Christ in You…
During this Easter season, many are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
All born-again Christians know Jesus on the cross. We know that He died in our place to deal with our sin problems. The resurrection has most often been presented as proof that God the Father has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. Other than “finishing up” the death and burial of our Savior, the full meaning of the Resurrection has been to most of us a mystery…
Today, we should each of us meet Jesus in the power of His resurrection!
(note: the “predestination” and “righteousness of God”
messages were for me a great preparation for this message…)
_______________________________________________
To begin, please let me tell a story about a lawn mower that was recently given to me:
The priming bulb was cracked and the mower hadn’t run for a long time… The oil was good and there was plenty of gas. I replaced the bulb, rotated the engine to lubricate everything and I was ready to start it up.
I primed it VERY well and pulled hard on the cord.
Pbpbplplpp…r-r-r-r-rooooar! Sweet! But, then it died…
I primed it again and pulled again;
Pbpbp…r-r-r-r-rooooar! But, again, it died…
Hmmm… Clearly a fuel problem. I had ¾ of a tank of gas, but that gas was old and had separated (a greasy substance had settled out and was blocking the fuel lines). I needed to clear out the old gas and clean the entire fuel system.
That mower was like my ministry and perhaps like yours:
-For days I would try and try to minister Christ, but felt that nothing
happened.
-Then one day, the Lord would use me and it would be AWESOME!
Prayer, preaching, understanding the scripture; I was on fire!
-Then, more days when everything was difficult and unproductive…
Hmmm… Clearly a fuel problem. But WHAT to do?
Now, let’s get back to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and why it is SO important that we KNOW He has risen:
Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, He could not have been IN PAUL.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
What does it really mean; Jesus in us and we are in Jesus? I have previously thought the reference was to membership in a group (like being “on” a basketball team or “in” a play). But Paul said that God revealed His Son in him… Clearly Paul is talking of something practical and obvious to all that knew him.
After a warning not to sin, Paul continues:
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul is writing about his relationship with Christ and his confidence (faith) in Jesus. More than that, Paul is talking about ALL Christians!
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
How does this work? Do you “feel” like you have “put on Christ”? Did something happen to us when we were saved that we don’t know about?
YES!! Something hidden, even MYSTERIOUS happened!
Ephesians 3:16-17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The scripture says that JESUS is able to do ABOVE all that we ask or even THINK!
Then why doesn’t He?
All of these discussions about Christ in us say that everything will happen by faith. (Eph.3:17 ...that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…)
Can you trust Jesus to take over your life?
Can you trust Jesus to take over your ministry?
We trust mechanics to work on our cars.
We trust doctors to perform operations on us.
We trust Jesus to forgive our sins…
If we have been born again, Jesus lives inside of us.
Can’t we trust Him to live OUTSIDE of us?
Colossians 1:25-28 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
The glory of God is when God does what only God can do!
Anyone can “lay hands" on the sick, but only God does the miracle.
We are ALL seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Some of us more than others, certainly…
-We try harder and harder to do the work that only God can do…
-We knock on doors and hand out flyers and memorize scriptures.
-We go to seminars and “Christian prayer breakfasts".
-We pray and we pray and we fast and we think “what more can I do?”.
Did you know that Jesus did His mighty works the same way He asks us to do them?
John 14:10-12 Believest thou not that I (Jesus) am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
When Jesus does His work in you, He says that you are doing them TOGETHER! Jesus says the work that HE is doing, YOU are doing ALSO (with Him).
Philippians 3:8-9 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That lawnmower is running great now! And what Jesus is doing in His ministry is blowing me away!
If you have let Jesus live in you,
Won’t you let Him live through you?
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Let’s let Him flow!!
During this Easter season, many are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
All born-again Christians know Jesus on the cross. We know that He died in our place to deal with our sin problems. The resurrection has most often been presented as proof that God the Father has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. Other than “finishing up” the death and burial of our Savior, the full meaning of the Resurrection has been to most of us a mystery…
Today, we should each of us meet Jesus in the power of His resurrection!
(note: the “predestination” and “righteousness of God”
messages were for me a great preparation for this message…)
_______________________________________________
To begin, please let me tell a story about a lawn mower that was recently given to me:
The priming bulb was cracked and the mower hadn’t run for a long time… The oil was good and there was plenty of gas. I replaced the bulb, rotated the engine to lubricate everything and I was ready to start it up.
I primed it VERY well and pulled hard on the cord.
Pbpbplplpp…r-r-r-r-rooooar! Sweet! But, then it died…
I primed it again and pulled again;
Pbpbp…r-r-r-r-rooooar! But, again, it died…
Hmmm… Clearly a fuel problem. I had ¾ of a tank of gas, but that gas was old and had separated (a greasy substance had settled out and was blocking the fuel lines). I needed to clear out the old gas and clean the entire fuel system.
That mower was like my ministry and perhaps like yours:
-For days I would try and try to minister Christ, but felt that nothing
happened.
-Then one day, the Lord would use me and it would be AWESOME!
Prayer, preaching, understanding the scripture; I was on fire!
-Then, more days when everything was difficult and unproductive…
Hmmm… Clearly a fuel problem. But WHAT to do?
Now, let’s get back to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and why it is SO important that we KNOW He has risen:
Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, He could not have been IN PAUL.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
What does it really mean; Jesus in us and we are in Jesus? I have previously thought the reference was to membership in a group (like being “on” a basketball team or “in” a play). But Paul said that God revealed His Son in him… Clearly Paul is talking of something practical and obvious to all that knew him.
After a warning not to sin, Paul continues:
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul is writing about his relationship with Christ and his confidence (faith) in Jesus. More than that, Paul is talking about ALL Christians!
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
How does this work? Do you “feel” like you have “put on Christ”? Did something happen to us when we were saved that we don’t know about?
YES!! Something hidden, even MYSTERIOUS happened!
Ephesians 3:16-17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The scripture says that JESUS is able to do ABOVE all that we ask or even THINK!
Then why doesn’t He?
All of these discussions about Christ in us say that everything will happen by faith. (Eph.3:17 ...that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…)
Can you trust Jesus to take over your life?
Can you trust Jesus to take over your ministry?
We trust mechanics to work on our cars.
We trust doctors to perform operations on us.
We trust Jesus to forgive our sins…
If we have been born again, Jesus lives inside of us.
Can’t we trust Him to live OUTSIDE of us?
Colossians 1:25-28 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
The glory of God is when God does what only God can do!
Anyone can “lay hands" on the sick, but only God does the miracle.
We are ALL seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Some of us more than others, certainly…
-We try harder and harder to do the work that only God can do…
-We knock on doors and hand out flyers and memorize scriptures.
-We go to seminars and “Christian prayer breakfasts".
-We pray and we pray and we fast and we think “what more can I do?”.
Did you know that Jesus did His mighty works the same way He asks us to do them?
John 14:10-12 Believest thou not that I (Jesus) am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
When Jesus does His work in you, He says that you are doing them TOGETHER! Jesus says the work that HE is doing, YOU are doing ALSO (with Him).
Philippians 3:8-9 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That lawnmower is running great now! And what Jesus is doing in His ministry is blowing me away!
If you have let Jesus live in you,
Won’t you let Him live through you?
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Let’s let Him flow!!
