Vitality as Seen in the Life of Christ
1 Corinthians 11:1
Spiritual vitality in the life of Jesus Christ
The Christian Life
- The Christian life as a reproduction of Christ's life in believers through the Holy Spirit
- The uniqueness of the Christian life and the supernatural transformation it brings
Jesus' Humanity and Temptation
- Jesus faced temptation with the same resources available to believers
- 1 Corinthians 11:1 and the goal to follow Christ's example
Diagnosis of Spiritual Problems
- Symptom 1: Activity increases while accomplishment decreases
- Symptom 2: Tiredness prevails (Matthew 11:28-29)
- Symptom 3: Joy in ministry is lost (John 10:10, Philippians 4:4)
- Symptom 4: Doubts are ever-present (self-doubt, competency doubt, faith doubt, and doubt in God)
- Symptom 5: Encounters with spiritual things do not stir the soul (Psalm 39)
Jesus' Solutions and Secrets to Spiritual Life
- Secret 1: Dependence on the Father (John 5:19, John 15:5)
- Secret 2: Knowledge of and obedience to the Word of God (Hebrews 10:5, Luke 4)
- Secret 3: Clear sense of mission (Luke 4, Mark 10:45)
- Secret 4: Involvement with and sensitivity to needy people (Matthew 9)
- Secret 5: Submission to the role of suffering servant (Luke 22:27, Hebrews 5:8)
The Importance of Prayer
- Emphasis on Jesus' prayer life and its significance
- Review of Jesus' prayer life from Luke and other Gospels
Prayer in Jesus' Current Ministry
- Jesus' life of prayer in heaven
- Hebrews 7:23-25
- Romans 8:26-27
Prayer in the Believer's Life
- The life of Christ in believers is meant to be a life of prayer
- Philippians 1:21
- Colossians 1:27
Conclusion
- The need for transformation through God's word and prayer
- Closing prayer for renewed spiritual vitality and authenticity
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
