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When You Look At Your Life (And Need To Get It In Order)
Contributed by Grant Adams on Apr 29, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Many people live life without motivation, evaluation, or purpose. What do you see when you look at your life? Are you willing to face it, be honest, and do something about it? Are you ready to let God's word speak to you and then respond? James 1:22-25
Many people live life without motivation, evaluation, or purpose. What do you see when you look at your life? Are you willing to face it, be honest, and do something about it? Are you ready to let God's word speak to you and then respond? James 1:22-25
To do this is different and it is dangerous to be different. Most lives are lived doing their best to be like everybody else. To be conformed to the world around you, but:
the Christian believer is different. Life, its goals, desires, activities, priorities, lifestyle are concentrated on the desire to be conformed to Jesus. Now what are the basics, the essentials to help us do this?
I. The Motivation of the Christian Life
1. Verse 12-15
2. Should rest on spiritual values, goals, commitments.
3. It is a demand on true character.
4. Verse 12, it is from the inside out.
5. Verse 13, it is God-centered, others-centered. It is not self-centered, or self-seeking.
a. It is the motivation of the life of Jesus.
6. Verse 14, it is controlled, literally constrained, by the love of Jesus Christ.
a. This love holds the believer in its grip, a grip so powerful there is no alternative but to serve Him.
b. Serve others.
7. Verse 15, it is the desire to please Jesus in all that is said and done with all of life.
a. Life is not for self-pleasure, but to honor glorify, please the one who died and rose again for us.
8. Take an honest look at your life. What is your motivation? What turns you on? Why do you do what you do?
a. It is vital to have your motives in order.
b. They rest on Christian character.
II. The Measurement of the Christian Life
1. Verses 16-17
2. This measurement is a key to the needed fulfillment, and satisfaction, sense of success or progress as you live your life, and the going is tough. Paul’s measurements are based on these principles:
3. Verse 16, it is an inside measurement.
a. Not what the world thinks of them, or what they appear to be on the outside.
b. It demands a new discernment, a spiritual eye shift. 1 Samuel 16:7
4. In verse 16, it requires a change, a transformation in thinking, and it begins with a change in thinking about Jesus.
a. The result is a renewed mind, a spiritual insight.
b. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, Romans 12:1-2
5. Verse 17, it is understanding that the Christian has become a new person, that a new life has begun.
a. It is a maturing life, a growing life.
b. It is not always seen on the outside; it is growing on the inside.
6. When you measure a Christian believer be sure it is done with a spiritual measurement.
III. The Ministry of the Christian Life
1. Verse 18-21
2. Is based totally on what God has done for man through Jesus. It is what He has done, not what man can do.
3. Communicating this is the ministry God had given to each believer. Acts 1:8, this ministry involves:
4. Verse 18, Reconciliation, letting the unreconciled know that God has taken the initiative to make things right again.
a. It is that God can be a friend.
b. Romans 5:10
5. Verse 18, Forgiveness, letting others understand that through Christ and His sacrifice sins are forgiven. Romans 3:21-26
6. Verse 20, Ambassadorship, that each believer is a messenger and a representative of Jesus.
a. It is realizing that your ministry is not to speak for yourself, but for Him.
b. Not to act on your authority, but His.
c. Not to speak for yourself, but for Him.
d. Not to seek your own goals, but His.
7. The message of the ambassador is basic. We beg you, as thought Christ Himself were here pleading with you, receive the love He offers you, be reconciled to God.
8. How do you represent Him in your home, business, classroom, social life?
9. Verse 21, Righteousness, what God actually provided when Jesus took on man’s sins and died for us.
a. What an exchange, man's own sinfulness for God's goodness.
1) Isaiah 53:12
3) 1 John 3:5
b. it is a mystery of godliness; all that Jesus has done that man could not do for himself.
10. what is your ministry? Perhaps understanding what you have to communicate will help you get your life in order. It is a communication the world needs to hear.
11. You cannot NOT communicate.
IV. What Have We Said?
1. You won't need to apologize for your life if you live with your life in order.
a. It means you must establish the essentials.
