Show Notes:
Focus Verse A:
Luke 17:33
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”
Focus Verse B:
Acts 20:24
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Stop trying and start dying.
This is a call to die.
Great quote from Band of Brothers.
Lt. Spiers: “You hid in that ditch because you think there is still hope. The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function…”
Video Clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DFReW8KMuA
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DFReW8KMuA]
Am I dead already?
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
So you are feeling really drained these days. Need a fresh wind? How do I get that vitality back?
“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
What does it mean to belong to Christ?
Galatians 5:24 ESV
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
It’s not about you.
NOTHING in your ministry is about YOU.
Let that sink in…
Now make a bridge and get over it.
What does following Jesus require?
Luke 9:23 ESV
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
The reality is we follow the God who chose to go to the cross and die for us. Following Him leads there…the cross of death.
Want to be fruitful? Desire a fruitful ministry?
John 12:24 ESV
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
How can I truly worship God in my ministry?
Romans 12:1
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
How can I live with Christ?
2 Timothy 2:11 ESV
The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
Romans 6:8 ESV
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Revelation 12:11 ESV
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
Further Resources:
Sermon on suffering “Inheritance [7]: Much Trouble”
On Being A Pastor by: Derrick Prime and Allistair Begg
Now What?
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I’d love to hear your thoughts
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What in your life needs to die so that Christ’s ministry in and through you can greater live?
