YOU ARE MADE FOR THIS!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(S1) — Some fill-in-the blank fun...
(S2) — McDonald's is our Kind of Place
(S3,S4) — Bounty is the Quicker Picker Upper
(S5,S6) — KFC is Finger Lickin’ Good
Familiar ad slogans
(S7)
Wendy’s: _____________ the _____________!
(S8)
It softens your hands while you do the dishes?
Why do we know these phrases? Advertisers, have great influence over us as consumers.
(S9)
“Whether we realize it or not, there are seen and unseen forces working in our lives — influencing our actions, thinking, values, habits, character...
— Some are obvious, like Family/friends/culture/education, life experiences...
— Some are not so obvious — TV, advertising, and social media
Cell phones and social media change the way we relate to each other. For what Good? Neuroscience says that using the Internet changes our brains are structured.
“Excess use over prolonged periods of time negatively affect some cognitive functions, like attention and short-term memory. It is also associated with a higher risk for depression and anxiety, making us feel isolated and overwhelmed.”
What things, sources, people...have the strongest influence in your life?
The influence of God in and over all things is notably obvious to anyone who has faith.
“Geologists say the Colorado River carved the canyon over millions of years. Even today, the relentless water flow continues to erode the canyon floor, deepening and widening it.”
(S10)
How are you being influenced by the world around you? Does Jesus have influence in your life? How are you being shaped by Jesus? Do you have a desire to be moire like Jesus?
SERIES(Book)
Forty Days Towards Christ-likeness—we will look to the life of Jesus to discover our God-given purpose in living, 'A Jesus Shaped Life.'
— Obedience...Relationships...Courage…Justice...Mission of Jesus
‘YOU ARE MADE FOR THIS’
(S11)
God decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him, along the same lines as the life of his Son. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. Romans 8:29(MSG)
If you have said yes to Jesus…than there is another force at work in you, wanting to influence, shape you for your good and his glory
You and I were created to be like Jesus
PRAYER—BIBLES
(S12)
Ephesians 1:1–3 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Paul—Christ/Jesus—God—Believers—Ephesus
Greeting— Praise—Blessing (from the spirit)...
(S13)
“Long before he laid down earth's foundations, God had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.” Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)
Two characteristics that are the focus of his love
1. Made whole—without fault—Blameless
The beginning of being shaped by Jesus, is to be made whole or right in God’s eyes
God’s desire for you is...
I. ...to be made WHOLE by his love
I. ...to be made WHOLE by his love
Because of Adam, we are broken and live in fallen world.
Suicide—depression—broken relationships
“I don’t need fixing”—Why we need Jesus who makes is whole—complete
(S14)
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Notice it all starts with God...the initiator of the relationship — You were first thought of before it all began, as a part of God’s greater plan.
PARENTS AS INITIATORS— A desire for the child
Our father in heaven thought of you first — creating, loving... for a relationship…
Second characteristic the focus of his love
2. Made Holy—Images come to mind—sanctify — becoming like Jesus in how we live...
God’s desire for you is...
II. …to be made HOLY in love!
II. …to be made HOLY in love!
That word can either inspire us or make us cringe
(S15)
“Holiness is how life God intended it to be. Holiness means to be like Jesus” (Cordel, pg.7)
How we think...
Philippians 4:8, “ Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Relates to others...
Ephesians 4:32, “ be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Act, in word, deed...
John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””
Holy in how we think, relate to others, how we act in word and deed.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
The only road to wholeness and holiness is in a loving relationship with the one who is WHOLE and HOLY. It is God’s desire for you, which brings him great pleasure!
Bad news — It’s not easy—Why Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness — Journey to the cross
(S16)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.
Living a Jesus-shaped life…IS NOT NATURAL
Living a Jesus-shaped life…IS NOT NATURAL
The Hill (Ricky)—
He was a natural but success was not...
Similarly, in God’s desire to shape us like Jesus, there are other sources are trying to influence us— Sin, our natural nature can get in the way...
“Most of us know what its like to argue with ourselves—to engage in an internal struggle.
New healthy self: I’’m not going to eat that donut!
Old undisciplined self: Yes you are. You know you are. Just admit it!
NHS: No I’m not. I eat healthy now!
OUS: You will never really change. Its just a matter of time before you cave. You may as well do it now and enjoy it” (pg 11)
We can honor Jesus one minute, only to stumble the next.
Romans 7:20, But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
(S17)
There is no sin that God cannot free you from...
There is no sin that God cannot free you from...
1 John 1:9, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Paul as a prisoner of his own sinful ways, found freedom through Christ...a freedom he knew even in chains
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins (NLT).
Living a Jesus shaped is not natural
(S18)
9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
Living a Jesus-shaped life requires...A NEW NATURE
Living a Jesus-shaped life requires...A NEW NATURE
What’s wrong with my old self?
Baby’s are just cute
When we are BORN we are born into flesh…in need of a new nature...
“John Wesley understood human nature has been so thoroughly corrupted that we have no possibility of any goodness at all in ourselves or in our patterns of thinking, apart from God’s grace intervening.”
A new nature, purposed In Christ — to live into the Whole and Holy life God intended
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
A new nature—Born of the spirit of God—purposed in Christ—Our new self—changed from the inside out
“the great end of religion is to renew our hearts in the image of God, to repair that total loss of righteousness and true holiness which we sustained by the sin of our first parent” (Original Sin, III.5).
It’s not NATURAL, requires a new NATURE, but that is not enough…
(S19)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
We live a Jesus’ shaped life…through our personal God-given LIFE-COACH
We live a Jesus’ shaped life…through our personal God-given LIFE-COACH
“The job of any coach is…to help players reach a new level they would not reach on their own.”
Jaylen’s natural talent — His parents didn’t hire a piano teacher to tell him how lovely he played. It was to instruct him how to perform better to achieve what he could not on his own.
When we take on our new nature in Christ, we are marked in him…
Jesus in us…
a. Helps us RECOGNIZE sin
a. Helps us RECOGNIZE sin
…Opens our eyes to the need for change — Conviction
John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”
Tell us what we are doing wrong so we can become more like Jesus
Jesus in us…
b. Empowers us to CHANGE our BEHAVIOR
b. Empowers us to CHANGE our BEHAVIOR
…helps whip us into shape, like a good coach does
Jesu in us…
c. Keeps us INSTEP with the WILL of God
c. Keeps us INSTEP with the WILL of God
…sustains us when we want to quit, so we will stay in shape — in touch, in love with God...
‘The spirits conviction is not the H.S. saying, I gotcha ya! His aim is not to scold us but redirect us to be more like Jesus.”
Galatians 5:16, So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
(S20)—Living a Jesus shaped life…
It’s not NATURAL — New NATURE — LIFE-COACH
Whether we realize it or not, there are seen and unseen forces working in our lives — influencing our thinking, values, habits, character...
Philippians 2:12–13, Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
QUESTIONS
What if Jesus had more influence in your life?
When you hear the word holy, what comes to your mind? How closely does that image of Jesus’ show in your character? Your life?
In what ways do you most frequently see your old nature show up in your thoughts and actions? How would your life be different if your new nature were able to win more of the inner battles?
What pitfalls might we face if we do not realize that it is the grace of God that enables us to become like Jesus?
Think of a time you recently sensed the Holy Spirit’s conviction. How does knowing that God’s desire for you is to be in a loving relationship with Jesus?
(S21)
How much influence does Jesus have in your life?
Good news—God’s desire for you is to be made WHOLE…HOLY
YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS!