01 Jan “A Christ-Centered Me for 2023” | Apollo Beach & Southcoast

Announcements:

GO TO WATERSCHURCH.ORG/EVENTS TO REGISTER

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people. Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people.  Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

Location Text Alerts:

*********************

2 Corinthians 5

New years resolutions are a ‘thing’ for some people. The top two resolutions are diet and exercise.  We make these resolutions every year because underneath the surface we all know something needs to change.  Deep down we know we are not what we should be or doing what we should be doing.  Change is hard.  We try to change our habits but not our hearts.  We try to change the external but that does not fix the internal.  We want change but cannot change.  We need more than willpower to change our lives.

Q. What resolutions have you made that ended quickly and why?

Paul the apostle knew he could not change.

Romans 7:15-19 (ESV)

Jesus is our change agent. It is not what will change us, it is Who will change us.  Jesus keeps saving us. We are saved in our past (heart change), saved in our present (in our Spirits), and saved in our future (physically, our bodies will be raised immortal and forever in His presence).

.There is no NEW BEGINNING like the NEW BEGINNING in Christ.

1. He takes out SELF and puts in SERVING.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)

Everyone in the world is controlled by something.  Some are controlled by what they eat, some are controlled by drugs or alcohol, even social media, or other’s opinions about us.  These are control agents that control us.  As Christians, the love of Christ is the controlling influence in our life.  He never changes and never stops loving us.  The love of people, is fickle, but Christ’s love is perfect.

Before Paul was Paul he was Saul.  A religious zealot in Judaism.  He looked important, impressive and powerful.  He wanted to be a leader and special, but he was hateful and controlled by hate.

Q. What is something that has had control over your life affected the way you served God’s people?

Acts 7:58-60 (ESV); Acts 9:1–2 (ESV)

Paul was a hateful person.

Acts 9:18–20 (ESV)

Jesus shows up in his life and changes him and Paul now proclaimed Jesus in his life.   He was filled with hate now with love.  God changes hearts.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV)

This is a game changer.  Christ did not die simply so we could get to heaven.  He came to save us from the worst part of us – living for ourselves.  We are here to serve others in Jesus’ name.  We need to stop focusing on everything in the world that keeps us from living for Him instead of ourselves.

Q. How has serving God’s people changed your focus therefore allowing you to live for Jesus instead of for yourself?

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

“The great question is, what constitutes a Christian? It is being so compelled by the love of our divine Lord to us that we consecrate our lives to him.” – J.I. Packer

2. He takes out SUPERFICIAL VISION and gives us SPIRITUAL VISION.

Many of us make judgment calls based on physical appearance only.  We worry about how we look, how our houses look, we are scared of what we look like to others.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (ESV); 2 Corinthians 5:16 (NLT)

Christ changes how we see other people.  As Christians, we don’t look at people through a fleshly perspective.  If Christ is in us He changes how we see people.  He changes how we see our neighbors, people that are different from us.  God wants to change our hearts so we see them as someone for whom Christ died.  When we welcome the outsider, we are welcoming Jesus Christ himself.  We need to break out of the superficial spirit of our world and love those no one else will love.  We need to let Christ change how we see others

Q. How has Christ changed the way you see others (is there a specific instance you can recall)?

3. He takes out DETERIORATION and puts in TRANSFORMATION.

We are deteriorating.  Our bodies are deteriorating but our Spirits are transforming.

2 Corinthians 5:17

We cannot hold on to this body, we can’t hold on to our life.  In Christ we are a new Creation.  God is a creator.  In Genesis 1:, the first verb of the Bible is ‘created’.  Genesis shows us how God creates in stages.  The God who created the heavens and the earth in seven days is the same God that creates us.

CREATION ORDER  – Genesis 1:1

God Speaks  – Genesis 1:3

God separates Genesis 1:6

God Fills – Genesis 1:11

God Celebrates  – Genesis 1:3,10.12,18,21, & 25

This is how God works in our life as a new creation. The only resolution we will ever need is to read the Bible daily.  For instance, we want to eat better.  Eating better is the fruit of self-control. Self-control is not in us but when God speaks we receive his word.  When we are saved we get separated from the world that is in us and he puts his Holy Spirit in us.  The Holy Spirit fills us and gives us self-control.  Then God celebrates his creation.  Six times in Genesis he made a portion of creation to celebrate.

We need to celebrate every stage of development.  We should not beat ourselves up about how bad we are, that is the Devils work.  He is the Accuser.  We need to learn to celebrate every stage of development.  It is a process of stages and development with God.

Q. What stages of change in your life can you celebrate right now (what can you celebrate in those around you)?

2 Corinthians 5:18,19, 21

We will never receive the good news of the Gospel if we don’t realize how bad we are.   Jesus took our sin and we get His righteousness, that is the Gospel. No other religious system says this.  The Good news of the Gospel is that we are made righteous in Christ.  God gives us a purpose in Christ Jesus.

4. He takes out MISDIRECTION and puts in MISSION.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)

As Christians we are a representation of Jesus Christ.  He is making an appeal through us to others.

A New Years Resolution through Christ’s TRANSFORMATION:

1. Serve CHRIST not SELF.

2. SEE others as JESUS sees them.

3. CELEBRATE God’s daily CHANGE in me.

4. BRING others ALONG.

Challenge: Resolve to use your life to serve others, see others with the eyes of Christ, celebrate daily change in yourself and invite others to join you.