Formed by His Life

Let’s open our bibles up to Galatians. So, you’ll find corinthians one and two, and then the book of Galatians. And we will be in chapter 5 together today. When you find the book of Galatians could someone read for us, Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 through 18. (Read Verse) So this is week three, taking about what it means to be transformed and made into the image of Jesus. It’s examining the first part of our vision, carrying Jesus.

In the KJV of the Bible, in the book of proverbs chapter 29 and in verse 18, it reads this… (18 Where there is no vision, the people perish..) Now, let me take just a moment to explain that.. What governs your life. Why do you make the decisions you make? How many habits are there in our life that are bad, but not just bad habits, but how many habits are there in your life that are just neutral?

That we don’t even think about it. How many times we just believe something because it’s all we’ve ever been taught? We never question why we do this or that. It’s just is. Its how I’ve always done it. A church needs vision just as much as a Christian needs to have faith. We need a passion for something with direction. Otherwise passion without direction is no more than being a ship adrift out at sea.

This week, we’re talking about being a church formed by the “Life of Jesus.” Last week we explored being formed by his love, this week we find out what it means to be formed by his life. That means next week we look into being formed by his leadership. But Let’s start here… “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” In 2009, Simon Sinek gave a Ted Talk and immediately spring-boarded himself into notoriety.

Incase our wondering what a Ted Talk is, it’s a platform where speakers from different areas in life that range from education to industry leaders and from sociology to religion. And the purpose of a Ted Talk, in my opinion, is to teach the listener something about that specific field of study within a 20 minute window. And before you think to yourself.. well I wish our pastor did ted talks on Sunday mornings instead of Matthew’s long winded talks…

just keep in mind that on average, it takes 250 hours to prepare for one 20 minute ted talk. I ain’t got that kind of time to prepare each week. But Simon say’d, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it." Let me explain… Pretend you have a cupcake business. You’re why isn’t just to make cakes. You’re why is to create family moments. So your why is the result of what you do.

Think of it like Alicia and I’s wedding. I remember the cake, I remember what it looked like but to be honest, I don’t remember what it taste like. What I do remember is the moment Alicia and I shared together taking our vows to love one another for life, and I remember being at the table with a white cake and her smashing cake in my face. You see, I don’t remember the taste of the cake but I do remember the moment we shared.

and So, to succeed, you don’t share how you made the cake. Instead, you show a family making memories around your cake. Does that make sense.. You don’t share the recipe, you share the result it had created. And that works in the secular world. To share results but here’s where I’m struggling. You’re why is empty if it doesn’t have a passionate what. DO you get what Im saying.. we can (DO) the why all day long, but if it’s not thrusted forward because of our (WHAT) then our why becomes passionless.

I’m going to let you all in to a place where my heart is hurting.. so be kind to me…. Be patient and I ask for you to be forgiving… as I openly repent and ask for forgiveness. Over the last 5 years as your pastor. I’ve recently noticed that I have spent the last 5 years preaching on what we should be doing and very little time teaching on why and how we do it.

I’ve preached on why we should follow Jesus, and why we should love one another and why we should be going hard after the loss in our community. And I’ve preached on how love can grow the church. But I’ve spent very little time on how we should do those things. So what I am saying is this… over the last 5 years I’ve been trying to teach the result and not enough time on sharing the recipe on how we get there together.

And that’s on me. And what I’m talking about is “meaningful discipleship.” Being formed into the image of Christ… being formed into the Imago Dei. That’s our why. Our why is to be holy as Christ is holy. To love as Christ has love. To witness fruit being produced in our loves, but what’s the recipe to get there? And that’s my fault, and I’m asking for your forgiveness. Because let’s be honest…

the quote, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” It’s a great truth for marketing, but not so great for maturing. So the book of Galatians is really helpful in teaching us the recipe to develop and mature our why as a church and as christians. Listen, People are attracted to our why… but for them to be attracted to our why, we’ve gotta be passionate about our what.

We’ve got to be just as passionate about the journey we take together to get to where and who God is forming us into as a church. A key verse for this is found in verse 19, look with me there. 19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. Paul says my children… it’s an intimate way of saying.. those of you I love.

I love you and I want to make sure I’ve given to you the best chance of succeeding in life. Isn’t that how we love our children as parents. We want you as our children, to experience and have the things we never did. But here’s the issue… so many times our kids experience the result of that, but never experience the hardships that we take to get is as a family there.

