Bulletins - Sunnyside Church of the Nazarene

God So Loved
Open The Eyes Of My Heart
Goodness Of God
We’re continuing our series centered on spiritual disciplines or practices. We’re using the acronym WORSHIP from the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun. We’re spending a little extra time on the R, which is Relinquish the False Self. Remember,
Spiritual disciplines are intentional practices to experience the loving and transforming presence of God.
Spiritual practices are essential to make room for God. The less space you make for God, the less God you have. More space – more God. These practices are a means of grace – helping us to experience God in relationship. Spiritual practices keep us connected with God and with one another (people who drift or stop attending church …). If your relationship with God is dull or plateaued, spiritual disciplines can reinvigorate the relationship. Remember, this is a partnership with God. Our Wesleyan-Arminian theology emphasizes what we call,
“co-operant grace, in which both God and humanity ever work together in the process of redemption.” ~ Kenneth Collins.
Last week we talked about this false self – that because of sin and other factors, each of us has constructed a false self that covers up the true self – the image of God in us.
God is not interested in helping perpetuate the false self.
God is interested in co-operating with to restore His image in us.
Psalm 51:6 ESV
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

God delights in the true self!
Listen,
The process of restoring the true self begins with salvation.
Through faith we confess and believe that Jesus is Lord, and that in Christ we freely receive forgiveness of our sins and we’re reconciled to God. But it doesn’t end there. Salvation alone doesn’t restore the Image. Therefore,
The process of restoring the true self continues with sanctification.
Sanctification is God’s Spirit co-operating with us to cleanse of sin, to give us victory over sin, and then uncover the true self.
The journey of sanctification is summarized as moving from “the barely human, to the truly human, to the fully human.” ~ Methodist Historian Albert Outler
I would call that reaching our potential in Christ.
Now this restoration of the true self is a good thing. Praise God He doesn’t want to leave us the way He found us. Each of us should be excited that the God of the universe wants to be with us, teach us, and sanctify us. Pursuit of sanctification and the true self should be our desire.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Holiness – set apart …
Why is it so difficult for some or not a priority for others? Why are some people satisfied with just being saved?
Sanctification takes desire, energy, time, surrender, intentionality, and co-operation.
The Spirit is willing, but the flesh fights against us.

Jesus, talking with Nicodemus said this,
John 3:19–21 ESV
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

When we trust in Jesus to save us, He saves us. However, we still need to deal with the power of indwelling sin, that part of us that still wants the darkness and to hold onto the false self.
Think of Israel when God saved them from Egypt. He delivered them from the authority of Pharaoh, and then they spent some time in the desert. As they began this new relationship with Yahweh, how often did they desire to go back Egypt, back to the old way? They still had a desire for the old darkness. Their desert experience was designed to sanctify them, to crucify the old sinful and false self. Same with us. God wants to save and sanctify us – but He won’t do it without our consent – without our co-operation.
There is someone here who recently experienced what I’m talking about. She’s been a Christian for a long time, but there’s been a signification change.
Invite
Donna Easton
We’re going to do a short interview so you can hear a little of her testimony.
How long have you been a Christian?
What is your experience with this false self and true self that we’ve been talking about?
How did the Spirit convict you that something needed to change inside?
In what ways did you co-operate with the Spirit (i.e. make space) to bring about this change?

Closing: Receive Salvation … Pursue Sanctification …
If you would like prayer …
Handout – contemplation and confession.
Father, Open my eyes. Jesus, Incline my heart. Spirit, Order my steps.
- - Psalm 51:6NIV2011
- - Hebrews 12:14ESV
- - John 3:19–21NIV2011
Run To The Father

Psalm 51:6NIV2011

Hebrews 12:14ESV

John 3:19–21NIV2011