Above is an excellent sermon that Terry Virgo preached at Jubilee Church this past Sunday. Audio is also available to download. If you haven’t already I would urge you to follow him on Twitter, and read his book Spirit-Filled Church.
Here are a few bullet-point notes I took listening.
- Many think that if you become religious you take on many duties, but Christianity is not about what we must do but what Jesus has already done!
- In view of the mercies of God a response is called for, however.
- He appeals to us. Urges us. He doesn’t say “give your heart to Jesus.” The Bible is more specific and says give your whole bodies.
- God is interested in your eyes: he hates haughty eyes. He hates lying tongue. He hates hands that shed innocent blood. Feet that run to evil.
- Living sacrifice is really an oxymoron, like boiling ice. A sacrifice died. Sense of finality. My old life is over. Gratitude for the mercies. Devotion. This is spiritual worship.
- Worship is not just a meeting it’s a lifestyle. Actually the word here is “logical” it’s a rational, reasonable response.
- We are no longer out own.
- Turn from sin: you never get to do it again. It’s like dying.
- Don’t let the world squeeze you into it’s mould
- Bible describes as “futile” in mind. Ignorance of God. Hardness of heart. Sensuality. Don’t let the culture shape you.
- He doesn’t say don’t be confirmed to the world’s rules, instead be confirmed to a bunch of new ‘Christian’ rules.
- Instead be “transformed”. Metamorphosis. What happens when a catapillar becomes a butterfly. What used to crawl now flies. Changed from the inside.
- Same Greek word used when Jesus was transfigured. Even his clothes were shining. Be radically changed. Attitudes and values. Your style your ways. More than externalism.
- We don’t prove we are Christians by wearing clothes that are 20 years out of date.
- Out real being is what is changed. We behold and hence chance. If we don’t look at Jesus we won’t be changed.
- Supernatural thing happens. God is at work in you. The more intoxicated with Jesus you get the more you will be transformed.
- God is glorified by his glory being rejoiced in (Edwards)
Terry also read a quote from the Puritan Flavel:
‘Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer’s soul and they promote sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration and the Christian who goes for a long time without the experience of heart-warming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not, as he ought, from the Spirit of God.
‘The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfilment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones. The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savouring the felt comforts of a Saviour’s presence.
‘When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers. By the enjoyment of the love of Christ in the heart of a believer, we mean an experience of the “love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us” (Rom. 5:5).’
Terry has discussed this quote further in a blog post.
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