For instance, Our kids, have been to Jersey, Colorado, Puerto Rico, Florida, Virginia beach, Baltimore. And not to mention all the extra stuff, like Disney, and Knenobles and Hershey Park and everything else we’ve done as a family. I’ve never done any of these things as a kid growing up. My best friend as an 8 year old was a basset hound, a stick and 500 acres to explore with adventures.

That’s it. But our kids don’t see the long hours of work, they don’t understand the sacrifices of letting go of Alicia and I’s wants so that they can have what they want. The truth is, many times, they witness the result of our fun trips, but they hardly ever understand the recipe it took to get there. When Pauls says, My dear children, It’s a way for someone to come to a group of people with a fatherly approach to love and guide them as a church.

And he goes, I’m suffering labor pains. And every woman listening is like… are you sure about that Paul… Us guys we go, man colds are the same as giving birth.. right? Ladies you just dont understand the the depth of a man cold.. it’s awful… and the ladies are like… you sure about that guys… hahah But listen, ladies… could you imagine and resonating with someone saying… I love you so much that I want to see Jesus formed in you so badly that it hurts like birthing pains.

That’s how much I want to see Christ being formed in you. To me, since im never going to experience child birth and only hearing about it, It reminds me that Paul had a great passion to see Christ in others. mY prayer is that we as a churhc would have that same passion. To see us, as a churhc grow in Christ from one glory to the next, but also have a great passion to see Christ in others as well.

He wants to see Christ formed in us, but here’s the issue. We’re either formed by Christ, or were formed by the world. There are no grey areas… Ao, Paul goes on to share with us two realities that form us.. First, Let’s look together. Find chapter 5, and lets look at verse 19 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.

I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.. That’s the work of the flesh.. Now look with me in verses 22.. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Paul is saying to the Galatians if you practice the flesh, the result is, these works of the flesh.

This is very interesting… because I want us to understand something… First, what does he mean by the flesh? The flesh is our primal desires. A lot of people make a mistake and say it’s the body. That’s wrong.The flesh is not the body but the primal desires that consume us and move us towards self gratification. This is why we’ve been talking about habits. What are things in our life that we are either naturally drawn to, or habits that we do naturally and without even knowing?

Second, look at how the flesh grows and is maintained in our life… its found in verse 21. He says, as I warned you before, those those who PRACTICE such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The key word is PRACTICE. If we practice such things, there is no kingdom inheritance. And I’m just floored by this… because I wonder how many fleshly things in my life I practice and I don’t even know it.

How many of us practice these fleshly habits that lead to death an we just don’t know we do it. And did you notice this… When Paul speaks of the Spirit he doesn’t say anything about practice as much as he reminds us that the Spirit forms us. What do I mean by that? Look with me again, in verse 16… Walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh.

Now look in verse 18, if you are led by the Spirit you’re not under the law. And one more, find verse 25, if we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. If the result is either the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.. and the works of the flesh is practiced, but the fruit of the Spirt is what forms us, that leads me to the conclusion that it’s not what I do that sanctifies and makes me holy, Spiritual Fruit isn’t produced on my own as something I gain myself.

No… God produces it. So the question being asked is this… which result are you wanting in your life? I believe it’s even better than just practicing some sort of habits to become holy, but practicing the presence of God. If you dont mind, I’m gonna go to John chapter 4, and look at verse 4… it says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Nowlet look at John 15, which is the great priestly prayers of Jesus before the cross…

what echos do we find here? Let’s read verses 4-5. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.

This language of the Spirit, forming us, and molding us isn’t by just practice, but intentional practice of abiding in His presence. This is holiness preaching folks… I figured by now I’d hear some amens. In Johns gospel, the The word “abide” comes from the Greek menó, which according to Strong’s Concordance means to stay, abide, or remain. Others liken the word to “dwell” or “rest.” Where did we hear that language?

A couple weeks ago right? In Matthews gospel when Jesus says, come to me and you will find rest. Take my yoke upon you and do what? Learn from him. What do we learn, if you remember it’s not to find greater status, which is what the flesh drives us towards. To be self satisfied. No! He calls us to come to him to become humble in heart and lowly. Abiding, or remaining, in Christ means believing, trusting, or welcoming Christ.

