We Believe In New Life

We Believe in New Life

• We live in a world desperate for identity. Youtube, Political parties, Sports teams, nationalism, gender, race,  everyone is trying to belong to something, to say, ‘This is who I am.’ Why?
• Because deep down, the human soul is searching for an identity that can’t be shaken.
• The problem is that many people come into the church not looking for Christ but Identity
• And those people are desperately trying to MERGE identities. They want to be a Christian _____
• Brothers and sisters this should not be so. There can be no tribe identifiers within Christ
• People clamor for identity. They want to stand out not blend in. They want to be different. 
• Its how they dress, they talk, they spend their time and money. Desperate for meaning. 
• The only identity you need is being a Christian. Only thing you should be known for. 

• You can’t have a new life if you’re holding onto your old life. Its either new or old not both.  

• Theres no hyphenated Christian- either you are in Christ or you are in the world. 
• Ro 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
• Baptism is drastically misunderstood. We should hold people down longer in water
• Give them the sense of drowning and death. So they can remember that the old man is dead
• Baptism is a funeral. The old man dies and the new man walks out of the water in Christ
• Its largely turned into a public spectacle of piety instead of a spiritual moment of death. 
• We believe in new life here. We live new lives in Christ. 

1. We believe in New life and new life is new creation

• 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
• The beginning of a holy spiritual relationship with Christ is being ‘born again’
• This statement means that your natural birth does not save you- you need to be born ‘again’
• Joh 3:3  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jo 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
• If you haven’t had a born again experience, you are living life on your own strength 
• Jesus is drawing you the father and the Holy Spirit is the power of conversion of the Saints. 
• Many people needlessly struggle because they haven’t been born again. They like the idea of Christianity, the benefits of church, but have never bowed the knee and called out to God
• Col 1:13-14  …. delivered from the power of darkness and …into the kingdom of the Son 
•  cosmic transformation and transaction that is other worldly and powerful to NEW LIFE
• How do you know if you’ve experienced it?1. Desire for the things of God. You want worship and the word 2. Love for others 3. A heart for forgiveness for others 4. Brokenness
• If you don’t desire God, love others and forgive others question your conversion. 

• If your life has none of that I question if you’ve been converted. Be born again!

• A converted life is a changed life, it’s a life with a new nature. YOU ARENT THE SAME
• Guy from college who played basketball- everyone knew wasn’t saved- then everyone knew
• You can be ‘born again’ and ‘made new’ God can and will change you. Experience NEW LIFE

• But some refuse it- John 5:40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

• Stop refusing! Experience the supernatural transformation of the Son of God and be new! 
• You’re needlessly struggling on your own strength- be changed and filled for new life! 

2. We believe in new life and New life is Being real

• Now you’re probably thinking- why is it that I still struggle with Sin if I’ve been made new?
• Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
• You have been made perfect in Christ when you were born again, but you still live in a flesh and bones body in a broken world. The flesh, the world and the devil seek to destroy you
• Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
• It’s a battle! 1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. AND THEY WAR AGAINST YOUR SOUL- flesh wants SIN
• You must be real with yourself, God and your fellow brethren about your struggles. 
• Col 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.- This is NEW LIFE its not pretend you are walking in NEW LIFE
• no prize for being the best liar and acting like you have it all together. Why add to shame?
• Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
• If you are a born again believer struggling with sin, reach out to someone for help and prayer
• The darkness loves the sin and the way you get rid of it is by exposing it to the light. Expose it
• Christianity is filled with liars. Ravi Zacharias, Carl Lentz, Hillsong, This week Michael Tait
• Tait admitted this week on X to ongoing cocaine abuse and inappropriate sexual relations years
• People who are born again can struggle with sin. But needlessly ongoing hypocrisy? No
• Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!!! 
• Matthew 23:27-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• Let it not be so for the son and daughter of the king! Be real about your struggles!
• Ja 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. We do new life here. We don’t do hide the old life. We want to walk in newness
• Quit letting the devil torment you in the darkness. You hate your sin. You hate that you struggle with it and that it consumes you. Bring it to the light and be made whole. Confess!

