A New Life
Intro:
Last weeks message;
“A New Way”
· Road.
· Highway.
· Journey.
No more;
· Attaining righteousness
· Accept righteousness.
· IF you accepted Christ/Saved/God has given you brand new life.
Slide;
Title of Message;
“A New Life”
Begin down a “New Road”
Soon find a “New Life”
Sometimes you have to try something different.
Illustration;
Feeling down the other day.
Try what some of you women have done/known for years.
· Bought new shoes.
· Looked better.
· Felt better.
· Spring in my walk.
· My old shoes? Straight to the trash.
If you have a brand new pair of shoes.
· Fit right.
· Feet don’t hurt anymore.
Why would you keep putting on them old shoes.
· Don’t fit right anymore.
· Hurt your feet.
Sticky Question;
Why do you keep putting on your old life and taking it out for a walk?
· Keep contact with old habits.
· Friends.
· Places.
I believe I know how to answer the question.
Why do you keep putting on your old life and taking it out for a walk?
Because you don’t know how to walk in your new shoes.
· New way.
· New Highway.
· New Journey.
· New Walk.
· New Life. (New Life means new growth.)
Key; Baby steps.
Grow into your shoes.
4 Elements of Christian growth.
· Doesn’t matter/Christian 2 months/2 years/20 years.
· Anything that is alive.
· If it’s not growing, it’s dying.
Let’s look at the 4 Elements of Growth. (Fill in the blanks.)
Element 1. Embrace your friends.
New Christian brothers and sisters.
Laces that hold it all together.
Slide:
Acts 20: 1After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.NKJV
· Riot in Ephesus.
· Silversmiths caused this great out burst/whole city.
After the uproar had ceased…
He gathers all his Christian brothers.
Embraces them.
He hugs them.
If you want to grow in your New Life.
Embrace your friends.
Let them in your life.
Tell them how much they mean to you.
Tell them how much you need them.
You can’t do it without them.
We need each other.
The 1st Element of Growth.
1. Embrace your friends.
The 2nd Element of Growth.
2. Encourage one another.
Slide:
Acts 20:2Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece 3and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.NKJV
The Jews are plotting to kill Paul/he’s encouraging others.
· Paul’s third missionary journey.
· Back through Philippi.
· Berea.
· Persecution going on in all these cities.
· Paul was going along encouraging them.
· Churches / fellowships Paul started.
v.2 encouraged them with many words.
Christ loves you.
Christ died for you.
Offering New Hope.
Offering “New Life.”
When you build each other up/you build the church up.
We’re beginning to see main Elements of Growth.
Slide:
Acts 20:4And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.NKJV
One of the main Elements of Growth.
· Paul called them
· He embraced them.
· Encouraged them/waited for us/we sailed/we stayed.
For growth to happen you need food.
We feed off of each other.
The world/feed on each other.
Christians feed off of each others.
Illustration;
Story of old gentleman that quit coming to church.
You can’t do it on your own. We need each other.
The 2nd Element of Growth.
2. Encourage each other.
The 3rd Element of Growth.
3. Enjoy each other.
Slide:
Acts 20: 7Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.NKJV
· First day of the week.
· Came together to brake bread.
That’s “Big Sunday!”
Enjoy each other.
Want to try out those new shoes?
· Set with someone different.
· Tell them what Gods done in your life.
· Encourage them in their walk.
Two parts to this verse;
· Came together/broke bread.
· Continued his message until midnight.
See if anyone can relate to this verse.
Slide:
Acts 20:8There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.NKJV
It’s a matter of life and death.
You may not be overcome by sleep.
You might be overcome by satan.
Lose your life.
But if you have God in you…
Slide:
Acts 20:10But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”NKJV
Don’t trouble yourself?
This guy just fell out of a 3 story building!
Paul says don’t worry.
He knew what God can do.
He was in jail. The doors were opened.
He was in chains. They were removed.
He was enslaved. He was freed.
God is your protector.
God is your provider.
God is your comforter
The 4th Element of Growth.
4. Entrust your comfort.
Slide:
Acts 20:11Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.NKJV
That means they had great comfort.
Peace/tranquility/hope unspeakable.
They had trials.
They had entrusted or turned over their live to the Lord.
He will give you great comfort.
Here’s how this all ties together:
Slide:
Acts 20: 13Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot. 14And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.NKJV
· We went ahead…
· He met us…
· We took him…
· We sailed…
· We arrived…
· We came…
Jesus had it figured out.
It’s never about me.
It’s always about you.
If I’m taking care of you, who’s taking care of me?
·
The 5th Element of Growth.
5. Emmanuel Christ is with us
Illustration:
Footprints in the sand.