Opening our Eyes to Reality
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes that true Christian living requires dying to self and daily walking with Jesus through prayer, fasting, and heartfelt obedience to experience genuine godliness.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of living a life transformed by Christ, highlighting the need to break away from worldly influences and embrace the joy of being with Jesus, even in loneliness. It discusses the call to live as Jesus did on earth, focusing on the significance of allowing the Lord to break our hearts for what breaks His heart and responding with grace. The message encourages walking in reality, seeking to live out God's life daily, and increasing time spent with the Lord through prayer and fasting.
Full Transcript
How do we get from knowing and becoming? In spiritual reality world, this is exactly the same thing. The call of Christ for you and for me is to come, die and live. How do we live this brief few years on earth as Jesus lived? 99% of the reason why you live the way you live, it is simply because of influence.
It is relatives, friends, Facebook, emails, books you read, music you listen. And this reason why to be like Jesus, it's a lonely walk and no one want to be lonely. But once you cross that border into understanding the joy of being with him, you do not want to run away.
You know the sermon on the mount, you know, chapter 5, 6 and 7, when Jesus saw a multitude, a huge crowd, he called his disciples and went off and sat down and talked to them. It is not preaching. In other words, Jesus saying the answer to the world, my disciples, it is not anything else other than your life being transformed.
In our life journey, one of our desire must be the Lord to break our hearts so that things are break his heart and then give us a grace to respond accordingly, which always cost us something. You cannot enter into the kingdom reality like this without striving, without dying to something that we all want. So how do we experience godliness? I think walking in reality.
One of the most significant thing we need to understand, using our life on earth as a normal life and looking always, Lord, how can I live your life now? And then he will show you because it's real. Just as the disciples walked with Jesus and saw the multitudes and what was happening, walk with the Lord to these places and faces and events, and then ask the Lord how you must live today, tomorrow, and the days to come. You ask the Lord for grace to increase the time you spend with him in prayer.
Average Christians, it is said, spend less than eight minutes a day in prayer. You cannot know God and understand his heart without being with him. And prayer is not just talking and talking, but listening also.
See if you can add one day of the week for fasting. I encourage you to have the Lord walk with you through your life, especially material things.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The call of Christ: come, die, and live
- Influences shape our lifestyle and choices
- The loneliness of following Jesus
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II
- Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount
- Transformation of life as the true answer
- The cost of entering the kingdom reality
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III
- Walking with the Lord daily in reality
- Seeking God’s guidance in everyday life
- The importance of prayer and listening
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IV
- Encouragement to fast regularly
- Allowing God to break our hearts
- Living a life shaped by grace and obedience
Key Quotes
“The call of Christ for you and for me is to come, die and live.” — K.P. Yohannan
“You cannot enter into the kingdom reality like this without striving, without dying to something that we all want.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Average Christians, it is said, spend less than eight minutes a day in prayer. You cannot know God and understand his heart without being with him.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- Commit to spending more intentional time daily in prayer, including listening to God.
- Incorporate at least one day of fasting each week to deepen spiritual focus.
- Seek God’s guidance continually to live a life that reflects Jesus’ example.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'come, die, and live' in the Christian walk?
It means surrendering our old self, dying to worldly desires, and living a new life empowered by Christ.
Why is prayer emphasized as essential in this sermon?
Prayer is vital because it deepens our relationship with God, allowing us to hear His guidance and understand His heart.
How can believers experience godliness according to the sermon?
By walking daily with Jesus, embracing transformation, and responding to God's grace even when it costs us.
What role does fasting play in spiritual growth?
Fasting helps believers focus on God, break worldly attachments, and increase spiritual sensitivity.
Why is following Jesus described as a lonely walk?
Because living like Jesus often means going against cultural influences and personal desires, which can isolate believers.