"It's A Wonderful Life"
December 21, 2008
with Adam Waters
INTRODUCTION
· COLD OPEN: Have you ever been brought back from the dead. Told a story of my trip to the hospital in 1997 and my near-death experience.
· What is the state of your life?
· Is it? (dead)– inanimate, without life, without physical sensation, insensitive, corpse-like, no activity or interest, no longer current, broken down, not burning, non-resonant, exhausted, doomed, producing no yield, out of play, boring, dull, uninteresting, flat, numb, stiff, frozen, empty, silent, blank, and for fun: landing close to a golf hole?
· Or is it full, animated, interesting, aware, breathing, busy, active, vibrant, bustling, buzzing, successful, flourishing… ALIVE?
· Today, as we look at our relationship with Jesus, we need to recognize Christ’s power over both death and life.
D-THOUGHT: Jesus brings life to a dying world.
· Jesus alone can shock you out of your current state.
· He reshapes our expectations of life ~ John 5:1-15 Take a look at how after 38 years he can reshape not only the man’s physical life, but his spiritual life as well.
· He reshapes our expectations of death ~ John 5:16-30 Take a look at how Jesus reshapes the judgment process to something so simple.
· He reshapes our expectations of the Word ~ John 5:31-47 Take a look at how Jesus reshapes how we read scripture and how we interact with it.
Re-Evaluate your Jesus fixation…
The first week we discussed Jesus’ ability to bring faith to a cynical world. How a real relationship with the Savior brings that “Jesus! I know him!” kind of reaction.
Next, we discussed His ability to bring light to a dying world: How a relationship with Him changes our job descriptions
As we Reevaluate our Jesus fixation this week, we need to look at
Ephesians 2:1-10 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
· JOHN 5:25 “All who listen will live.”
· JOHN 5:41-42 “Approval of those outside the faith does NOT matter!”
· JOHN 5:36 “The greatest witness is YOUR life!”
· Make the George Bailey choice of “I want to live again.”
· I leave you simply with the words of William Wallace: “Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”
· What is the state of your life?
· Is it? (dead)– inanimate, without life, without physical sensation, insensitive, corpse-like, no activity or interest, no longer current, broken down, not burning, non-resonant, exhausted, doomed, producing no yield, out of play, boring, dull, uninteresting, flat, numb, stiff, frozen, empty, silent, blank, and for fun: landing close to a golf hole?
· Or is it full, animated, interesting, aware, breathing, busy, active, vibrant, bustling, buzzing, successful, flourishing… ALIVE?
· Today, as we look at our relationship with Jesus, we need to recognize Christ’s power over both death and life.
D-THOUGHT: Jesus brings life to a dying world.
· Jesus alone can shock you out of your current state.
· He reshapes our expectations of life ~ John 5:1-15 Take a look at how after 38 years he can reshape not only the man’s physical life, but his spiritual life as well.
· He reshapes our expectations of death ~ John 5:16-30 Take a look at how Jesus reshapes the judgment process to something so simple.
· He reshapes our expectations of the Word ~ John 5:31-47 Take a look at how Jesus reshapes how we read scripture and how we interact with it.
Re-Evaluate your Jesus fixation…
The first week we discussed Jesus’ ability to bring faith to a cynical world. How a real relationship with the Savior brings that “Jesus! I know him!” kind of reaction.
Next, we discussed His ability to bring light to a dying world: How a relationship with Him changes our job descriptions
As we Reevaluate our Jesus fixation this week, we need to look at
Ephesians 2:1-10 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
· JOHN 5:25 “All who listen will live.”
· JOHN 5:41-42 “Approval of those outside the faith does NOT matter!”
· JOHN 5:36 “The greatest witness is YOUR life!”
· Make the George Bailey choice of “I want to live again.”
· I leave you simply with the words of William Wallace: “Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”
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