The Good News: Living In The Light (9/6)

Message Notes 9/6
THE GOOD NEWS: 'Living In The Light'
Pastor Jay

MAIN SCRIPTURES:
1 JOHN 1:7 (NLT)
7But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

[TPT]
7But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, continually cleanses us from all sin.

EPHESIANS 4:1-4 (GNT)
1I urge you, then—I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you.
2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.
3Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you.


Ref: 1 Peter 1:15-16 (GNT) - (God is our highest standard)
“Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy.
The scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.””


EPHESIANS 4:17-24 (GNT) - Good News Translation
17In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless 18and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn.
19They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.
20That was not what you learned about Christ!
21You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus.
22 So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires.
23Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,
24 and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.


Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.


[MSG]
24Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.
You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.
Don’t run from suffering; embrace it.
Follow me and I’ll show you how.
Self-help is no help at all.
Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.
What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself?
What could you ever trade your soul for?



HEBREWS 12:2 (GNT)
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.



NOTES:
--If our fellowship as The Body is to be unbroken, we then must understand that un-confronted darkness in our lives and living in hiding is (both) hindering and damaging the harmony and unity of The Body.

'Confront the nature of avoidance'


Tolerating vs Being Tolerant  - God calls us to be tolerant to one another - NOT tolerate each other. (Ref Ephesians 4:1-4)

Tolerating is to not genuinely love being in the company of that person.

Tolerating is enduring or putting up with the presence of that person for the sake of peace.
(Often avoidance)

Being tolerant is fighting and going to war not against but on behalf and sometimes with that person until we can see through the perspective of Christ.

Being tolerant is making space for things to rub us the wrong way and lovingly handle correction or addressing something with grace, tenderness and love.

Being tolerant is not ignoring adverse behavior, but graciously and patiently bearing someone else's faults or weaknesses in love -
Showing compassion rather than trying to fix them on the spot.

The Watchman's Role
Prophets announce and warn, but believers are to hold accountability and bring warning where needed as well!

(True Unity rescues)

Ezekiel 3:18 (NLT)
18If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death.


Watchman's role in the Old Testament):
was to vigilantly spot the approach of an enemy and to warn the residents to obtain defensive strategy.


We cannot cast out what we are unwilling to confront in our own life.
In other words, we cannot cast out what we are controlled by.


*True lovers of Yahweh will be proven by their willingness to die to self, take up their cross and follow Jesus.

Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.