ABIDING IN CHRIST

*BIBLE TEXT: Philippians 2:12-13

Subject: Renewal

Proposition: The Way Of Renewal

*Theme: As we conform to the image of Jesus Christ, we will have a greater desire to do God’s work by His power and for His glory

INTRODUCTION

*Lesson Aims:

ü Realize that God renews the desires of a surrendered Christian

ü Understand that God leads a Christian who desires His will

ü Begin pursuing God’s presence personally with devotion

ü Seek God’s strength through daily fellowship with Him

ü Discover God’s joy by spending more time in His presence

Introduction:

Dr. Harry Ironside was speaking before an assembly one day when he noticed a man writing something on a card. He then brought the card up to where Dr. Ironside was lecturing. This man was Arthur Lewis, an agnostic lecturer, and he proposed the following challenge: a debate on the subject of “Agnosticism vs. Christianity.” Dr. Ironside read the card aloud to the audience and then said, “I accept your challenge under these conditions: First, you must promise to bring with you to the platform one man who was once an outcast and a slave to sinful habits, but who heard you or some other infidel lecture on agnosticism and was helped to the point that he cast away his sins, became a new man, and is today a respected member of society…all because of your unbelief!

“Second, you must agree to bring with you one woman who was once lost to all purity and goodness, but who can now testify that agnosticism came to her rescue while deep in sin and implanted in her poor heart a hatred of impurity and a love of holiness, causing her to become chaste and upright…all through a disbelief in the Bible!

“Now sir,” he continued, “if you will agree, I promise to be there with one hundred such men and women, once just lost souls, who have heard the Gospel of the grace of God and have found new life and joy in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Will you accept my terms?” Lewis walked away in silence

The Christian life is primarily about a relationship with God. The primary purpose for your life is not to learn more about yourself or other people; you are here to know God and to become like His Son! Man only functions well when he is in good fellowship with his Creator. As you learn more about Him, your life will begin to change and you will experience spiritual renewal and sanctification

The Apostle Paul said in Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…”

LESSON

*I. THE DESIRE FOR RENEWAL

*A. He Creates A “Will” To Know Him

1. Spiritual renewal does not come naturally to us

a. We often fight our flesh and those things that are displeasing to God

b. Where will this desire to know God come from?

ü Philippians 2:13

2. God places within each of His children a desire to know Him

a. If I have a desire to know God, it is because of His work in me

b. If you know Christ, then somewhere within you, God has placed a desire to know Him and to be close to Him

3. Spiritual renewal is the work of God from the inside out

a. It begins with God, and continues as we are yielded to His Spirit

b. God does give us the “will” to know Him, yet we must follow that will with a personal response

c. He leaves us the choice of whether to respond or not

ü A French proverb states, “A good meal ought to begin with hunger.” Have you noticed how everything tastes good when your stomach is empty?

d. As Christians, we must empty our hearts of any fleshly desires, and we must hunger to know Him

4. Spiritual renewal and effective worship begin with a hunger and desire for God and His Word

*B. He Leads Us To Know Him

1. Not only does God give us a will, but Philippians 2:13 says that He will do of his good pleasure

a. God gives us the desire to know Him, and then He accomplishes His will through our lives

b. The Holy Spirit gives us the desire to know God, attend church, and witness to a lost friend

c. The question is, “Will I follow God, or will I let my flesh control me? Will I yield to the Holy Spirit’s working in my life?”

2. The Bible tells us how we can follow God’s will in *Romans 8:14, 16: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God

a. Often you can recognize a Christian by his life, you can tell that he is following the leadership of the Holy Spirit

*b. Matthew 5:6 says, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled

c. God does not create a desire that He does not intend to satisfy

3. The Samaritan woman in John 4 is a good example of this truth. She had been married several times and was now living in a sinful relationship outside of marriage. Jesus Christ began speaking about water that would fill her empty life forever. He told her that she had been trying to find satisfaction in other ways, but had never really known. That day the Samaritan woman believed on Jesus Christ, and she experienced restoration and spiritual renewal

4. God has placed in every person a desire to know Him more

5. When we truly seek to know Him and to serve Him, this desire will be fulfilled

*II. SEEKING FOR RENEWAL

*Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore Psalm 105:4

Someone who has a God-given desire for renewal will seek spiritual renewal through the Holy Spirit. *Deuteronomy 4:29 says, But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Two ways we must seek renewal in our lives today

*A. With Determination

1. Spiritual growth first requires diligent study and determination

a. Do you have a passion to know God? Are you seeking Him?

b. The Christian life is not effortless, it requires that we seek God diligently, and He promises to reward our seeking!

2. Every man and woman was created as a passionate being, but they cannot be passionate about both God and the world

ü Matthew 6:24 says, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon

3. Paul’s overwhelming goal in life was to know God

*ü Philippians 3:l0, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death

*B. With Devotion

1. We must also seek Him with devotion

a. Often we lack discipline in the Christian life because we have no affection for the things of God

b. The reason we do not spend time in God’s Word is not a busy schedule or lack of organization, it is because we do not love the God of the Word

2. Throughout the years, my wife has written me many letters. She will put notes in my suitcase and Bible when I go on trips; they lift my heart. When she leaves a note, I do not say, “Well, I think I will read that letter later.” No, I read it right then!

3. We are living in a busy day, and sometimes God gets crowded out of our schedule

a. We must give Him first priority in our lives every *day. Psalm 34:10 says, The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing

b. The emphasis is not about seeking more principles; most of us know more principles than we care to apply; it is about seeking a person—Jesus Christ

4. Many years ago, a hymnist wrote Take Time to Be Holy. The lyrics say, “Take time to be holy, the world rushes on, spend much time in secret with Jesus alone”

a. Some people’s response to that is “Who has the time?”

b. Can we frame it in reference? Are you going to spend more time in this world or more time with God?

c. Who has the time, you have the time

5. In Luke 24:32 as the disciples walked along the Emmaus road with Jesus, they said to each other …Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures

a. Only when we have the devotion to seek God will we find renewal

b. It does not matter what the cost is to have renewal; the cost of not having it is too great

*III. ABIDING IN RENEWAL

The carnal Christian spends ten minutes with God on Saturday or an hour with Him on Sunday and then goes back to his wicked world Monday through Friday. He goes to church to get a small dose of God and lives like the world the rest of the week. We cannot compartmentalize our relationship with Christ in this way. God must be at the center of everything that we do in life

*A. Abide In Fellowship

1. The gift of fellowship with Christ is not merely for a Sunday morning, it is available every day

*a. John 15:4 states, Abide in me

b. God wants us to spend time in close fellowship with Him on a daily basis

ü A married couple may abide in the same house together. They may have common goals and mutual interests, yet that does not mean they are experiencing oneness and spiritual intimacy

2. God wants us to enjoy continual intimacy with Him

a. He wants our fellowship with Him to be open and clear

b. He wants your relationship to be intimate with Him

*B. Abide In Joy

1. As we abide with God we will experience joy

2. There is joy in living for Jesus Christ and fulfilling His purpose for your life

3. Abiding happens when we are renewed in Christ continually

ü Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

*ü 2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day

CONCLUSION