The Narrow Way or The Neutral Way

Barry's notes and talk from Sunday 29th.

Context – How can I be standing still if Christ lives in me? How can I be a
Christian who stands up and moves, who is genuine and real in this world?
Parable of the lost son – Luke 15

This story is obviously based on the lost son...describing his decisions/choices,
and following a time of doing what he wants, realises he needs to go home to his
father’s house. Thinking he might get a job of a servant he gets the welcome of
the son – the party. The elder son however has been in the house the whole time
and ends up asking the question ‘where’s my party?’...

‘My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours’.

‘We cannot earn what we have always had. What we can do is trust that what
God keeps insisting is true about us is actually true...’ Rob Bell.

Are we the elder son? – Are we questioning where our party is? We have all been
born of the spirit and have the capacity / potential to live the life that God has
ordained and predestined for us...not the life of the neutral Christian, who is
culturally relevant and getting bored.

What is it that we already have?

John 3:3

Jesus teaches Nicodemus.

Nicodemus is a member of the Sanhedrin (powerful Jewish ruling council) and
confronts Jesus at night to avoid being caught being ‘taught’ by Jesus.

‘...No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again...’

What does it mean to be born of the spirit?

• ‘When you are born of the spirit you are like the wind. The wind blows
wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it
comes from or where it is going....’

• Everyone that believes in him may have eternal life. Eternal (Greek:
aheeneeos – indefinite duration, perpetual).

• We are not condemned (Greek: Krino – to judicially decide / try / judge).

• Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen
plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

Do we believe it? We believe that Jesus is the Lord but do we believe that he is
in us? Peter believed that he could do what his Rabbi did – i.e. walk on water –
but he lost faith in himself when he saw the wave. We believe God can do it, do
we believe that we can through him?

Christ in me, the hope of glory

The hope of God’s glory is dependant on us. He wants to work through us. As
born again believers we need to keep on moving, believe for healing, be free from
psychological and emotional hurt etc, and ever change. This is a dynamic
process.

Question time

What is it going to take for me to believe that Christ lives in me and as a
consequence, I am more than a conqueror and through him I can do all things?

How do we live confidently in this knowledge? What difference does it make on a daily basis?