We have laid out the map where Jesus walked, now we will see how He walked.
The map of where Jesus walked was displayed, now we will see how Jesus walked the walk.
The transcript of the sermon on this topic can be found here: “How Jesus Walked The Walk”
This is a quick examination of how we also must walk the walk.
Jesus did not attempt to live the Christian life. Jesus let God live the Christian life through Him.
Jesus denied Himself, hated His own life, carried His cross while loosing His life that God might find room to live through Him.
This is how we are to walk the walk. This is where the power is. Anything less is a deceptive Christianity based upon the power of the fall in the Garden of Eden.
Do not underestimate the power of deceptive Christianity. It has deceived many a nation and individual into thinking they were serving God when the truth was they were attempting to be as God applying good and evil as they saw fit. They thought they were holy and on a holy mission but it was they themselves applying Scriptures as they saw fit.
This is why Paul is crystal clear. Only by walking the Christian walk by the new creation will work. Period. All the outward goals, outward Biblical principals, outward claiming hope scriptures, outward self-claiming faith mean nothing. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. (Galatians 6:15)
And the only way to walk with the new creation is by doing the following. Period.
Quick Walk On Water
I know all of this hating for Jesus, denying self and spiritual talk about the crucified life seems terrifying and dangerous.
Go ahead and scream. Certainly, be afraid. Just do not let Jesus pass you by!
Indeed, like the Apostles you are not even sure it is of Jesus and may think this is some kind-of-over-the-edge ghost of a Christianity.
Such is the true life of faith when it comes to following Jesus. Let Jesus shake you up, press you down and reveal Himself to you in a powerful way.
We all agree that we should walk as Jesus walked. Ok, now go out into the middle of the lake in a boat, then jump onto the lake and walk back to shore.
Go ahead, do it.
What is the matter?
Do not have the faith?
Not a true disciple of Jesus so you cannot walk as He walked.
You no doubt you would readily admit that you do not have the power to walk on water just as Jesus did, then why do you think you can love others as Jesus did? Why do you think you can be gentle a Jesus was gentle? Why do you think you can live a life of showing no favoritism to any person? Why do you think you can feed 5,000? Why do you think you can understand the Bible? If you cannot walk on water by the power of God then why do you think you know how to love husband, wife, children, pastor, or the enemies of the cross of Christ? How do you know when to overturn tables in the temple and when to hide yourself away from the people? If you cannot walk on water, then how do you know how much to tithe or who the giving should support? If you do not know how to get the power to walk on water nor the wisdom as to when to walk on water or go down with the ship as Paul did then what makes you think you understand how to live any Scripture?
Again, if you do not know when to stay away from the hospital when someone is dying how can you understand how to love others according to God’s will? If you are not dead enough to self to let mom or dad die alone on their sickbed at the hospital according to God’s will what makes you think you know how to love them in Jesus? If you cannot, like Jesus, the perfect man of love deny your mom as your mother when it needs to be done, what makes you think you understand any Scripture on how to love one another?
Religious man can serve, give, preach, and read the Bible but such are only fooling themselves. No more than I can just walk on water can I read, understand the apply the Bible to my life. That is why Jesus spent over three years convincing the Apostles of. That apart from Jesus, no one can do anything. While many give quick lip service to that concept few are those who actually let God humble them enough for it to be a realty.
In order to walk as Jesus walked with the power of God, we must hate our life. We hate to hate our religious power, hate our religious thoughts, and hate our ideas of what it means to love others. The lesson Jesus taught about hating our lives is explained elsewhere.
What we are examining at the moment is how Jesus walked in the power of God.
The why Jesus carried His cross is so that God could work, will and empower through Jesus.
What “I” preach is impossible to live. What “I” declare is far above myself or you to live it. What “I” declare, demand, and pronounce is beyond anyone’s grasp to understand or do. The reason is simple. It is because the holiness “I” present is God’s holiness. If you desire the impossible, the far-above and the holiness of God then you must do as I attempt to do – surrender all by hating my own life, picking up the cross God has for me as I fall to the ground and die.
Note that such a life troubles me and will trouble you as it troubled Jesus. However, to those who surrender to the offensive message of the cross they will be given the power God’s holiness to do all for God’s glory out of selfless love!
Do not let it trouble you that you will be slandered as doing everything for yourself – such persecution and possible prosecution comes with the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. Those who live for themselves cannot understand why God pours so much attention on the Spirit of Jesus in your life. To those on the outside of the Kingdom of God is appears as if everything is done for yourself, but it is really being done for Jesus who is in us. For them the scripture is true: Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. (John 7:24)
Garden of Eden
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve decided they desires to be “as God” choosing what is moral. Adam and Eve at the would be moral, or not moral, on their terms, according to their logic and in keeping with their ability to walk, talk and feel emotions.