It is fully attaching ourselves to Him, it’s being grafted in and drawing our everything for life, from Him. That’s what walking in the Spirit is, that’s what is being led by the Spirit. We walk in Christ. We are led by Christ. The yoke keeps us in step with that who is leading us. And get this, Paul says in Galatians, “to live by the Spirit. We live, because we’re abiding in Him.

But How do we walk by the Spirit?? To walk in the Spirit, we must counter our fleshly habits with the practices of Jesus that leads us daily into the presence of Jesus. So how do we grow in Christ? And how do we do it together? Well I have three thoughts on this, First, Trying relies on willpower but trusting rests in God’s power. When we live in the habit of trying, the power of motivation is driven by insecurity and fear.

I’m sure we have all heard and may even have said this before. I’ll try to be more Christ like. I’ll try to pray more. I’ll try to give more. I’ll try to read more. I’ve even heard people say, I’ll try to be entirely sanctified. And what happens when we try hard and we fail? We get mad at God. That’s because we’ve made our trying the means to gaining holiness.

Usually, People who are trying get angry with God when circumstances go wrong because they think they deserve a comfortable life from God. Those who trust struggle when circumstances go wrong, but they know God is still in control and things will ultimately be okay. Every day we get to choose whether we will approach God through trying or through trusting. One leads to identity and self-worth on how they perform and unavoidably leads to death, and the other has their identity and self-worth centered on Jesus which leads to life.

Which practice are you going to pursue? Secondly, Christlike character is comprehensive, not compartmentalized. To understand what I just said, we’ve got to understand what it means when Paul gave us the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Have you ever noticed that this word fruit is singular? It’s not plural. It’s not fruits of the Spirit. It’s fruit. Why is that? It’s wrong for us to go, “Well, today I had plenty of moments where God gave me opportunities of peace, and I did well, but I need to work more on self control.

And This isn’t one of those moments where we go, well I guess I’m only as strong as my weakest fruit. What we got understand is that these fruit like self control, peace, gentleness patience and so forth are all being given to us at the same time, in the same way, from the same Spirit that is the same spirit in all of us. What we learn is that God gives his wholeness of love, and when he gives the wholeness of His love, joy, peace and the rest of the fruit all come with that package.

God never gives love, and not enough patience for today. When we find rest in the love of GOd, we find all the fruit in his fruit salad. It’s comprehensive which means it’s complete and whole. God doesn’t compartmentalize his love and we go and pick and choose what we want. when we’re in his love, we love, because he first loved us and he gives his whole self to us..

maybe we should trust in giving our whole self to him because he gives the wholeness of himself to us? And lastly, Dwelling in God’s love keeps the practice of presence from drudgery. Jesus say in John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Obedience without love is nothing but a chore, or a duty. Have you ever noticed that God is concerned about our joy?

He wants us to be happy. He desires for us to be full of joy. My joy is not little in his eyes, but rather essential for a life that pleases and glorifies God. It’s essential that we find our joy and satisfaction in God’s son, Jesus. That’s who gives us life. And to me, being loved by Jesus is better than the any fleshly pleasures of entertainment, or of the body.

And so, this life I pursue, is a life in Him. The creator and sustainer of my salvation, my joy and my life. My life, is being formed by His life. You and I will never find a better life, without the life of Jesus forming and shaping us into the likeness of HIs life. It begins like this… Begin today to be passionate about he process while seeking the result.

Because if others around you see you passionate about your process to find your what, they’ll be curious to know more about your why. And those are opportunities to share your faith with others. That’s the importance of why we take communion. Communion is more than just remembering, it’s believing by faith that everything is better in Jesus. And it was his body that was given for us, in remmberence that he died and was broken for our sins.

He who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” And the cup, was poured out for us, and by faith, represent the blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. He willingly shed his own blood not for his own sins (he had none), but for ours. Each of us here today is only able to partake in this covenant and communion because of what Jesus did and continues to do for each of us.

As Paul says, in our Scripture today, for us who were called to be free, don’t use it for the flesh, but s a opportunity to serve one another through love. This communion reminds us that this love isn’t to be wasted but a love that is to be cherished. It restores relationships and leads all into mercy and forgiveness. Let’s us remember that today, that we are Christs, and he is ours.

Bread: The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful. Blood: The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful. Prayer *