Come & Die | Josh Patterson | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Come & Die

The Village Church • May 19, 2025 • 49 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

Jesus moves His disciples from a general question about public opinion to the defining personal question: 'Who do you say that I am?' Peter's confession identifies Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, revealing that true identity and alignment in life flow directly from recognizing His lordship. To follow Christ fully, believers must step off the throne of self-rule, take up their cross, and surrender their lives to Him to find true freedom and spiritual fruitfulness.

Themes

Identity in ChristTrue DiscipleshipSurrender and Self-DenialThe Lordship of ChristRepentance and Transformation

Key Points

1.
Jesus moves His disciples from a general public opinion question to a personal, defining question: 'Who do you say that I am?'
2.
Simon Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, sets the foundation for true identity and discipleship.
3.
C.S. Lewis emphasized that Jesus cannot be reduced to merely a great moral teacher; His divine claims force us to decide whether He is Lord, a lunatic, or a liar.
4.
Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and lay down their lives for His sake.
5.
Attempting to gain worldly success while clinging to self-will leads to spiritual emptiness, whereas laying down one's life brings true fruitfulness.
6.
Missing the fundamental truth of who Jesus is causes every other aspect of life—identity, purpose, and relationships—to become misaligned.
7.
Believers often struggle by trying to stay on the throne of their own lives rather than yielding complete lordship to Christ.
8.
Men hold a God-ordained responsibility to set the spiritual temperature in their homes through humble leadership and personal repentance.

Sermon Moments

“The 'Define the Relationship' (DTR) conversation on the green love seat illustrating how Jesus sits His disciples down to level-set their walk with Him.”

“The shirt button illustration: missing the truth of who Jesus is keeps every other aspect of life misaligned.”

“C.S. Lewis's trilemma presenting the choice every person must make: Jesus as Lord, lunatic, or liar.”

“Dietrich Bonhoeffer's famous call to discipleship: 'When Christ calls a man, he bids him, come and die.'”

“The warning against 'drinking sand'—striving for world success and holding onto pride only to find it completely empty in the end.”

“The three circles diagram showing Jesus outside life, present but dethroned by self, or reigning at the center as Lord.”

“The call for men to realize they set the spiritual thermostat in their homes, whether hot or cold.”

“The contrast between Proverbs' Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, urging believers to choose true life over dead, bankrupt promises.”

This Week

Honestly answer Jesus' question, 'Who do you say that I am?', declaring Him as Lord over every area of your life.

Step off the throne of your life by confessing areas where you have been attempting self-rule and control.

Practice daily self-denial by placing God's will and the needs of others above your own ambitions and pride.

Take active steps toward repentance by bringing secret struggles or hidden sin into the light of community.

Intentionally set a godly spiritual temperature in your home, leading your family with humility, prayer, and love.

Extend simple invitations to others to hear the gospel, trusting that God uses faithful believers to change lives.

Respond to God's gentle call to surrender today rather than waiting for painful consequences or discipline to force it.

Remember This

True life, transformation, and identity begin when we step off the throne of our lives, confess Jesus as Lord, and surrender everything to follow Him.

A Challenge for You

Turn from dead, worthless, lifeless things and turn toward Him. If there are things in your life that are off and misaligned, come forward, repent, and let Jesus transform your life today.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.