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FULL WRITTEN TRANSCRIPT 4 T's to-- Abundant Life
Let me tell you the story of why this is really Kathy’s sermon today: As we were driving along, Kathy asked me what the focus of this Sunday’s message would be. I said, since it is a week off from our regular series, it would be a great time to talk about the main passion of my heart as this church’s pastor. I told her, my passion had become; not so much salvation as it is survival. This is what I mean: It is not to say a saving encounter with Christ isn’t imperative; but if you consider, even Christ’s own words in the parable of the sower and the seeds. –He gives four scenarios of genuine encounters with God, and only 1 out of the 4 actually bears fruit. When we look happens with Christian people today, those odds seem quite realistic to this day. Kathy agreed, but she pointed out that survival doesn’t have that much of a positive twist- she pointed out that our experience in Christ is meant to go far beyond mere survival, and she is absolutely right! She made me think of one of my favorite verses: Eph 1 5. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6. to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8. which he lavished upon us. “Lavish” in a word-for word-translation is actually “cause to abound” And that phrase actually means to “superabound” in quantity and/or quality, to a point of excess. That is what your relationship with Christ, in this life, is supposed to be… what it can be. And Kathy used a term I haven’t heard in a while “abundant life.” …And so here we are. …This morning, let me share with you, the 4 T’s to abundant life.
All four T’s can be found in this passage: Romans 12 1. I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3. For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. 4. For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, 5. so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; Even before we explore them; let’s say them together: The four T’s are: Transform; Take; Train; Testify T #1: Transform Rom 12 2. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. The actual word is, to metamorphose; like a larva to a butterfly. That is serious change inside and out. If a person is not changed, if we are not transforming continually to be more like Christ, then it is not Christianity. It may be religion, but it is not a relationship with Christ. But consider for a moment: What changes a person? Experience changes a person; and the influence of other people changes a person. …In fact, change through the influence of other people is a basic paradigm of the Christian faith. The apostle Paul reasoned like this: Romans 10 13. For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' 14. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? The preacher here, is not the profession, but the person; any person, who brings the message of God. Salvation is directly linked to the act of a person. It’s a sobering thought; we have a stake in the eternal destiny of each other. We can affect change in each other, at least to a limited degree; but only God Himself causes change from within. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. …So, there are times our greatest tool of influencing others is prayer to God for them. T #2: Take Rom 12 5. so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: [Then the passage goes on to speak of different spiritual capacities in prophecy, ministry, teaching, encouragement, mercy, kindness, and so on.] Gifts are given according to the grace given. Do you know what that means? The gift you receive is the perfect gift for who you are. It matches you nature and the path life has for you. There is no need to envy the abilities of others. What you have is perfect for you. But even perfect means nothing if you are not aware of it. Are you aware of what God has put in you? If so, good! …But it still means virtually nothing if you are not using it. …In fact, if you take a close look at spiritual gifts; the Bible isn’t just referring to special abilities; it is speaking of anointed opportunities. For example: God doesn’t just give the ability to be kind, He opens the opportunities to exercise kindness. Your action is part of the gift. When do we get these spiritual gifts? --When we “transform.” Spiritual gifts are an integral part of “salvation.” We need to take this to heart: There can be no “superabundant living” without TAKING spiritual gifts. T #3: Train Rom 12 3. For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. ~Ever try to teach something to somebody when they think they already know? -They are untrainable. The first key in training is to realize: You need training! 2 Tim 3 16. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17. that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I heard a great saying on a sports channel: Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. …So what’s “perfect practice”, spiritually speaking? Perfect practice is not- going through the motions. I mention this because; going through the motions is an occupational hazard in anything based in routine; and all religions have ceremony and routine. (Just show up every Sunday; try to be friendly for an hour; do it again next week… That’s not a bad thing, but it is not the heart of Christ.) Perfect practice in your spiritual walk is: listening to a perfect God, trying to live consistantly what He says, probably doing it imperfectly, being corrected, heeding the correction, doing a little better, being corrected, trying again, and so on. Did you notice two words that almost seem redundant in this passage? What’s the difference between reproof, and correction? In the original Greek, correction means to “straighten up.” You’re not quite on track so God’s Word gives you a little tweak. “Reproof” translates as “conviction.” Boy, do we need that sometimes! You have yourself convinced you are ok, but when you encounter the truth of the matter; you are convicted. There is a painful process of remorse and reform. Reproof; whether it comes directly through God’s Spirit, or through the words of a person He sends; it is not God’s way of venting on you. It is an act of love. …If something in your life needs that big a change, it is something that will cripple or destroy you if left unchecked. We always need to be open to God’s reproof because we simply cannot experience superabundant living without it. --And as that saying points out: It is not simply conviction, correction, and training, it is perfect conviction, correction, and training that equips you. T#4: Testify Rom 12 1. I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. What is testimony? I like the dictionary definition: Evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something It may be verbal, but it doesn’t have to be. And whether it is verbal or not; it will definitely be backed up by one’s actions. And if you expect abundance from it; it must be marked by consistency. …And believe me: It does not take much of a lapse in your witness to totally destroy your credibility. There is more than one sad story of a person, desperately wanting to share Christ, but the loss of their witness has made it impossible; at least for a time. Presenting your physical self means holy living is done out there where people can see it with their eyes. That physical side of your spiritual living is a must for “abundant living.” And then there’s the pay-off~ Romans 12 4. For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, 5. so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. The pay-off isn’t simply what happens to you; it is larger than just you! It is the unity and belonging in a huge, shared experience of people. –And there is a huge implication here: If the objective of “abundant living” is a self-focused goal, it will never come to be. The purpose of your or my abundance isn’t first, for ourselves, it is for others. · God’s purpose in transforming you isn’t primarily for you to enjoy personal change; it is so you are a light to the rest of the world. · The abilities and opportunities with which God endows you, isn’t simply for you to be a good person, but to bring good into the world for others. …He does not give you the ability to teach so you can enjoy being wise, but that you may spread wisdom to others. …He doesn’t animate you with kindness so that you can feel good about yourself, but that you may touch the suffering of others in His name. · The objective of “abundant life” must be toward others first; then it becomes yours as a natural consequence. Matt 10 39. "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. That’s just another way of saying, if you follow the T’s for the sake of others, first, you’ll find yourself experiencing God’s abundant life. –And “abundant life” will not happen any other way. Would you say the T’s of abundant living with me one last time: Transform; take; train; testify. |
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