Crucify

Living Stones Church - South Bend

Galatians 2:11-13 – MSG - Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade. Sermon Point #1 – How do we keep from going back? Galatians 2:16, 19 – MSG - We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good… What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Galatians 2:20 – MSG - Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Matthew 16:21-25 - From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Sermon Point #2 – We want changed situations. God wants to change us. Sermon Point #3 – Living the Crucified Life Crucify self. 1 Corinthians 15:31 – NASB – I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. John 3:30 – NLT – He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. Sermon Point #4 – Action Step: Humility Sermon Point #5 – Living the Crucified Life Crucify my flesh. Galatians 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus has crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Sermon Point #6 – Action Step: Choices Sermon Point #7 – Living the Crucified Life Crucify the world Galatians 6:14 – May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Sermon Point #8 – Action Step: Guardrails