GOAL : To present a relationship with Jesus as the only way out of the sorry state of the world today and to offer the audience a concrete way of entering into that relationship through the CLP and ultimately an ongoing involvement in CFC Singles for Christ.
Expanded outline
I. Introduction.
A. Why should we take time and effort to participate in a program such as this? To answer that, we have to consider first why Jesus himself came into this world.
B. Luke 4:16‑21. Jesus proclaims his mission.
1. The salvation promised by God was to be fulfilled in and through him. He was to announce the good news of God's reign (Luke 4:43).
2. His mission is for all. His proclamation is timeless. The promise applies to us too.
II. Do we understand Jesus' message? If for us, how have we received his offer of salvation?
a. Jesus refers to four kinds of people. Do we recognize ourselves among them?
1. The poor. These are those who live lives apart from God.
2. The captives. We can be in captivity to things, desires and ideas of no real worth. We can be slaves to money, power, work, achievements – those things the world values.
3. The blind. We can be blinded by prejudices, pride, wrong self‑image, false ideals and ideologies. We often do not recognize the things that are of real value.
4. The oppressed. We can be oppressed by our bondages – to unrighteous relationships; to hatred or intolerance; to greed and immorality in business; to fears, worries, anxieties, insecurities; to alcohol, drugs, illicit sex.
b. But Jesus came precisely to bring salvation to us in all these areas.
1. He brings glad tidings to the poor. What is of real value is the good news of salvation and a real relationship with God.
2. He proclaims liberty to captives. Jesus can free us from our captivity to worldly things that are of no true and lasting worth.
3. He gives sight to the blind. With Jesus, we will never be in darkness, unable to see. John 8:12.
4. He lets the oppressed go free. Only Jesus can truly set us free from our bondages.
III. But are we experiencing today the salvation that Jesus offers? Do we have spiritual abundance, are we living in freedom, do we see with God's eyes?
a. What do we see in the world today? Moral degeneration in all levels of society.
1. Upsurge in sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and perversity.
2. Rampant greed and dishonesty.
3. Workaholics leaving no room for God.
4. Alarming break‑up of families due to a lack of commitment of spouses.
5. Spiritual blindness, giving rise to man‑made religions and cults.
b. Why are Christians behaving like this in the modern world?
1. Superficially, one may point to "economic hard times" as the reason. When times are hard, people look for concrete things that can help them.
a. Bribing in order to win a contract.
b. Alcohol, drugs and illicit sex to cover up difficulties.
c. Turning to the occult for good luck.
1. Others point to sociological reasons.
a. If everyone is doing it, it must be OK.
b. In society today, there is a lack of objective moral norms for right conduct.
1. But these can only be partially correct. Because we see that throughout history, especially for the early Church, Christians did not easily trade off their Christian values, even in the face of imprisonment, pain and death.
2. Thus we can only conclude that the Christianity we know today is no longer the same brand of Christianity as the one the early Christians knew. Our Christianity today is lacking in power and effectiveness.
IV. Why are we lacking in spiritual power as Christians? There are a number of reasons.
a. Some are unwilling to give up sin.
1. Sin in our lives blocks the power of God.
2. Or there may be no serious sin, but many still live a split‑level Christianity.
b. One may be a good person, but conversion to the Lord is not full. We may be satisfied with an emotional experience and not allow our conversion to effect concretely the way we think, live, act and relate to others.
c. Many do not have a personal relationship with Jesus.
1. For many Christians, Jesus is out of reach. He is God who is far away in heaven.
2. But in order for us to receive power, we must have a direct link‑up with the source of power. John 15:5.
d. There are those who have no Christian support.
1. We are called to be part of a body, the body of Christ. We need the care and support of others in order to become better Christians.
2. The world is a hostile environment for Christians. We can easily become assimilated into the values and points‑of‑view of the world.
e. Some Christians are not living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
1. We believe in the Trinity and we know well the Father and the Son. But many Christians do not know the Spirit nor understand his role.
a. Jesus affirms the Spirit's importance. John 16:7‑8.
b. Before his ascension, Jesus told the disciples to wait for power from on high. Luke 24:49.
c. This power will be given when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Acts 1:8.
1. And the Spirit did come, on the day of Pentecost.
a. The disciples were emboldened and empowered.
b. Christianity spread quickly. And within a couple of centuries, the whole Roman Empire was converted.
1. This was the power of the Holy Spirit at work.
§ And this same spiritual power is available to us.
V. What then must we do about our situation?
a. To begin with, understand that we are not meant for this world but for a higher life with God.
1. Our stay in this world is transitory. Our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
2. If true, then we should not just invest ourselves in this world. We should invest for the next.
b. Investigate for yourself what Jesus is offering. Don't just pass it up. Right now, approach this in faith and know that your God is extending to you an invitation. Revelations 3:20.
c. Concretely, what does this invitation mean for you?
1. Our Lord wants to offer you a personal, concrete expression of his reality in your lives in an ongoing way.
2. The first step is to join this Christian Life Program.
a. The CLP has 3 modules of 4 sessions each.
b. You do not have to commit yourself to the whole CLP, but can take each of the sessions as they come.
1. At the end of the CLP, you will be invited to join CFC Singles for Christ so you can continue to receive support for your Christian life.
2. All these will bring you to the doorway to spiritual freedom, maturity and power in Christian living.
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