Fully Devoted Followers Grow in Christian Maturity

2 Peter 3:17-18

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The trajectory of every biblical text assumes growth. But growth is not automatic. No one drifts into spiritual maturity. 2 Peter 3:18 says that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, but what does that mean?

Grow in grace
Grace is God’s unmerited favor, it is God’s undeserved love mercy and compassion freely given to us. It is also the power God gives us to do what we should. To grow in Grace is to discover new dimensions of God’s love and acceptance of us as God’s children.
We can grow

We grow in our awareness of God’s grace in our lives

We also grow in our exercise of God’s grace in our lives

We also grow in our ability to offer grace to others

Grow in knowledge
The knowledge here is not just facts, it is intimate relational knowledge as well. We are to have a deepening experience of Jesus and an understanding of the truth of Christ. This knowledge should be ever increasing until Jesus comes. We grow in our knowledge of the implications of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection for our lives.

Why should we grow?

2 Peter offers at least three reason for why we should grow.
1. Because there are many false teachers

There are many influences in our lives. Many of them influence us to live for ourselves rather that for God. The influence comes from family, teachers, books, media and entertainment to name just a few.

2. Because we stand accountable to God

We will all stand before God one day and give an account of our lives. Can you imagine someone saying, “Well God, I just really wanted to get in heaven, I didn’t really care anything about living a better life or knowing you any better.”

3. Because we are called to live uprightly

We can not live uprightly if we resist God’s grace and refuse to know him more. We cannot be upright by ourselves, we need God’s grace. We don’t even know what an upright life is with God’s help. Life on our own terms is not an upright life.

4. The world needs godly people as a credible witness to the truth of Christ
Living a godly life is not boring or stale, it is living life in that adventure of God. It is being freed of all those things that make life rich and full and meaningful.

5. Living uprightly exposes error

When we live uprightly in this world a difference is seen between us and that will hopefully cause curiosity. We are then able to give a reason for the hope in us.

Growth happens when we simply grow in our knowledge and experience of God and act on it. The best way to do that is through Life Groups or Bible Studies. At the very least spend some time each day in God’s word and put into practice what you discover.

In the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian The four children find themselves back in Narnia. Although only a few years have passed for them, over a hundred years have passed in Narnia. As they continue their adventure, Lucy sees Aslan for the first time in this adventure.

“Aslan,” said Lucy “Your bigger.”
“That is because you are older Little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
– Prince Caspian p. 148
As we grow Jesus becomes bigger. How big is Jesus in your life?

The Romans Road

From time to time people ask if there is a simple way to lead some to Christ. There are many helpful ways to do that. Let me first of all refer you to the blog entry Fully Devoted Followers Share their Faith with Others, for some back ground. I personally use the Roman Road. I like it because it is simple and the passages are easy to remember because they are all in one book of the Bible.

[Rom 3:23 ESV] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This passage reminds us that all of us fall short of what God desire of us. We have all missed the mark of what it means to be O.K. in God’s eyes.

[Rom 6:23 ESV] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here we are told that the result of our falling short is death. This death refers to spiritual death. Spiritual death is being separated from God. It is being cut off from God in this life and in the life to come. But the verse goes on to say that God offers a remedy for death and that is eternal life. This life is both a quality of life and a length of life. It is a gift that God graciously offers us. It can not be earned in any way.

[Rom 5:8 ESV] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This passage shows the extent of God’s love for each of us. God did not wait for us to get our life together. He sent Jesus to take the full penalty of our sin so that we could be reconciled to God.

[Rom 10:9-10 ESV] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

This passage tells us how we can be saved, put right with God. It happens when we do two things:

1. Confess Jesus as Lord. This means that we agree with God that Jesus is the only Lord and that for all of our lives we have tried to be God. We now step off the throne of our lives as ask Jesus to take his rightful place and our Lord and Master. From now on we will follow his direction.

2. Believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. We must trust what God did in and through the cross of Christ. We trust that when God says he accepts the sacrifice of Christ, he means what he says.

When we do those things we have God’s promise:

[Rom 10:13 ESV] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

For another way of presenting the gospel click here

Fully devoted followers share their faith with others

John 4:7-10 (11-38)

We have been looking at what means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.Today we will talk about sharing our faith with others.

This passage tell the story of Jesus’ encounter with a woman from Samaria. This one encounter led to many Samaritans in the town believing in Jesus.
Samaritans had the reputation of being unscrupulous half-breeds. Although they had a mixed ancestry prejudice fueled much of the hatred. Many Jews would not even go through the region. But as the Scripture says, Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.”

Jesus’ actions can help us know how to be ready to share our faith

Jesus was ready to respond
Jesus had traveled about 30 miles by foot from Jerusalem to Sychar. He was tired from travel, teaching stopped to rest. As he rested he didn’t forget his mission
Who would have ever thought a well on the outskirts of town would become the starting place for a great revival?
He had been living his message, so now was no exception.

