Latest / The Daily Word / April 11 – Simply Following Jesus
Transcript
- Brandon Dirmann: Well, welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word podcast. Whoever you are and wherever you're listening from this today or listening to this from today, I hope you're having an amazing day and that you are reminded today that there's a God who loves you more than you can possibly know. That whatever you're going through, there's hope in Jesus and all of it. It's not because you've earned or deserved or figured it out, but it's all through faith in Him, putting your trust in Him. That is part of the goal of this podcast. That every day we take time to little by little go through the scripture and allow the word of God to encourage us that we're loved by God. There's hope in Jesus and it's all through putting our faith and trust in him and following in his ways. If you're new to the podcast, our Daily Word podcast, it does have a dual purpose. We are every day wanting to bring encouragement but also remind you that God wants to meet with you deeply. and in a powerful way in the secret place as you spend time reading the scripture for yourself. We use something called the Life Journal as a church. It's a resource that is simply as a Bible reading plan and a way of journaling and writing down what God is speaking to you. And so we're taking time right now to go through the New Testament portions of that reading plan. So the reading plan today, the New Testament portion is 2 Corinthians chapter 11. So today being April the 11th. New Testament reading plan, is 2 Corinthians chapter 11. And I want to share with you a very just simple verse, a simple thought that I'm praying will encourage you today. It's from 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3. Here's what the apostle Paul says, But I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Verse 4, for he who comes preaches another, for if he who comes preaches another, Jesus, whom we have not preached, or you have received a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. Paul goes, I'm concerned about you. I'm worried about you. And my concern and my worry is that just like Eve was deceived by the enemy, That the enemy would deceive you in in this way that he would make Jesus that he would make the gospel more complicated than it actually is. Let me read that to you again the last part of verse 3 that your mind may be corrupted from the simplicity the simplicity that is Christ. That's 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3 I read to you verses 3 through 4 but mainly verse three. Here's the reality, I've heard this said and I think it's a great framework. Following Jesus, it's not easy, but it's also not complicated. I think about a lot of exercise and working out, a lot of exercise and working out, it's not complicated. Like, for example, going on a run is not complicated. You know, I'm just really confused. Like how do you do that? ⁓ you just Put your shoes on and you go outside and you go running Yeah, but like but but how ⁓ Yes, actually, it's not it's not that that complicated. You just go outside and you go running that's not to say Come on somebody if you feel my pain if you've ever tried to go running before and you hit a big hill or a distance you have not gained the fitness to do, then it's easy. No, like running could be really hard if you're not in shape or if you're running a really hard terrain. It could be hard, but it's not complicated though. And I've heard it said that in the same way we have to remember following Jesus while it's not easy. No, dying to yourself, ⁓ taking up your cross and daily following Jesus in obedience. It's not easy. No, it requires you to make some decisions and do some things. It's hard. Man, that requires faith. Man, that requires patience. ⁓ it's hard. But it's not complicated. And Paul says, my concern for you is that like Eve got deceived, you would get deceived into thinking that following Jesus, well, that it's complicated. that something would happen that you would walk away from or you would lose, what would be corrupted in you is the simplicity that is Christ. And I just want to remind you here today on the podcast, whoever you are, wherever you're listening, that following Jesus, our faith, it is not complicated. For so many reasons, thinking it's complicated, forgive my, ⁓ My pun here, it can make it really complicated. Thinking that it's complicated, it can hinder you and it can cause you to have ⁓ issues and problems and confusion in so many different areas that I want to remind you it's not complicated, it's simple. Brandon, if it's so simple, then simplify it for me, okay? Let me simplify it for you. All of us, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There's our starting point that apart from the finished work of Jesus We cannot be fully forgiven of all of our sins and reconciled to God eternally So the starting point is that all of us were on equal ground at the foot of the cross in that we are in need of Jesus on our best day on our best behavior Doing the best we can we're not disciplined enough. We were not enough, we're not good enough, no, we need Jesus. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And therefore Jesus came and lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserve, that in him, in his death and his resurrection, we might have forgiveness of sins, be born again into God's family, be made new and reconciled to him forever. And from that position, we have been freely and fully forgiven, we're the sons and daughters of God. We're in right standing with God. We've been filled with the Spirit of God and we've been given access to all of God's blessings and benefits and promises here on earth in part, but fully forever in heaven eternally. And so our posture and position is that we put our faith in Jesus and we have simply said, he is the Lord. I'm not the boss, applesauce, he is. And so following Jesus is this simple. Yeah, I'm simply, I have my faith and trust in him because only through him can I be forgiven and reconciled to God. And he's the Lord, the master, the ruler of my life. And so now I just do whatever he tells me to do. It's really simple. I tell my kids often, listen, I don't need you in this moment to think, I just need you to obey. I'm the dad. I don't need you to figure it out. I've already figured it I just need you to trust that I figured it out and that you can just obey me. In the same way we go, Jesus, you haven't figured out. You know all things. You have my best interest in mind. And so I've committed that you're surrendered really, that you're the Lord of my life. And now I'm just following you. So number one, I'm following whatever the Bible says. I'm diligent to read my Bible and do my daily devotions. Fill my heart with your word. and simply obey whatever the commands and teachings of scripture say that you've given me. And I'm living sensitive every day to not be the boss of my life, but to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me. I'm just following you. And one more layer, my life is now not being lived for this world, it's being lived for eternity. So the whole posture and framework of my living is I'm forgiven by God. Because I need Jesus and he's my savior. He's my Lord, so I'm following him and obeying him. And now the framework of my life is being lived for eternity. Yeah, I'm just consumed, man, with people coming to know Jesus and growing in relationship with him because that's the great commission or mission of God. And my life is now being lived for his mission, not mine. Now, is any of that easy? No, not really. It's hard to fully accept the forgiveness of Jesus and get past ourself. It's hard to make him the Lord of our life. It's hard to live our life focused on eternity, not here on earth. It's hard, but it's not complicated. So I want to in application encourage you today, stop over-complicating it. Surrender your life to Jesus and let him forgive you and reconcile you and bring you into right relationship with God. Choose to make him the Lord of your life and follow and obey him. and start living your life for eternity because that's what matters, not the things here on earth. Lord Jesus, I pray for myself, but anyone who's listening, that God, you would help us to uncomplicate this. Would we not be deceived like Eve was and allow the simplicity of Christ to be corrupted? But would we keep it simple? And would you give us the power and the ability in that simplicity to live and to do all that you've asked us to do? because it's not complicated, but it could be hard and we need your help. Thank you for it today. God, we love you. Keep speaking to us in Jesus' name, amen. Hey, once again, thank you for listening today and we'll see you tomorrow on another episode of the Daily Word Podcast.