How to Abide in Christ in the day-to-day of everyday

Do you ever find yourself struggling to abide in Christ in the day-to-day of everyday? Whether it’s dealing with difficult people or trying to balance work and home life, abiding in Christ can be a challenge. In the message, How to Abide in Christ in the day-to-day of everyday we’re going to look at some ways to abide in Christ even when things get tough so we can Learn to Discern.

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I had someone email me an urgent question… is Christ returning during Rosh Hashanah?

For those of you who don’t know that is September 25 – 27 this year. There are a ton of videos on YouTube telling us Christ is coming, so hang on, it’s us-four-no-more. Make sure you’re ready and make sure your neighbours know they are going to hell.

It’s not that we haven’t seen this before. How many remember 88 Reasons Why Jesus Christ must Return in 1988?

The Author’s reasoning was, “The communists will kill us if Jesus doesn’t come back in 1988…

Do you remember the world ending in 2012 with the end of the Mayan calendar?

I’m not a big fan of scaring people into the Kingdom.

Here’s how I responded to the one who sent me the email:

I’ve let go of eschatological debates since I figured out that every opinion is so very North American – Northern Europe centered. In 1989, more Christians were martyred than were slaughtered in the history of Christianity. In 1990, it doubled all those killed up to that time. It was a great tribulation, but we don’t call it The Tribulation until I have to suffer? That makes little sense. I’d rather help people to be ready for WHATEVER happens and do good right now, rather than hope they get taken ahead of time, or hang on and endure. Yes, Jesus is coming back. Yes, be ready for His return. If it’s this September…awesome, even so, come Lord Jesus! But realize, every time someone thinks better than Jesus when He said, “No one knows the day or the hour,” they get it wrong. And yes, I know that statement points to Rosh Hashanah – the only Jewish festival Jesus has yet to fulfill and the statement “No one knows the day or the hour” is made during it.How about we bring Jesus to people in our everyday world by being like Him in this world? Then we’ll be ready, whenever He comes. Then we’ll be ready to be the first up against the wall and shot, if the revolution comes before He comes. Then we’ll cherish the reality it is “to be absent from the body, means we’ll be present with the Lord.” I’ve heard these declarations before, probably by the ones saying the same thing again, or by their disciples. I’ve lived long enough to see how difficult it is for people to grow in the knowledge of God if they’ve been scared into the Kingdom.

What I was trying to say was, if we abide in Christ in the day-to-day of everyday, then we will be ready and getting other people ready for when He comes again.

When we abide in Christ, we have His wisdom – proverbs say

When you walk with the wise you become wise. Proverbs 13:20

So when you abide in Christ you become more like Christ.

You need to Abide in Him, if you want CLARITY. You need to Abide in Him if you want to learn to discern.

So, how do you Abide in Christ?

Jesus said,

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done. John 15:7

What would that be like?

Look at how The Passion Translation transliterate this…

“But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! “I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts.” John 15:7-9 TPT

I think I would desire His desires more than my desires, and then ask Him for what He wants to give, so I’d get whatever I ask and that would be amazing.

How cool would that be?

Here’s how you can get there. You need Holy Spirit’s help to do every step in this process.

Abide in Christ Tool

This is not a seven-step program that if you’re good enough you can master. It is a reminder of what Scripture shows what God says about you with questions to help you not conform but be transformed. It is making space for the revelation of the love of God, and then regularly responding to that revelation.

COMMUNE

C – Consider yourself dead to sin – Romans 6:7-12

O – Offer yourself as a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1-2

M – Make space to regularly connect – John 14:15-20

M – Move to the rhythm of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-25

U – Utilize what you receive from Him – John 15:7-17

N – Never resist His pruning – John 15:1-6

E – Enjoy intense fellowship – Zephaniah 3:17

You can’t do this on your own. Holy Spirit empowers you to accomplish every good work.

C – Consider yourself dead to sin

Romans 6:7-12 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

Sin can separate us from God.

Isaiah 59:2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

He’s given us the tools of Confession and Repentance and Power of the Holy Spirit to help us accomplish every good work prompted by faith.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:24

Can I look God in the eye?

Am I in right relationship with Him?

O – Offer yourself as a living sacrifice

Romans 12:1-2 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Pride can separate us from God.

Hebrews 3:15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your heart as Israel did when they rebelled.”

In your heart set apart Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:15 NIV84

Would Jesus agree He is Lord of my life?

M – Make space to regularly connect

John 14:15-20 “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

God is always with us…are you with Him?

Worries can separate us from God.

Matthew 13:22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

Have space to exchange your problems for His peace.

Do you make space to regularly commune? Awe, Curiosity

How will I connect with God today in a meaningful way?

M – Move to the rhythm of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-25 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

How do you follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of your life?

Busyness can separate us from God.

Busyness comes from shame and we can’t be ashamed of Jesus.

Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Practicing the Presence of God – Brother Lawerence 17th century Carmelite Monk. Be continually filled with Holy Spirit.

Gratitude is key…

How will I practice the presence of God today?

U – Utilize what you receive from Him

John 15:7-17 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: love each other.

“But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! “I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness! “So this is my command: Love each other deeply, as much as I have loved you. For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends. “You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friends, for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. You didn’t choose me, but I’ve chosen and commissioned you to go into the world to bear fruit. And your fruit will last, because whatever you ask of my Father, for my sake, he will give it to you! So this is my parting command: Love one another deeply!”” John 15:7-17 TPT

Ignorance can separate us from God.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

You need to know what you receive from Him…

As you abide in Him, this passage tells us you receive 3 things:

His word v.7
His love v.9
His joy v.11

Those things you receive, you remain in…His word, His love and His joy.

Much fruit shows us we are His disciples. Much fruit is for the Father’s glory.

Who can I serve today?

How will I share His word, His love and His joy today?

N – Never resist His pruning

John 15:1-6 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Offence can separate us from God

Mark 6:3-5 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

Am I living offended at God?

E – Enjoy Intense Fellowship

Zephaniah 3:17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness.With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Nothing can separate us from God.

Romans 8:35-39 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How will I enjoy God and know He enjoys me today?

You were created to walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day. You can abide in Christ in the day-to-day of every day. He is always with you. Will you be with him? Will you abide in Christ and let His words abide in you?

It’s what you’ve been created for.

Challenge

COMMUNE

C – Consider yourself dead to sin – Romans 6:7-12

Can I look God in the eye?

O – Offer yourself as a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1-2

Would Jesus agree He is Lord of my life?

M – Make space to regularly connect – John 14:15-20

How will I connect with God today in a meaningful way?

M – Move to the rhythm of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-25

How will I practice the presence of God today?

U – Utilize what you receive from Him – John 15:7-17

Who can I serve today?

N – Never resist His pruning – John 15:1-6

Am I living offended at God?

E – Enjoy intense fellowship – Zephaniah 3:17

How will I enjoy God and know He enjoys me today?

Can I pray for you?

How to Abide in Christ in the day-to-day of everyday

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