Losing My Religion Fixing It…

Jesus changed my life…!

Started to see Problems Issues Sins God's Spirit and the Scriptures People and Religion

Felt I needed to live up To "God's Standard" To be accepted by God

Feeling like God can't accept me Or use me for anything until… So I benched myself

1 st Mistake

1 st Mistake And the power of God Was abdicated Even though I didn't know it

Resolved to do better Make changes Try harder

2 nd Mistake

2 nd Mistake Didn't work Left me feeling defeated Wanting to give up on the Faith

Frustrated, Continuing to fall Wanting to quit OR…

Frustrated, Continuing to fall Wanting to quit OR… Began to justify and rationalize

Either way My enemy is overjoyed I'm not experiencing the Power Christ died to give me

What happened was… Religion crept in And ended Real Faith

What happened was… Religion crept in And ended Real Faith "I must be good to be accepted" "I must do…in order to be good"

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

If you are a follower of Christ How did you get to God Originally?

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God - 1 Peter 3:18

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins- Col. 1

How much of this Is a result of our own efforts?

The moment my acceptance From my God is tied to my Morals or good behavior I lose the gospel and The Power that comes with it

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Translation: Doing good things Never got you anywhere with God So why would you think they'll Keep you cool with God? Or mature you in Christ?

…Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-

…just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Credited to his account

Acceptance from God Will never be conditioned upon Right actions from you But given through faith in Jesus

...all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them"

If I have to be good enough To get to God Then I have to be perfect And I'll never get there

I've just emptied the gospel Of it's power Because it's about me And what I do

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery I have to be good…is slavery

Slavery: Feeling defeated Because I can't be good enough Or justifying and rationalizing Because I'm better than they are

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you

"Jesus' death wasn't enough The cross was weak And incomplete" Tetelestai!

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace

There goes the power Of the gospel in your life

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

…For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love - Galatians 3,5

The moment I add anything to The cross in order to gain God's Acceptance I lose both acceptance & power

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power - 1 Cor. 1

Creation Fall Redemption Restoration

Our only contribution To the gospel Is the sin that makes Christ's cross Necessary

1 st - I have to be good To be accepted by God 2 nd - I'll do these things So I can be good enough

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

You already have the power You need to live the Christian life By knowing and walking With Jesus

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness

And when you seek to Change yourself You discover frustration Because God isn't interested In self-improvement

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek

Past- Have been saved Present- Are being saved Future- Will be saved All Jesus

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith”

We don't create righteousness God's grace through our faith Secures it And we walk in it By Faith in Jesus

The power that saved you Is the power at work in you Changing you

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

The grace that accepted you Before you ever changed Is the grace that you walk in Even if you never change

So I see things in my life That need to change Through the Spirit, the Word Fellowship What do I do?

"The Accuser of the Brethren" Know that I'm accepted Because of the cross of Christ Regardless

Confess, repent Make Spirit-empowered changes As God leads And press into Jesus

Not to earn But because I already have All things in Christ

And I discover God-sized power To change my life As I daily walk with him

Only when we discard Man-centered religion will we Discover God-sized power

Get rid of that music Here's the rules for movies Cut your hair

From frustration To hiding sin And looking down on Everyone else

Christ alone Through grace alone Set me free And his power is at work Changing me

Not whether I confess And repent But why

Not a plan I make But a relationship I pursue

Am I feeling condemned? Why? Am I trying to get to God?

As a Church Not a list of rules But a relationship We encourage each other in

Q and A

Noon- Great Clothes Exchange 6 PM- Break Free Class

Thanksgiving Dinner, 6 PM

Christmas Offering