If we are going to be ready we must imitate Jesus.
• We must be aware of the true spiritual state of people far from God. Without Christ they are lost. We can not simply say, “Well they believe in God” or “he’s a good person.” Thoughts like that will discourage us from sharing our faith with others.
• We must know what God has done for us and be able to tell others.
• We must realize that opportunities to share may come at any time.
• Sharing our faith is the natural outgrowth of living our faith

Jesus noticed a person in need
We don’t know exactly what prompted Jesus to talk to the woman. It may have been the situation, a woman at the well at mid-day, or something in her face.
but whatever it was he noticed her and engaged her in conversation in a non-threatening way.
We must learn to be aware of the people around us. It is so easy to be preoccupied and not notice people. Engage them in non-threatening ways that demonstrate true human compassion. Cultivate genuine friendships with unchurched people. Don’t push, just give a gentle witness, offer them Christ

Jesus reached across boundaries

[Jn 4:9 ESV] The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Jews normally did not have anything to do with Samaritans. It was considered inappropriate for a man to speak with a woman who was not his wife, let alone a Samaritan woman

We will also have to reach across boundaries, racial, economic, political, occupational, social and ethnic boundaries. Crossing those boundaries demonstrates that the love of Christ is real. We reach across not as superiors but as brothers and sisters, fellow pilgrims.

“Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” – D.T. NILES, New York Times, May 11, 1986

Jesus related to her as a person
He respected her and did not judge her. He listened to her and responded appropriately. He was not following a rehearsed program or speech. He only went as far as she would allow and adapted the message to fit her needs.
We must not treat people as souls with ears. They are not a project or a target, they are a person. You may have memorized a program or strategy, but relate to them as a person. In the Conversation, discover their needs and apply the gospel to them.

[John 4:35] …Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

Here is a very touching story that illustrates the power of simple faith sharingIn the fall of 2005, my 9-year-old son, Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, an anesthesiologist came in to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that “frog hat.” When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, “Hey, wait.”

The doctor turned. “Yeah, buddy, what do you need?”

“Do you go to church?”

“No,” the doctor admitted. “I know I probably should, but I don’t.”

Austin then asked, “Well, are you saved?”

Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: “Nope. But after talking to you, maybe it’s something I should consider.”

Pleased with his response, Austin answered, “Well you should, ’cause Jesus is great!”

“I’m sure he is, little guy,” the doctor said, and quickly made his exit.

When Austin’s surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to me. He told me the surgery went well, then said, “Mrs. Blessit, I don’t usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did.”

Oh boy, I thought. What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he’d just put the mask on Austin when my son signaled that he needed to say something. When the doctor removed the mask, Austin blurted, “Wait a minute, we have to pray!” The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed: “Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen.”

The doctor admitted that this had touched him. “I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well,” he explained. “He didn’t even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! Mrs. Blessit, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have.”

A few minutes later, a nurse came to take me to post-op. She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. “There’s something you should know,” she said. “Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time. After your son’s surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin’s prayer. He said, ‘Well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, too.’”
Tina Blessit, “A Prayer Before Surgery,” Today’s Christian Woman (July/August 2006), p. 27

Fully Devoted Followers Worship God

Romans 12:1-2

I started this series talking about the attitudes of a fully devoted follower of Christ.
Now we want to move on to the actions and today we look at Worship.

Worship carries many different meanings for people it could mean:

• The formal liturgy of the church
  Praise songs
  Quietly meditating on the Psalms
  Gospel songs and testimonies
  Raucous high energy music with dancing
  Drums and chants

Worship comes from an old English word which means to attribute worth or respect to someone.

Fully devoted followers of Christ worship God with their lives. Worship is more than what we do here, it includes all of our life.

Casting Crowns sings a song which helps us get a handle on this kind of worship

LifeSong
Empty hands held high, Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life, I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say, And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing, Bring a smile to You

What is it we do to worship God fully? How do we know when out worship is empty hands held high, and when it is pleasing to God? How do we know when we are just honoring God with our lips and not with our lives?

Romans 12:1-2 can help us understand what that kind of worship looks like.

Therefore…
In light of all God has done…
1. Reached out to a rebellious, self-centered people

2. God made a way to be reconciled, by his sheer mercy, by grace through faith

3. Gave us a way to be victorious over sin and evil

When we approach worship, the “why” is bound up in all that God has done for us through Christ. That is reason enough for us to worship him and serve him the rest of our days.
In other words worship is not doing God a favor, it is expressing our gratitude for All God has done for us.

Living Sacrifice
Those who first heard this epistle were well aware of the concept of sacrifice. This time they were not only to offer a sacrifice, but be the sacrifice. Sacrifice is an offering, not just giving something up. A living sacrifice is an offering of your whole self; the whole of who your are. At its essence our obedience is the sacrifice we offer, our daily lives become the sacrifice.

