TITLE: The Life of Dependence
PROPOSITION: The Christian life is one of constant dependence on the Lord.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE: Why must the Christian life be one of constant dependence?
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: There are several areas of our lives which must be lived in dependence on someone or something outside ourselves. We cannot live a successful Christian life based on self-sufficiency.
I. We are dependent on Christ for salvation. -- Mt 1:21; Acts 4:12; 5:31; 10:43; Titus 3:5; Heb 7:25 --
Mt 1:21 NIV She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Acts 4:12 NIV Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Acts 5:31 NIV God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
Acts 10:43 NIV All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Tit 3:5 NIV he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Heb 7:25 NIV Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
II. We are dependent on the Word of God for constant spiritual growth and maturity. -- 1 Pe 2:2; Heb 5:12-14; 2 Ti 2:15; Jas 3:1 --
1 Pe 2:2 NIV Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Heb 5:12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. NIV
2 Ti 2:15 NIV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Jas 3:1 NIV Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
III. We are dependent on prayer for constant spiritual power. -- Jas 5:13-16 --
Jas 5:13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. NIV
IV. We are dependent on fellowship for constant mutual encouragement. -- 1 Jn 1:3; Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42 --
1 Jn 1:3 NIV We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Heb 10:25 NIV Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Acts 2:42 NIV They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
V. We are dependent on Christ for success in all areas of our Christian walk. -- 1 Co 15:57-58; 1 Jn 5:4; Ro 7:24-25; 1 Jn 4:4 --
1Co 15:57-58 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. NIV
1 Jn 5:4 NIV for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Ro 7:24-25 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. NIV
1 Jn 4:4 NIV You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
VI. We are dependent on Christ for our hope of eternal life. -- Jn 5:24; Jn 20:31; 1 Jn 5:11-12 --
Jn 5:24 NIV "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Jn 20:31 NIV But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
1 Jn 5:11-12 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. NIV
SUMMARY: You see, there are many areas of our lives that must be lived in dependence on others. Many of them are dependent on Christ, and the list this morning is not exhaustive or complete; in many other areas we are dependent on other things, like the Word, prayer, and fellowship with one another. Our Christian lives must be lived in dependence, not based on our independence, our ability to do everything ourselves. This leads to a wrong concept of the Christian life. Let us learn dependence.
