Ending Elevator Christianity

The title of my message today, friends, is Finishing Well, the Life of Victory. And as we begin this message, I want us to understand that when we first come to Christ, we throw down our shotgun of rebellion at the feet of Jesus and surrender to his Lordship, but we must crown him Lord every single day of our life, or we will be in the flesh. The Bible tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Many Christians long to have a walk with God that is consistent and victorious, yet any believer who attempts to model Jesus Christ in their own strength is doomed to failure. Jesus told his disciples, without me you can do nothing. Rather than experiencing victory over temptation and sin, many believers know too well the frustration of failure and defeat in trying to live the Christian life.

Did you know that only one person ever lived the Christian life perfectly, and it was Jesus Christ? If you are sick of sin, friend, and sick of self and long for the life of victory in Christ, there is good news. There is a pathway to victory and consistency in our daily walk with God. The following study will explain how to enter into this experience of a transformed life.

First notice the pattern. Then Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Let's look at his imperative.

This pattern for following Jesus is his command of authority to any person who desires to be a Christian. We cannot escape this imperative from the lips of the master in regard to discipleship. But practically, what does this really mean? Let us examine this statement of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew in 16 and 24.

The word deny means to give up oneself entirely. This suggests a surrender must occur. There must be a surrender to his lordship.

The words take up his cross imply a daily death to self via the cross. We must exchange the self life for the Christ life. The words follow me speak of our devotional life, our daily walk with Jesus in a life of worship and service to our king.

Now let us see the problem. For the good that I would not, for the good that I would do not, but the evil which I would not that I do. That's the apostle Paul's words from Romans 7 and verse 19.

So we see our inconsistency. Try as we may to live a consistent life in Christ, our real experience is quite the opposite and often one of struggle and failure. We end up living what I term elevator Christianity.

Our walk with God is up and down and there's no consistency, kind of like an elevator. One day we're living on the top floor in the penthouse suite of victory. Then the next day we're down in the basement of despair.

At times our best companion is guilt and frustration. We want to do better. We long to live a life pleasing to the Lord but somehow we seem to lose the battle with our flesh.

What can we do? Do we settle for this life of mediocrity? I submit to you friends that this is not the normal Christian life and nor was it ever meant to be so. God's desire for us is holiness, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the form of lust and your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy. So be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy.

Yet a problem exists as it did with the apostle Paul who wanted to do better but the evil which I would not that I do. Paul discovered that they that are in the flesh cannot please God but there is hope because Paul found victory through Christ Jesus and we can experience his victory as well friends. Notice his statement of victory.

This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now we will examine the promise of how to live a victorious life through Christ and put an end to this elevator Christianity. A life of consistency can be ours, perhaps a personal revival is the desire of your heart friend.

Look at the promise of God's word to us. We see this promise in 2nd Corinthians 3 17. It reads now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty not liberty to sin friend but liberty from sin.

We see his lordship the pathway to a daily walk of victory is found in this verse of scripture which announces the liberty we possess from the Holy Spirit. Our task is to believe and appropriate this truth and apply it to our lives. Notice the words where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

This can also be phrased where the spirit is Lord there is liberty. This speaks of the lordship of Christ in our lives. Jesus demands a full surrender to his lordship if we are to follow him along the narrow way.

When we are born again the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. Romans 8 9 says now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his. But allow me to make a distinction.

As believers Jesus can be reigning in our lives by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit but not ruling. In England there is a queen and it's indisputable that she reigns but she does not rule. Likewise the Christian can assert self on the throne and deny Jesus his rightful spot as Lord.

When self rules on the throne of the heart friend one can expect an inconsistent life of struggling with sin and defeat. The experience to experience victory self must be nailed daily to the cross by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ must be crowned Lord of all. He must be a complete master over every aspect of our lives for we were bought with a price and the price was his blood.

Therefore we have no rights. Our body is not our own. Our time is not our own.

Our money is not our own. Jesus must rule in total lordship over our lives. He said to take up your cross and follow me.

Are you doing it? If he is not Lord of all friends then he is not Lord at all. We must crown him Lord every single moment. Obedience is essential to the Christian life.

Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. Jesus must sit on the throne of our heart as Lord of our life. We must be in subjection to him in all areas of our lives.

Our thought life must go to the cross. Our words must go to the cross. Our lusts must go to the cross.

Our boasting and pride must go to the cross. Do not forget the promise from God to us regarding freedom from sin. Now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

Where the spirit is Lord there is liberty friends. This liberty can be yours. Liberty from sin.

Look at liberty realized. Let us examine how this is achieved. For us to have complete liberty from giving into temptation and sin we must appropriate Romans 8 13 which states for if you live after the flesh you shall die but if you through the spirit do mortify that's put to death the deeds of the body you shall live liberty from sin and victory through Jesus is accomplished by the enablement of the Holy Spirit operating in us when we accept the truth that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty then we can allow the Holy Spirit to mortify and put to death the flesh when it rises up against God.

The Christian life friends is a dying life. This is seen in the following text. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus's sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

We will now proceed to the application of these truths so they can be experienced in our lives. This brings us to the place of victory. The place in Mark 1 35 we read and in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed.

This speaks of the daily quiet time. If Jesus rose early to meet with the Father in a devotional life of prayer how much more is it urgent for us friends to do the same? We too must have a sacrificial daily quiet time. How can we expect victory in our walk with God if we're not meeting him on a regular basis? We too must find a place of quietude where we can approach the throne of grace and enter a more intimate relationship with our Redeemer.

This special time where the believer meets with God in worship and prayer is termed the quiet time. Every Christian should make this time a priority in their lives. Notice this passage from Mark's gospel.

It states that Jesus rose up a great while before day. There was a sacrifice involved. Establish the habit of giving God the first hour of every day friends in worship prayer and Bible study.

It is vital that we know our Bible and that we know the God of our Bible. Maintaining the daily quiet time will firmly establish the groundwork for a consistent walk with our Lord. The following guidelines will help you to establish and maintain your daily tryst with God.

Number one, choose a quiet place to pray each day. This may mean early rising. Number two, confess your sins and get right with God through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And we must ask God to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. This is imperative friends to have an intimate walk with our Master.

Number three, claim the promises of God's word from 2 Corinthians 3 17 Romans 8 13 and Galatians 2 20 which we should pray verbally out loud every day. 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 the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I have a set passage of scripture to read each day friend. Keep notes in a prayer journal on your daily walk with God.

This way you can look back on them from time to time. Number four, crown Jesus Lord today. We must crown him Lord every single day and submit all to his lordship daily and ask God to reveal other areas in our lives which need to be brought to the cross by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me make an important distinction. We enter an initial surrender to his lordship and salvation but there is a daily crowning of Jesus as Lord in total submission of our lives to him. This is a command from scripture friends.

I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. Ask the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit for victory and service for this day. Ephesians 5 18 says but be filled with the Spirit.

There is one in dwelling but many fillings for we tend to be leaky buckets. Do not be self-reliant but look to the Lord for help. We can accomplish much through the aid of the Holy Spirit.

It's not by power not it's not by might nor by power but by my spirit sayeth the Lord of hosts. That's what Zechariah 4 6 says friends and remember this remember the Christian life can best be lived by the following the past is under the blood the future is with God and the present is under his lordship. Listen friends we must not allow our failures to hinder our present walk.

We must not fear the future for it is with God. The key to victory is to walk step by step moment by moment under his ruling lordship through the enablement of the Holy Spirit. This is the pathway to victory the way to end elevator Christianity and this life can be yours friends.

Take time now to enter into a right relationship with God. Surrender all to his lordship friends. Surrender all to the lordship of Jesus Christ if this is your desire then pray the following prayer with me right now.

Lord Jesus I surrender all to you right now I repent of my sins I turn to you now in a complete surrender of my life to your will for me fill me Lord with your Holy Spirit so I may live the Christian life in victory and consistency each day. Appropriate your promise to me that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. I ask you Jesus to be Lord of my life in every area in every aspect.

Help me to establish a daily quiet time with you. Deepen my walk with you Lord Jesus. Please strengthen my faith and enable me to enter into a more intimate relationship with you.

I love you Lord of my life. Amen.