Pastor Jon Cobler January 22/23 2011

Church of Living Water Saturday/Sunday

Olympia Foursquare Church

BUILDING SOLID LIVES

Part 1

TEXT: Luke 9:23-26

I. INTRODUCTION

A. The Truth will set you free.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my
word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)

1. Believing in Jesus as Savior doesn’t mean you are automatically walking

in freedom.

2. Freedom = Fullness

3. The title of “Christian” doesn’t make you free anymore than having a gym
membership makes you fit.

4. The problem: We can hold the title of “Christian” without experiencing the
transformation of being a disciple.

B. Every believer is called to be a disciple...Every disciple is a solid life.

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II. THE BLUEPRINT FOR A SOLID LIFE

A. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it
profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For
whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be
ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the
holy angels. (Luke 9:23–27 ESV)

B. Come after: to come, to arrive, to be in the vicinity of someone or something

1. COME AFTER = THE CROWD

2. Characteristics of the Crowd:

a. They have a mental understanding of the ways of Jesus.

b. They have been recipients of the miraculous works of Jesus.

c. They can speak the “Jesus-speak”.

d. They can testify of what they’ve seen Jesus do.

e. They are observers.

C. Follow: to imitate, learn from, to be a disciple of

1. FOLLOW = THE CORE

2. Characteristics of the CORE:

a. They have an experiential understanding of the ways of Jesus.

b. They have seen and participated in the miraculous works of Jesus.

c. They can speak “Jesus-speak” with authority.

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 d. They can testify of what Jesus has done through them.

e. They are participants.

D. Everyone will begin their journey of faith by COMING CLOSE to Jesus in

the crowd, but we were not created to SURVIVE in the CROWD…we
were created to THRIVE in the CORE!

E. What is the bridge between the CROWD and the CORE?

1. It can be summed up in eight words: “…deny himself and take up his

cross daily…”

2. Choosing His way above our way…not one time, but every day!

III. THREE EXPERIENCES EVERY FOLLOWER WILL FACE ON THE ROAD TO

A SOLID LIFE

A. A Release

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will save it.

1. Jesus didn’t come to improve us, He came to exchange His nature for
our nature.

But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have
heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off
your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV)

2. The five “Me’s” you don’t want to be.

a. The “Me” I pretend to be…because I want others to think I’m

important.

b. The “Me” I think I should be…because I compare myself to others.

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 c. The “Me” other people want me to be…because I believe the words
they have spoken about me.

d. The “Me” I’m afraid God wants me to be…because I misunderstand

or don’t trust God’s heart for me.

e. The “Me” that fails to be…because I try in my own strength

3. The final “Me”:

a. The “Me” I am meant to be…because I am a child of God and a new

creation in Jesus!

B. A New Pursuit

1. Jesus doesn’t change your gifts or your personality, but He redirects your
pursuit to build up His way of life on earth.

2. What does my life reflect that I am pursuing?

C. A Resolve

1. What happens when we don’t possess the power to do what we have

resolved to do?

2. The power of the Holy Spirit.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,

for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will
send him to you. (John 16:7 ESV)

3. No one is immune from the temptation to doubt, to be afraid or to struggle

with faith.

4. The resource that anchors our resolve is the Holy Spirit.