Online Sermons
A Christ Centered Life
A CHRIST CENTERED LIFE
Read Colossians 1: 18 - 29
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he shows us that Christ should be at the very heart and core of a Christian’s life. It’s important for us to grasp the concept that if we are “in Christ” and Christ is in us, we have access to every spiritual blessing which God intends for His people today. Eph. 1:3 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Paul also tells us in:
Colossians 2:10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
When we find Christians that are always unhappy or they feel incomplete they may not be living a Christ centered life because a Christ centered Christian will realize what wonderful blessing they have in Christ and they will not allow day to day disappointments to keep them down. (What do you think about this statement?)
The source of spiritual life and power is Christ! That’s why Paul says:
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
There are others who lean on their own wisdom and knowledge for spiritual life. But human wisdom is vain and deceptive and will leave you spiritually bankrupt.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Even knowledge that comes from Gods word can be very unsatisfying unless a person’s heart and life is wholly committed to Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in
Col 2:3 that “In Him” (Christ), “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In order for these treasures to mean anything to us, we must have a Christ centered life. Even an atheist might read the New Testament and know a lot about Christ (history, facts, etc.), but knowing about Christ and knowing Him are two different things! We have all probably met people whose minds are filled with Biblical knowledge and facts, but their hearts are cold and empty because Christ is not the center and motivating force of their daily lives.
This reminds us of what Jesus told some of the Jews in his day.
John 5:39&40 "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
There are also some who think that they can find spiritual life in religious activities and a multitude of good works. However, a person can “go through all the motions” of worship and every good work prescribed in Scripture—but, without Christ all is empty and vain.
However, if we have Christ as our main focus, every religious act is meaningful and edifying and fulfilling. Since this is the case don’t you think it important that we ask ourselves what does it mean to live a Christ-centered life?
I. FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT JESUS IS THE LEADER OF HIS DISCIPLES.
He is not merely just “the Head of the church,” in an executive kind of capacity. Scriptures show Christ to be the Head of his spiritual body, the church, and His life flows throughout his body to each individual member. The church is not just a mere organization but instead it is a living and breathing organism. Ever member of his church must be connected to Him and be ready to follow him. Jesus never commanded us to follow something or someone instead he says:
Matthew 16:24 "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
This means if you want to have a Christ centered life then you must follow Jesus and the pattern he has left us in God’s Word.
Read 1 Peter 2:21-24
II. SECONDLY, WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS THE THEME OF NEW TESTAMENT PREACHING.
In the first Gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles preached about Christ. They showed from the Scriptures how that He had fulfilled prophecy and they proclaimed His death, burial and triumphant resurrection. They also preached His ascension and how he was exalted at God’s right hand, reigning on David’s spiritual throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
As a result of that powerful message, some three thousand souls were pricked in their heart which caused them to obey the gospel by repenting of their sins and being baptized into Christ for the remission of sin. Acts 2:37, 38, That great story marked the beginning of the Lord’s church.
Throughout the book of Acts, we can see that Jesus was always the theme of New Testament preaching. In Acts 4, we find Peter and John preaching boldly in the name of Christ.
Read Acts 4:10-12
Also Philip proclaimed Jesus in Acts 8.
Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
We also see Philip preaching Jesus to the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:35. As soon as this man heard the good news about Jesus Christ he wanted baptized immediately because he knew that he must be baptized in order to be saved and to begin a Christ centered life. So, they stopped the chariot he was on and went down into the water and Philip baptized him into Christ. We can see that once this man had been baptized into Christ that he went on way rejoicing because he understood that he was now free from his sins.
III. SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO BE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST TO HAVE A CHRIST CENTERED LIFE WE MUST ALSO “WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.”
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Read Colossians 3:1-3
When a person submits themselves to baptism by their faith they know that their old self has died and they been clothed with Christ and raised a new creature. Since we are a new creature and we have went through spiritual change we are to start life anew. Our concerns should be shifted from earthly things to Christ and heavenly things. We can learn to have peace in our life and we put our faith and trust in God knowing that the life we have here on this earth is a short one even if we live to be 100 years old. The main goal of a Christian is now to remain faithful to Christ.
Read Colossians 1:3-5
So we can clearly see that living a Christ centered life means following after Jesus by living faithfully and keeping our hope on things above and not on this earth.
IV. FINALLY, LIVING A CHRIST-CENTERED LIFE MEANS THAT WE LOOK CONTINUALLY TO JESUS AS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR A LIFE THAT IS SPIRITUAL AND PRODUCTIVE.
Read Hebrews 12:1-2
In these verse the inspired writer compares the Christians life to that of running a foot-race. In order to run this race successfully to the finish, we must do two things:
1. First, we must throw off everything that hinders us.
2. Second, we must continually look to Jesus as our help and savior because he is the author and perfecter of our faith. Anything that might hinder us or hold us back, must be cast aside.
For some, this might be some sort of worldly entertainment which they allow to come between them and serving God. Others allow themselves selves to get into habits which keep them from running the race as they should. In order to become Christ centered sometimes it might mean giving up a friendship or association if they are influencing you to pull away from the Lord. The point is this, whatever the weight is in your life if it is holding you back and keeping you from running the race of Christianity it important that you lay that weight to the side if will keep from attaining the crown of life.
We need to look at one more section of scripture in connection with this.
Read John 15:1-7
This reminds us that Jesus in the true Vine, and each of His disciples is a branch in that Vine. This is powerful illustration that shows us that we must look to Jesus, and “remain in Him” as the sustaining source for our spiritual life, if we are to be productive and fruitful because without him according to verse 4 we cannot be productive. So you see it is imperative that we always maintain our connection with Him who is the source of our lives. This not only includes faithful worship and fellowship with the church, but also daily, personal communion with Christ in prayer and meditation and in study of His word.
Remember without Jesus we can do nothing.
I believe the Paul sums up our lesson and what it means to live a Christ centered life in:
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
I would like to close our class with instructions from Jesus found in Matthew Chapter 16.
Read Matthew 16:24-26