However, God created mankind so that His power, His wisdom and His knowledge would be worked and will through us. When Adam and Eve through God out of their souls, spirit and bodies it created a void which the evil one was all too eager to fill. Behold the world and you will understand why that was such a sinful choice. Mankind instead of being little children taught by God and totally dependent on God for everything chooses what religion they desire. What morals they will walk in and what lusts of the flesh they will satisfy. The reason there are so many Christian denominations is that each person is choosing what aspects of Jesus want to live and believe.
As each Christian hates their ideas about Christian, pushing out all thoughts of what they consider scripture to mean God is able to teach and disciple each person so that they have the mind of Christ. The failure to be “perfectly united” in “thought” and “mind” like the church is a result of the fact Christians do not hate their thoughts let alone their lives.
In order to live a life of God’s powerful love we must hate how we choose to love for Jesus. This is why Paul is able to write: Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. (1 Thessalonians 4:9)
In the Garden of End Adam and Eve decided they would be as God and love each other as they saw fit by their power god-like powers.
Jesus came and showed us that if we hate our Adam and Eve love for each other that God’s love can return and flow through us. However, for that to happen we each must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and let God work and will according to His plan how and when we love each other. Put another way. Have no love left in your marriage. Great you might be ready to let God put His love in you for your partner. Have a great love for each other in your marriage. Then take it to the cross that that it might be crucified so that God can work His selfless love in your marriage.
“Jesus take the wheel,” “Promises to hope in” and “Biblical principals” are all signs of a very sickly Christianity that smacks of making Jesus into an idol. It is the ancient lie packaged by the old serpent that hisses you can live the a godly life. It is far too easy to lay down the cross and begin to apply Christianity as we see fit. It certainly is for more comfortable that being crucified with Christ. This is why Paul was so worried that: But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3) Cross carrying Christianity is not Jesus taking the wheel, but Jesus is the car, the engine, the fuel. In fact, Jesus is the new vehicle and you have to be killed in your car to ride with Jesus.
There is no such thing as “Scriptures to hope in” or “Biblical principals.” There is only Jesus willing Scripture through the life you are loosing for Him. This is exactly why most who claim The Name refuse begin each hour of the day by giving up their Christian religion. At least that is what Jesus said in John 5:39-40: You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Let us quickly then see how Jesus walked the walk so that we will not act like God thinking we know what the Bible means and how it should be lived. Let us repent and return to striving to be totally dependent upon God for His power to work and will through us. Be warned though. Unless you have, and are walking in fear and trembling with great obedience to all of Scripture Jesus will just pass you by. So I pray that you like the Apostles in the boat will be terrified but allow Jesus into the boat of your life.
If you desire power over your sin, then stop applying scripture as you see fit.
Surrender to God’s fear and trembling as you allow Him to work the obedience and God will work and act in accordance with His good purpose to overcome the sin in your life.
The Vine
Different branches have varying amounts of fruit. The degree of fruit depends on the emptiness of the branch. Emptiness is determined by the depth of surrender and suffering with Jesus against sin and self as God words the Word.
Only those branches that are the most dead to themselves will allow God to manifest all of Scripture through them. Think of Jesus.
He was totally surrendered and dependent upon God, so God was able to give Jesus the Spirit without limit.
If you desire to be a man, or woman of God than it will be shown by how much all of Scripture is worked unto obedience in your life.
He who claims to be humble and spiritual in Jesus should be able to show how they live the most Scriptures. Period.
The person who says them love in Jesus but for whom there is little, or no manifestation of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit is at best an immature Christian and worst deceived and deceiver.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:1-12)
There is a very good chance the reason your Christian walk is falling is because you are far too rebellious toward the Scriptures and thus God cannot, will not give you His Holy Spirit of power. It really is that simple. Those who choose to approach me with their attitude problems about “my” Christianity had best be prepared to demonstrate how much more and in what ways the words of Jesus “remain in” them. To show me how they do not live and Christ lives in them according to all the scriptures. Remember Seattle’s King County Prosecutors claim to be humble in Jesus yet reflect nothing of God’s Word. History is full of the self-righteous official men and women who have persecuted and prosecuted in Jesus name, the real Jesus. Best to examine how you are walking the walk you claim to walk in His Name.
