To Live You Must Die (Clip) — Shane Idleman

The Problem of Half-Hearted Christianity

Let's be honest. Let's cut to the chase. I know, I've lived that life. We come in, worship's boring. God seems distant. The Bible's boring. I hope this guy hurries up. I know he's been known for long sermons.

Lukewarm Living Requires Dying to Self

I hope this doesn't matter tonight. I mean, think about that. Where's this resurrection life that He died for and the disciples felt? And that's why I said this is your hardest challenge. Half-heartedness and partial obedience to God.

Lukewarm living. Carnality. Something in you has to die. Something in you, something in me has to die. Basically, I have to say no more, not my will, Lord, but your will be done. Something has to die.

Three Groups Within the Church

And I want to talk to, and sometimes you'll hear people say, well, there's two types of people. Well, there's those who are saved, those who are not saved. And I actually believe that's true, but I want to add a third group in there.

I think there are those who are saved, those who are not saved, but there are those who know nothing about the power of God. They have no victory in their Christian walk. The Bible's boring. Worship is dead.

They don't want to go to church. Something is missing in their life. They're desperate for more. I want that, Shane, what you're talking about. I want that, but I just can't seem to grasp it. Well, you can today.

The Desire for More Without Transformation

That's why we're here. I want to read a poem I read about a year ago. It's by Wilbert Reese. It says, I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.

I don't want enough of Him to make me love someone of the opposite color or pick beets with a migrant worker. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack.

I would like to buy just three pounds of God, please. And that's really where the state of the church is today. Many people don't want this resurrection life, and it goes back to what Jesus said. I am the resurrection and the life.

Resurrection Life as Living Water

Now, I want to talk about that word life for just a minute. Life represents running water. Running water is living, and life is associated with light and gladness, fullness, order, and active and being.

So He says, I am the resurrection and the life. Your life should be overflowing with living water, with passion, with desire. Living water, everything you touch nourishes. But in many cases, everything we touch dies.

There's darkness, there's depression, there's chaos. It's dead, it's not living. So where's the disconnection here, folks? Where's the disconnection? The problem is not on God's end. Ever, ever on God's end.

He's calling us to Him, saying, listen, I want you to have this resurrected life. That's what life is. It's full, it's abundant, it's flowing. And you must be desperate for more. And I want to make this, just a couple points before I end this.

Abundant Life Requires Death

You cannot know abundant life until something dies. You will never know the abundant life that Christ spoke of until something dies within you. What did Jesus say? Truly, truly, I say to you. When He does that, that means listen.

Listen. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. You see, there's always a dying process that has to happen.

Salvation and Death to Sin

When a person is saved, they die to sin. They come from old to the new. They come from darkness to light. They come from right from wrong. Something dies in them. And what they do is they say, Lord, I need you, I'm a sinner.

Saved by grace, I confess you as Christ and Lord tonight. Something is dying in me that I don't like. So that has to die in order for life to come. Who else had to die in order for life to come? This isn't rocket science.

Brokenness, Anointing, and Conviction

This is biblical theology. And as I said before, it's not until olives are crushed, right, until the oil comes out. It's not until you be crushed and broken until the anointing of God begins to fill you mightily and you see a transformation, you see this living water.

And I know this is a hard message, but God has sent me to give hard messages because that's the only way the church is gonna break and repent and be convicted. What conviction does, it goes and it rips the conscience out of a man or a woman.

It unsettles them, it stirs the pot. It says, this isn't comfortable. I don't like to hear this. And God says, that's exactly what you need to hear. You will not know abundant life until something dies.

Surrendering Everything to God

And sometimes a Christian life reminds me of what I see at home where my kids go, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. And God says, no, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. Give me everything. Give me your life. Give me your marriage.

Give me your finances. Give me everything. I am the abundant life that Christ spoke of. I am the only way, the only truth. No man can come to the Father except through Him.