601 SFL - Essential discipleship 2

Purpose 3Sections 22-28 (pages 169-223)

Why is discipleship essential?

You Were Created To Become Like Christ

Purpose 3Sections 22-28 (pages 169-223)

You were created to become like

Christ!

How We Grow

Section 23 page 179 - 184

“God wants us to grow up...like Christ in

everything”Eph 4:15

“We are not meant to remain as children”

Eph 4:14 (Ph)

God wants you to

grow up

Many Christians grow older but never grow up.

Spiritual growth is not automatic - you must be intentional, wanting, deciding, making an effort.

Discipleship - the process of becoming like Christ - always begins with a decision.

The first disciples did not understand all that was involved - but they took a decision, a commitment.

Every choice has eternal consequences - so choose wisely;

2 Peter 3:11

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

God’s part and your part

Christlikeness is the result of making Christlike choices and depending upon the Spirit to help you fulfill those choices.

You let go of old ways, intentionally develop new ones, and be certain the Holy Spirit will help you in this.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Php 2:12-13

The work out part is your responsibility - the work in is God’s role, God works with us, not just in us.

This is not about salvation but Christian living: God has given you a new life now you have to work at it, just like working out to get fit, or working out a problem, or working the land to get a harvest.

Fear and trembling means it is a serious business.

Changing your autopilotLife change requires thought change.

Many people try to change their life through sheer determination (your own strength), and often it works for a while - Warren likens this to trying to change the course of a speedboat set on autopliot to go east but you change it’s course by strength and make it go west.

The alternative is to deal with the root of the problem - change your autopilot.

Rom 12:2

Change always starts in your mind, with the way you think - so this change has to be the first in spiritual growth.

The way you think determines how you feel, and this then affects the way you act.

Eph 4:23 NLT

...to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

In the NT this is described as repentance - the Greek word literally meaning ‘to change your mind’

When you take on Christ’s view of things repentance has taken place - thinking about God, yourself, sin, people, the future, life...anything.

Php 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...

...a process which has two parts;

1. Stop thinking immature thoughts - these are self centred and self seeking - 1 Cor 14:20 - babies are selfish, not giving they only receive -

Rom 8:5  Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

2. Start thinking maturely - this focuses on others not yourself - 1 Cor 13:11

Biblical knowledge is helpful in maturing us - but it is not the only way to measure maturity, and in fact such measurement can be misleading.

Our beliefs must be matched, shown by, Christlike behaviour.

Rom 15:2-3 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness and the best evidence of spiritual growth. Such a way of thinking is rare, counter-cultural and difficult - but God has given us his Sprit to help us live it out:

1 Cor 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Key Verse:

Rom 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ask yourself:

What is the one area where I need to stop thinking my way and start thinking God’s way?