You are holding onto your Scriptures and your promises you read in Scriptures and you’re deciding what is the right and wrong Christian thing to do or not do. In short, you are playing God with God’s Word. And if there is one thing us little gods cannot do is find any power to live out God’s Word. So, we find compromising preachers while whitewashing our lack of obedience. You are not being discipled by Jesus you are discipling yourself in Jesus’ Name. You are playing God with the Son of God. Not wise.
Example of How
There is only time here to quickly demonstrate that only those who hate theirs lives will experience and have the power of God flowing through the new creation.
For this is how Jesus walked. When it comes to the power to live the Christian life Jesus told us to think of a vine.
The emptier a branch is the greater the flow of life giving nourishments can flow to produce fruit.
Best to start hating your life because if you are producing fruit by the Holy Spirit God will prune you back even further that you might more dependent and reliant upon Him. Pruning hurts as all disciplining is painful.
Jesus only did things in God’s timing and then in accordance with how God wanted it done. (Only Jesus’ mother could over-ride God) Note that 20 minutes can make the difference between God’s will and not God’s will.
This is why Paul wrote the Holy Spirit was in charge of where he went and did not go to preach the gospel. Your day should be directed by God as when you eat, where you eat, what you say, when you say it, etc. All should be the new life of Jesus. You should be able to say with Paul as you die to self each day, “It is no longer I who live.” Christian after Christian gives lips service to I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) but to those actually being crucified with Christ it is far too easy to see through them. Such foolishly think mocking the words “I claim by faith that I am crucified with Christ” makes their lie a truth.
Jesus only healed when the power of God was present and why Paul could speak of power only when the presence of the Lord was there.
Jesus only did what the Father showed Him to do. No more, no less.
Jesus only judged as the Father judged through Him. When we hate our judgements, we seek not to please ourselves about concerning out judgments of right and wrong. Since those who hate their judgment calls have silenced their voice God is able to speak His judgments through them. The reason Peter could pronounce judgment upon Annias and Sapphia is because he hated his judgmental thoughts and this allowed God to show Peter their hearts.
Many times, God will tell His disciples nothing, so they can offer no judgment. Many times, I have had to tell individuals that I have no wisdom or that it is none-of-my-business because God is providing no insight.
Jesus only spoke the Word of God that God worked through Him. Therefore it is said that true sharing, teaching, and preaching about Jesus is a spirit of prophecy. This also why in the scripture below Jesus said those who hate their lives will discover If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. True disciples can tell it is God speaking through them and not their Bible studies, Biblical principles, or church dogma. Sad to say the vast majority of what is shared concerning Jesus is everyone speaking on their own power from their own Bible studies and whether they realize it or not for their own glory. This is why there is much error concerning scriptures combined with so much false humility – everyone is just speaking on their own.
Jesus prayed and showed us that we too should only pray in the Spirit.
So dependent are Christians on God’s Spirit to empower that we must allow for God’s words to be planted on our lips when we open our mouths. It takes some serious suffering with Jesus and hating one’s own words to be totally dependent upon God enough that when we open our mouths it is then, and only then, we know what to speak. We have to be willing to feel very weak all of the time in order to be surrendered enough that our thoughts of what we want to say about Jesus do not get in the way of Jesus being able to speak about Himself. Paul understood that the courage to speak the Word of God boldly comes from the same source of power that provides the words to speak. If you desire the share the Word of God that is alive, then hate what you would share that God might be able to find room for His words in you.
Jesus did not learn from Bible studies, nor do His disciples who are denying their learning and hating their Bible studies.
Conclusion
Unless you are willing to feel the sentence of death pronounced by God it is best to not claim The Name.
Certainly, if you are not willing to surrender so that only Jesus lives in you by hating your life, carrying your cross, loosing your life and denying self do not expect the power to be able to live the Christian life. For there is no resurrection with death by crucifixtion.
This, by the way, is exactly why there is o much failure among those who claim to follow Jesus. All who play God, choosing which Scriptures to accept, which to object and which to allow only a portion are destined to fall deeply into sin.
This post could go much further, and every sermon here reflects the need for complete surrender and total dependence on the power of God to walk the walk with Jesus.
If you are willing to suffering with Jesus God will take you to places where you will feel the sentence of death. Death to your labors for Him. Death to your love for Him. Death to your dependence upon yourself to live for Him.
Would you like to be able to walk on water?
Then let God work the sentence of death in you a little everyday so that the power of Jesus may live through you.
Die everyday day as God wills and works so that when He comes along to really bless you with a nice solid sentence of death you can accept it and be even more deeply blessed in Jesus Christ!
Amen?
T. Williams
If anyone does not love the Lord–a curse be on him.
Come, O Lord ! (1 Corinthians 16:22)
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