Bokeh

Living Christ for Others

2 Tim. 3:16-17

  • Romans 14:7 – For none of us lives for ourselves alone...

  • 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

  • Eph. 4:16

We can never see ourselves separate or alone from others.

  • Everything God does for or in you is to benefit others (The Body)

  • Individualism – me, myself and I... us four and no more...

America, the culture, seems to advocate individualism.

  • Getting ahead of others

  • Being first in line

  • Out doing others (Competition)

The church also seems to follow this pattern

  • The Kingdom of God does not promote any of the above.

We live for others and not just ourselves

  • Phil. 2:3-4 – esteem – the regard in which one is held, high regard, worth, value, opinion, judgment. To set a high value on, regard highly, prize accordingly.

Question: do you find this today among Christians.

  • Leaders in the body are always posturing, a one upmanship, putting down the beliefs of others to draw more to themself.

  • Comparing and competing among churches.

  • 2 Cor 10:12-13

Competition – keeps us from being authentic

  • To compete means I have to compare myself to others

  • I'm not hearing God, I’m too busy watching others

  • I’m not resting in who I am or what God is doing, my eye is on what others are doing.

  • We start copying what others are doing and captialize on their weakness by doing it better. In order to draw their people over to us.

Are we not on the same team anymore?

  • McDonalds does not care which one you eat at.

Even if God would transplant all the saints to different churches, they would be miserable in yours.

  • There cannot be competition among churches or people.

  • America says it’s healthy

  • God says it divides us. Unity is making it about others.

  • Unity is esteeming others better than yourselves.

Competition is based on pride, ego and self. (Individualism)

  • You can get away with it in America and the church, they will applaud you for it, people love success, but the Kingdom of God is not about any of it.

  • Jealousy can be easily disguised by competition.

  • Ambition can be easily disguised by being zealous for God by being big and doing more and drawing crowds...

  • Greed can be disguised; more people mean more money.

The church has been Americanized. The saints have been influenced by it rather than the kingdom.

  • Individual, yes for the purpose of letting God be God in you. Our personal relationship will flow from inside out to others for others.

  • The Godhead embodied Jesus – for others.

  • Christ in you for others

  • Rom. 12:15-18