Real Truth Part 2
Guess who is knocking?
Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Written to the church not to the unsaved, why?
Jesus is saying that he is standing outside of the church outside of the Christian’s life as they go about their daily routine and He is saying wont you let me in?
If the bible tells us….
Galatians 2:20
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
Is your flesh rising up, being offended, are you feeling condemned then the grace of God is not alive in you and Christ is not really welcome to his fullest in your life
Ephesians 3:17-19
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
If you, even after all the teaching in the past weeks, aren’t feeling the fullness of the love of Christ in its depths, height, width and every way perhaps Christ is not totally living in you yet…if you are still being defeated over and over again then welcome Him in completely into every area of your life then you will know the fullness of His power
You can’t beat alcohol, drugs, pornography, or really any other sin by saying I’m going to stop this! You must pursue Him and welcome Him in more
1 John 3:24
Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
If you are seeing a limit of the fruit of the Spirit and the power of God in your life perhaps Jesus is not fully welcome in you.
OK now that I made you feel guilty and terrible and some even condemned….
Allowing the Lord total access to our lives and hearts is a process called sanctification.
We invite Jesus into the areas that we feel most comfortable or vulnerable at first. But Jesus wants it all, he wants total welcoming into every aspect of our lives
Jesus and house story***
Sometimes we don’t realize that we have not allowed him totally in until something bad happens, some struggle overwhelms us, some fear, bitterness, anger, lust, greed, takes hold then the enemy makes us feel condemned and rather than running to the Lord to surrender to him we run the other way away from him and the brokenness just get worse
What happens when Jesus is allowed in?
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
What happens to us when we allow Jesus in?
1) Overwhelmed by his presence
Luke 19:6
…Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (liberty).
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Why live in depression, feeling wounded, rejected, feeling like you don’t fit in
Why feel like you are surrounded always by enemies instead of friends.
Why live life without joy, freedom, peace love overwhelming you
Jesus is standing at the door, knocking and wanting in to every part of you
2) Repent of wrongs, heal relationships, brokenness, wounds; reputations made right…
Luke 19:7
But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
James 4:1 “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?”
Because of his job, his height, and his attitude there was prejudice against him he was wounded, his relationship in the community broken but being totally open to Jesus brought him to forgiveness and healing
Allowing Jesus in didn’t necessarily change the way others looked at Him but it changed Him so the way others saw him no longer mattered, he knew who he was! When we begin to see ourselves the way the Father sees us, we change
3) Giving happens – time, talent, and treasure
The nature of the Father’s heart is giving
Matthew 7:11
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
James 1:17
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
John 3:16,17
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Generosity is a sign that you have become completely open to the Lord….you are trusting that the more you give of your time your talent, and your treasure the Lord will pour back into you and you recognize after all that everything you have “every good and perfect gift” came from God in the first place and you are only a steward of all you have and God is the owner
4) Transformation takes place we become and live as we are new
Saulwas a murder of Christians and a religious zealot – greatest defender of the faith author of the majority of the New Testament
Peter, Andrew– mere fishermen who become fishers of men
Matthewa tax collector also hated by the people
Nathaniela good guy who became a great guy and changed the world
120 common ordinary folks in the upper roomwho changed the world
5) We become His true, powerful sons and daughters of Christ
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
As a child of God we are given all the rights and privileges of a child of the King…nothing shall be impossible
Here is the real truth….many become too easily satisfied with crumbs from the table. We become satisfied believing whatever condition we find ourselves is the best we can be.
If we take the leap of faith to daily surrender to the Lord allowing him more and more control ..in essence we become who were were meant to be and live a life of abundance in the Kingdom
Another very powerful thing happens unity…one heart, we have his heart and each others
Psalm 133:1, 3b
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
….For there the Lord commanded the blessing