3. We believe in new life and New life is Living different

• The way you live either feeds your spirit or your flesh. There’s no middle ground. 
• Ephesians 4:22-24 That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
• Your mind, body and soul is soil and the seeds that you plant in them will grow. 
• There are things that Christians should not do and places they should not Go- Walk in newness
• Paul wrote this Romans 6:11-13 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
• Christians should not engage in sexual sin of any kind,getting high, drunkenness, gluttony, or lack of self-control, cursing, filthy jokes, gossip, lying, slander. Idolatry in all forms obsession with money, fame, beauty, possessions, success. Pride, selfish ambition, coveting, envy, and the pursuit of worldly influence. entertainment that glorifies sin, ungodly influencers, and profane media should be avoided. Bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, racism, and revenge have no place in a believer’s life. Bad business, abuse of kids and spouse. You must show restraint. 
• This is not legalism- this is holiness- God Calls us to live differently! (Army life live differently)

• Ti 2:11-12 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Its every where! You don’t have to go looking- it will just show up- kill it! 

• Colossians 1:10 That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
• People say- “why do you always talk about this” because almost every week there are people in this church who display a life contrary to their public profession of faith. Its concerning. 
• And I want to preach so that the Holy Spirit might convict to change conduct! Same as Paul. 
• Paul chastised his churches because they were living contrary to what they knew was right!
• Phil 2:15 That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
• 1 Peter 1:14-16 not conforming yourselves to the former lusts,  in your ignorance
• Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you! I’m doing you a favor! Nothing good there
• I don’t believe that destruction comes immediately. I think that God gives people many many chances to make it right, but it always exposes and it always destroys. 
• Choose to live differently! Set up your life to walk with Jesus! Hang out with people who walk with God on a daily basis. Separate yourself from people who don’t desire righteousness. 

• We walk in new life here. We don’t play with sin. We don’t want anything to do with it. 

• Block people. Block websites. Remove things from your house. Admit to others your need
• Ro 8:13-14 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

4. We believe in new life and New life is The power of the Holy Ghost

• The answer to the fight against sin and the joy of the Lord is the power of the Holy Ghost
• Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit is the change agent of the Lord to give you new life in this life. 

• Acts 1:8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; 
• This power is a power to overcome sin, win over the world and walk in newness of life. 
• This power is for the born again believer to walk in new life. 
• Its an awareness of a power that dwells within you to help you as you walk
• Ro 8:11 if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
• This is the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that dwells in you
• It gives life to your mortal body. It dwells in you and is someone you can draw on daily. 
• Eze 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
• This is a promise of the Lord and of Scripture that the power that dwells within you is not of you and the strength and power that you can draw from will not be of yourself. 
• Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
• The problem is disbelief. You don’t believe it so you can’t appropriate it. Also- you’re so used to doing things on your own strength that your pride keeps you from letting Go of yourself
• Learning to ride a bike- wobbly, holding on, discovered inertia- power that keeps up upright
• But you have to trust it- and then it can carry you- its scary, but eventually, ‘like riding a bike’
• Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
• Walking in the spirit is daily putting on the whole armor of God, daily praying in the spirit, daily talking with God, daily coming upon a challenge and calling upon the spirit. 
• Sin- “lord I call on you” fear, anxiety, wonder, tiredness, laziness, emptiness, 
• Ephesians 3:16That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

• Inside. Deep deep inside. 

5. We believe in new life and New life is the Abundant life

• I believe that the God life is the best life and that walking with him is the best there is
• I believe I’m the head and not the tail. That blessings belong to me. That I’m blessed when I go in and blessed when I go out. I am above circumstances and that my God shall supply all my needs. I believe I am highly favored and that I am known and that God want to bless me and not curse me. He takes care of me, fills me, watches over me, helps me, walks with me. 
• John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

• This doesn’t mean I don’t have challenges, and that I don’t suffer and that at times I Go through things, but often they are of MY OWN DOING and not of the Lord. Difference. 
• Money problems- my spending. Health problems- my diet. Suffering for lack of discipline. 
• 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.
• What I don’t do is blame God on my own bad decisions and umitigated circumstances
• Got rear ended a few weeks Ago. could have gone another way. God didn’t have some gal go and drink alcohol and get arrested and smash us to bring him Glory- but he can turn it around
• Isaiah 55:1-2 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
• Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.