The Red Lizard
Palm Sunday, Holy Week
Allegheny Center Alliance Church
Rock Dillaman, Lead Pastor
Philippians 3:8-11 (excerpts) -- I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, ...the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
1. In God's Kingdom death always paves the way for life. (John 12:24;
1 Thessalonians 5:10)
2. Another death has to occur after we're alive in Jesus. We have to choose to die to sins that rob us of God's best. (Romans 6:13; Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
3. We hunger for freedom and joy but often refuse both by holding onto sins that feel like lifelines but are actually chains. (Romans 7:15-24)
4. We must die to our own ideas of what will bring us joy. (Proverbs 14:12)
5. Until God tames our evil hearts all other revolutions will be incomplete and unsustainable.
6. We must die to our tendency to impose our will upon God.
7. We must die to unfounded confidence in ourselves. (Proverbs 16:18; John 15:5)
8. We're complicit in our own unrest, but we can be committed to our own freedom!