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TODAY’S MESSAGE:
“LIVE TO DIE, OR DIE TO LIVE”

INTRO:
Questions:
Have you ever had to give something up or let something go in order to attain the next thing or next level?
From growing out of your favourite shirt and getting a new one, to changing schools or moving house - we all know something about the exchange of letting something go in order to have or gain something new or something else.
It sucks when it feels like we’re moving backward, but it is good and healthy when it is part of advancing or moving forward or upword in the world, whether it is your family growing or your business expanding.
In a way we all know what it means when something has to die for something else to live.
The gospel in essence presents all people with this choice - live to die, or die to live.
This concept is jarring to a normal person’s brain because it seems counter-intuitive and just plain weird. Come on, how can you die to live? And why is the alternative living to die? Are those really the only options?
Well yes. But let me clarify what I mean by this. When we are born from our mother’s womb we and we take our first breath in the atmosphere of earth, we are independently alive. From the moment we start to live, in a way we start to die and are exposed to many ways in which a person can die.
But on a spiritual level we are born from corrupted seed into a sinful, broken world and we are separated from God, the One who created us.
Because of this, if it is not for the grace of God or the gospel changing our lives, we live in this world, but our spirit is dead and we are heading for a eternity of death apart from God which is hell.
So, all of us have this in common when we are born the first time - we live to die.
However, we all also have the same opportunity presented to us by the gospel through which we can die to live!

We have spoken about the seed of the word of God and how it needs to land in good soil in order for it to germinate and for there to be a fruitful harvest. We saw that there is a direct connection between hearing the word, understanding the word and having a supernatural multiplied harvest.
He who hears the word, understands the word and does the word are faithful servants.
Today we will look at how our lives are also like seeds that need to die in the soil of Jesus Christ, who was our example by showing us the way of God’s definition of love - sacrificial, serving, laying down one’s life for another.

Jesus lived to die for all of us, so that He could overcome death and live again, so that we don’t have to live to die, but die to live!

Today we start a 3 part series on DIE TO MULTIPLY which will be today, next week and 16 Feb. On 23 Feb my wife and I will be away to minister and promote our books in Centurion, and Pastor Anthony Liebenberg from Life Church Seapoint and Life Child will come and share a powerful message with you.

READ:
DIE TO MULTIPLY - DIE TO LIVE:
John 12:23-25 - 'But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. '

Colossians 1:18 - 'And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.'

Romans 8:29 - ‘For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (TO BECOME LIKE HIS SON), that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brethren.’

GOD’S WILL FOR MANKIND, THE STATE OF MANKIND
John 1:1-5,10-13 - 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.'
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, (Psalm 100:4 - thanks and praise) but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Opposite of wisdom, knowledge and understanding). 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are DESERVING OF DEATH (Live to Die), not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

John 3:3,5-6 - 'Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. '

Colossians 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Not Legalism but Christ
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Luke 9:23-26 - 'Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. '