Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The great expectation of salvation is transformation

I’ve always said that I don’t respect anyone who doesn’t proselytize I’ve always said that I don’t respect anyone who doesn’t proselytize. If you believe that there is a heaven and hell and that people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think “well, uh, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward”….How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that eternal life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you – and you didn’t believe it – and that truck was bearing down on you. There is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.

This guy was a really good guy. He was polite and honest and sane… This guy was a really good guy. He was polite and honest and sane….Now, I know there’s no God. And meeting one polite person doesn’t change that. But I’ll tell you, he was a very, very, very, very good man. And, uh, that’s real important….I still think religion does a lot of really bad stuff, but that was a good man.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Jesus indeed said that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) Jesus indeed said that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). But we can be sure that if we do nothing it will be without Him. So He commands us to “abide in the Vine” (John 15:1-7). Dallas Willard “Living a Transformed Life Adequate to Our Calling”

How do I live the transformed life? Transformed people are burdened by a “holy discontent” Transformed people are willing to die to themselves

Everybody wants to go to Heaven Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die. Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don't wanna die. Well, I long for the day when I'll have new birth, but I like livin' here on earth, Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die

Preacher told me last Sunday mornin’ Son, you better start livin’ right You need to quit the women and whiskey And carrying on all night Don’t you wanna hear him call your name When you’re standin’ at the pearly gates I told the preacher, “Yes I do” But I hope they don’t call today I ain’t ready Everybody wants to go to heaven Have a mansion high above the clouds Everybody want to go to heaven But nobody want to go now

Said, preacher maybe you didn’t see me Throw an extra twenty in the plate There’s one for everything I did last night And one to get me through today Here’s a ten to help you remember Next time you got the good Lord’s ear Say I’m comin’ but there ain’t no hurry I’m havin’ fun down here Don’t you know that Everybody wants to go to heaven Get their wings and fly around Everybody want to go to heaven But nobody want to go now

Everybody wanna go to heaven It beats the other place there ain’t no doubt Everybody wanna go to heaven But nobody wanna go now Everybody wanna go to heaven Hallelujah, let me hear you shout Everybody wanna go to heaven But nobody wanna go now I think I speak for the crowd

Luke 9:23-25 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Philippians 1:20-21 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Acts 21:12-14 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." How do I do this? Set your expectation to not be ashamed Determine to take courageous steps of denial Live for Christ to be exalted in you life Be willing to own your willingness to die