference: [01:03:56])
Bible Passage: Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Reflection: Reflect on areas in your life where you need God's transformative work. How can you surrender these areas to Him?
Day 4: Our New Identity in Christ
The sermon reminds us that we are new creatures in Christ. Our old nature has been crucified with Christ, and we have been raised into a new nature. This new identity is not based on our past mistakes or failures, but on God's righteousness and holiness. (Reference: [02:05:39])
Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Reflection: How does understanding your new identity in Christ change the way you view yourself and your relationship with God?
Day 5: The Call to Remember
The sermon calls us to remember our first encounters with God. These moments of revelation and transformation are powerful reminders of God's love and grace. They serve as anchors in our faith journey, reminding us of who we are in Christ. (Reference: [02:07:39])
Bible Passage: Deuteronomy 8:2 - "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands."
Reflection: Reflect on your first encounters with God. How do these memories strengthen your faith in times of doubt or struggle?
Quotes
1. "We demolish the LIE right now that we are just the same old person. Scripture and Truth tells us that we are born again in the likeness of God in his righteousness and in his Holiness. So You Are Holy because he is Holy, you are righteous because he is righteous, you are loved because he loves." - 02:05:39
2. "Right now the Lord himself is lavishing continually his gifts upon you and it's not anything that you've done to deserve this but merely because of who you are in your yes he says yes because he loves you." - 02:06:54
3. "Remember what it was like when we came to him those first times. Remember my friend, remember my son, remember my daughter. Oh but look at what I've done. No, no, no, no, look at Who You Are and I've created you and I say come. I've grafted you in." - 02:08:18
4. "We put a lot of faith in a lot of things. We put Faith in cars that if we pay enough money that they'll continue to run. We put a lot of faith in that the meal that we're about to go by that it's going to make us full for a long time. We act by faith in a lot of ways all the time with our money and we believe that the thing that we pay for is going to do what it's going to do when reality the only Heavenly investment that matters that you can depend on is the Lord." - 01:00:56
5. "It's in our weakness he is strength. So I chill, I breathe and I realize the truth of the Gospel that he is the one leading, guiding, moving in all of these things. There is a cost to all this and it's your life." - 02:00:08
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