HE’LL BE THE DEATH OF YOU YET (HOPEFULLY)

HE’LL BE THE DEATH OF YOU YET (HOPEFULLY)

DOC LYNCH

*WARNING* This might hurt a little today. Hopefully you will take it in stride and come out the other side intact and much stronger.

I hope so anyway.

Oh, I’m sorry. I mean Jesus will be the death of you yet. If you allow it.

You see…that’s a good thing.

In fact…you cannot REALLY be a believer, a follower, a DISCIPLE of Jesus Christ, until you allow yourself to be CRUCIFIED with Him.

Galatians 2:20 (AMP) – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Luke 9: 23-24 (AMP) – “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Matthew 10:38 (AMP) – “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Don’t panic. He did the painful physical part. He took the beating. He took the nails. He ACTUALLY hung there ON the CROSS. He ACTUALLY died.

HOWEVER…if we think what we are charged to do is in someway EASY…then we are mistaken.

If you think it is than you haven’t DIED to what you need to.

Ask yourself that this morning.

Am I REALLY a BELIEVER in Jesus Christ?

OR…

*BEGIN BELIEVER’S PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DIAGNOSTIC*

Is Jesus just a name I just grew up hearing around my home and in some religious type church I attended as a kid? (The BELIEVER should be able to say “Perhaps, but NOT now).

Have I just always ASSUMED I was a Christian because I was baptized as a an infant and have the certificate to prove it? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer NO).

Am I willing to do just about anything on a Sunday morning other than attend church? (The Believer should be able to answer NO).

Do I only go to church if there is not something more IMPORTANT going on? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer NO).

Could I give someone a well thought out and precise account of how I became a believer in Jesus Christ? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer YES).

Could I explain in depth to a person what it means to be born again and saved by Jesus Christ? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer YES).

Could I actually tell someone else what Jesus dying on the CROSS means to us personally? To the human race in general? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer YES).

Do I understand what it means to take up my cross DAILY and FOLLOW Jesus? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer YES).

Do I know what it means to live the CRUCIFIED life? (The BELIEVER should be able to answer YES).

*END BELIEVER’S PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DIAGNOSTIC*

How did you do?

If you did poorly than shame on you. It means you are at the best a religious Christian.

At the worst you are a not a believer at all.

I know. That’s a wide parameter, but let’s be truthful here. I will. It scares me how many people would fail that simple test, even many who do attend church regularly. Somebody is dropping the ball. Or you attend a fluff church that just chooses to believe another way.

Anything else in life you do that you take seriously, you probably know EVERYTHING about it.

If you are an art collector you probably know incredible amounts of info pertaining to paintings.

If you are a musician, you know very much about your instrument of choice.

If you are an athlete (even a non-professional) I’ll bet you know almost everything about staying in shape and hardly ever miss a workout (even in place of church).

Whatever your job is, at a professional level, you probably are very well informed about what you need to do to maintain your success and make more money.

AND concerning any of the above, you not only know what you need to know, BUT you could hold a lengthy and intelligent conversation with people explaining it to them precisely.

IF you CANNOT do that about your relationship with Jesus Christ than shame, shame, shame on you.

The scary part about this is, that if you don’t know Jesus that well, than how are you sure He knows you at all?

I suggest YOU read the next few verses VERY carefully.

Matthew 7:21-23 (AMP) – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Did I mention how scary that is? Not for me, but for anyone who thinks they have it all together in their little snow globe perhaps.

How is your life going with all your little creature comforts? Good? Very good? Exceptionally well?

Be careful. You might just be prancing through a life of self-absorption rather than a life with Jesus.

It is YOUR responsibility to get to know HIM at least as good as your OTHER mentors in life.

It is up to you to become a better Disciple and Believer in Jesus than you are at whatever it is you do well for work and spare time hobbies.

This is why I have been harping on the going to Church thing.

Missing Church if you claim to be a BELIEVER is ABNORMAL.

It is as ABNORMAL as trying to be a successful business person and NOT showing up for work.

It is as abnormal as trying to compete professionally or non-professionally as an athlete or just a fitness buff, and NOT go to the gym.

It is as abnormal as trying to have a good marriage while IGNORING your spouse.

The very SAD and very SCARY issue here is that Jesus sees it the same way.

This might be an incredibly hard slap in the face today. I hope it is if it awakens you from your poser slumber.

I am Pastor Doc Lynch from Revival Life Church (21 Executive Center Drive, New Milford, CT 06776).

If your expectation of going to church is one of being lied to about your spiritual condition than you probably won’t be comfortable here. If your intention has been recently to find a church that teaches the truth and encourages the believer to know and understand our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, than I highly recommend Revival Life as your best choice. Worship is on Sunday morning at 10:00.

Oh…by the way! There is some great news here! Romans 6:5 (AMP) “For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God].”

Be blessed greatly today in the LOVE of Jesus! Don’t be afraid to die to the old you!

Keepin’ it Revived!

~Pastor Doc Lynch~