Position & Condition
The Christian life is God’s story of redemption in each of our lives!
Redemption isn’t about Religion, it’s about a living relationship with God, through Jesus our Saviour!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
NEW / kainos:- recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn
IT CONTINUES;
of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of
- Some of us are like Lazarus when he came out of the tomb after JESUS called Him back to life, we have received new life but we are still in our old grave clothes and a little but stinky!
John 11:43-44 TPT “Then with a loud voice Jesus shouted with authority: “Lazarus! Come out of the tomb!” Then in front of everyone, Lazarus, who had died four days earlier, slowly hobbled out—he still had grave clothes tightly wrapped around his hands and feet and covering his face! Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”
- The Christian Walk is relationships!
- JESUS was able to do the impossible because He KNEW the Living God as His Father and was walking in tune with Him!
Galatians 5:24-25 NKJV “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
BUT NOTICE, Lazarus wasn’t raised from the dead in a perfect setting, he was still bound by grave-clothes and he told his friends to unwrap him and let him LOOSE.
- SO our relationship with Jesus needs to be expressed and is developed and work out, by and through those around us!
- There are no loan rangers in God’s Kingdom, I believe what I want and Google and think to be true, I listen to the Holy Spirit for myself.
NOW ABSOLUTELY YOU MUST LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, buts it’s never in isolation.
John 11:3-6 NKJV “Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
- It’s always in relationship within the Body of Christ! (We all need discipleship (mentoring, input, pastoring) GODLY RELATIONSHIPS that not just inspire, but challenge and stretch is to fulfill our calling and become Christlike.
HOW MUCH LIKE CHRIST DO YOU LOOK????
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 AMPC “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you–unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? But I hope you will recognize and know that we are not disapproved on trial and rejected.”
- LAZARUS IS A PICTURE OF THE LOST (those spiritually dead, we as believers are to be like JESUS calling them out of there tombs) and then together as children of God we begin to unwrap them, while we ourselves are been unwrapped!
Your condition exposes your position and your position your condition. These two must be in-synch
John 11:41-42 TPT “So they rolled away the heavy stone. Jesus gazed into heaven and said, “Father, thank you that you have heard my prayer, for you listen to every word I speak. Now, so that these who stand here with me will believe that you have sent me to the earth as your messenger, I will use the power you have given me.”
- We often just want to use the POWER, so we look powerful, so we can become prestigious or even get our needs met, but it’s actually so we can HONOR GOD & SERVE OTHERS and make a difference!
Notice this explains why (earlier we read in John 11:3-6) Jesus didn’t run straight away when he heard of Lazarus been sick, because it was always about His Disciples:
– Loving them
– Training them and
– Raising them up to maturity before God!
SO THEY COULD GO AND REPRESENT HIM ACCURATELY!
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED AFTER HE WAS RAISED AND THE DISCIPLES REMOVED THE GRAVE CLOTHES!
John 11:45 TPT “From that day forward many of those who had come to visit Mary believed in him, for they had seen with their own eyes this amazing miracle!”
- WHAT ARE PEOPLE SEEING WITH RHERE OWN EYES WHAT YOU DO DRAW ATTENTION BACK TO JESUS-THATS REAL TIME CHRISTIANITY
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
GOD IS CALLING US TO A NEW LEVEL OF CHRISTLIKENESS
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
- It’s GO TIME
Can I encourage us today, some have:
– grown weary (tired from the onslaught and pace of this life)
– Some are discouraged because it just didn’t work out the way you thought it would
– Some have just become indifferent because we want to chase our own goals or vision
– Some have stepped out of sound Biblical doctrine
What ever it is for you this is what God wants to SAY:
Galatians 6:1-10 NKJV “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
