How to have more of God's life in you

in
Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Mon, 2018-10-08

Sermon Outline - How to have more of God’s life in you

Outline

  1. Summary of the first two parts of this short series
  2. Two key ideas
  3. Some fun playing around with some metaphors for these ideas

1. Summary of last 2 weeks

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

Image source: orthodoxwiki

John 17:21–23

  1. that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
  2. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
  3. I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Quote

  • “We will always remain creatures, but we are destined to become creatures so filled with God that his very glory radiates from us.” —Carl Mosser
  • Our fear of overstating this must not make us shy away from talking about the extraordinary destiny that God has for us:
    • that we will be filled with the divine,
    • and as his children, show many of his characteristics.

Living “God-filled”

  • Switching to dependence on him        
  1. Working with his strength
  2. Sharing his throne
  3. Glowing with his glory

2. Two T-shirt slogans

  • Your choices
    change you!
  • Your choices
    come out of
    what you believe
    is true.

John 14:23; 15:1–17

  1. Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
  2. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
  3. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
  4. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
  5. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
  6. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
  7. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
  8. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
  9. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
  10. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
  11. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
  12. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
  13. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
  14. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
  15. You are my friends if you do what I command you.
    …
  16. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

based on NET Bible

T-shirt #1

  • Your choices
    change you!
  • It is a constant choice
  • Choosing makes it stronger
  • This is not simply practice, but positioning ourselves to receive the Spirit
  • not choosing it makes it die

Our response

  • “I so need Jesus
    flowing into me through the Spirit
    that I’ll follow him with all my strength
    so as to get more of his strength and presence.”

T-shirt #2

  • Your choices
    change you!
  • Your choices
    come out of
    what you believe
    is true.

Choices flowing out of belief

  • Col 1:9–10 “be filled with the knowledge of his will... so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
  • Col 3:9–10 “you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
  • Eph 3:17–18 “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend…”
  • Eph 4:20–24 “But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self… and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God”

Our response

  1. “I so need Jesus
    flowing into me through the Spirit
    that I’ll follow him with all my strength
    so as to get more of his strength and presence.”
  2. “I am so convinced of the truth of my new reality
    (my new identity and destiny)
    that I’ll encourage the new me
    to walk over the old me.”

Outline

  1. Summary of the first two parts of this short series
  2. Two key ideas
  3. Some fun playing around with some metaphors for these ideas

3. Fun with Metaphors

  1. Feed the good dog, starve the bad dog
  2. Put off the old Adam clothes, put on the “Jesus clothes”
  3. Be connected to the main trunk of the vine
  4. Learning to touch-type
  5. Learning Mandarin
  6. Awaking from sleep and getting up (see Eph 5)

Ephesians 5:14–15

  1. Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
  2. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
  3. making the best use of the time…

Conclusion: What does it look like to wear the t-shirts this week?

How do I wear the T-shirts?

  • Your choices
    change you!
  • Your choices
    come out of
    what you believe
    is true.

Updated on 2018-10-08 by Andrew Fountain