LifeSong
Lord I give my life, a living sacrifice
To reach a world in need, to be Your hands and feet
May the words I say, And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing, Bring a smile to You

Spiritual Worship
The words translated “spiritual worship” can also be rendered “reasonable service.” It means an intelligent and deliberate act of worship in light of all God has done for you. The most reasonable thing you can do. It is spiritual in the sense that it is real and genuine. The word translated “worship” alludes to the work or service of the priests in the temple.

How do we become a living sacrfice?
1. We renew our minds. Allow God’s word to be the lens through which you view all of life. See all of life from God’s perspective: yourself, others, situations, relationships, hopes, life

2. Use the gifts you have been given in service to God
[Rom 12:6 ESV] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them….

Worship, real authentic worship ascribing worth to God with our lives — all of our lives.

Is your work, study, home life, relationships, financial life, recreational life, social life, worthy of God.

It can be…start where ever you are and seek to honor God. Notice how the text is paraphrased in the Message

[Ro 12:1-2 The Message ] So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Revolution: Becomeing a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ

This post begins an eight part series entitled Revolution: Becoming a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ. The series is based on the book by George Barna.
Luke 9:57-62

Last October as we were finishing up work on our Mission / Vision I was searching for a way to describe the kind of life to which Jesus has called us. I liked the phrase “fully devoted follower of Christ,” but what did that mean?

Penny (my wife) and I were attending Catalyst and happened to hear George Barna talk about his book Revolution. In the book he describes the lives of a group of Christians who have left the institutional church but were still passionately committed to Christ. As he described the characteristics of those Christ followers, I knew I had found the description I was looking for.

For the next several weeks you will hear each of those characteristics. Actually, they are behaviors or actions. We will answer the question what does a fully devoted follower of Jesus look like.

Before we dive in to that I think we should first of all look at the attitude or mind-set of a fully devoted follower of Jesus. Being fully devoted is not just only about actions it is about the heart and mind as well.

If we are going to be fully devoted followers of Jesus we will need these attitudes.

A Commitment to Perseverance
In the passage above, one of the would-be followers seemed to be caught up in the moment. He was ready to follow Christ out of impulse. It doesn’t seem that he had through the implications of his decision. Following Jesus was not as glamorous as he suspected.

We, too, can get caught up in the same fantasy. We follow Christ because he meets my current needs of forgiveness. We get caught up in the emotion of the event. We seldom think through the implications of our decision.
There is a marked difference between
• Coming to Jesus to escape hell (there must be more)
• Making a decision for Christ (voting for Jesus)
• Becoming a Christian (a one time event)
• Following Christ ( a life long journey)
Being a follower of Christ will sometimes be exciting, fulfilling, meaningful, cool, awesome, rewarding, but there are also times when it will be tough, unpopular, painful, risky, dangerous and demanding.

Settled Priorities
Jesus called someone to follow him and he makes what seems on the surface a reasonable request.
The duty to parents was one of the highest priorities in Jewish society — it was considered to be an act of piety, but there maybe something else going on here.
By asking to wait until he buried his father he probably was asking to wait until his father died to come and follow Jesus
Jesus made it clear that following him trumped family obligations
Notice this passage:

[Lk 14:26 ESV] “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

This exaggeration was a characteristic of Semitic people; it helps create a stark contrast. The statement means that “if there is a conflict, one’s response to the demands of discipleship must take precedence of even the most sacred of human relationships.” [NIB vol. IX p. 292]

We are to have one priority above all else – following Christ

An Undivided Mind
One would-be follower simply wanted to bid farewell to his family and friends, or so it seems on the surface. This may have been a way of saying “Let me have a going away party,” or “Put all my affairs in order.” After I get every in order I will follow you. One day I will follow, but not right now.
Jesus gives a very stark word picture to highlight the urgancey of following him now

[Lk 9:62 ESV] Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

We, too sometimes long for the old life. We begin to long for the fun and forget the consequences. We don’t press on with Christ and get discouraged. We forget the end result of the old life.
Living out our complete commitment to Christ means looking forward.

[Php 3:7-11 ESV] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Following Jesus means that the life Jesus offers is worth everything we go through. Our relationship with Christ is not an appendage to our lives; it is the core. When times get tough we don’t take a break from worship, we run to worship to be reminded of God’s care for us.
We must have the conviction down deep inside that Jesus’ way of life is the best way of life!
Someone might say, “If I follow Christ like you say there will be big consequences for me. Yes there will, but there will be consequences to any way of life you choose and you will have to live with them. Which set of consequences will you choose?

Conclusion
We don’t know what either of these would-be disciples chose. But we do know what Jesus chose. He continued down the road to Jerusalem knowing full well what was waiting for him.
The writer of Hebrews puts it this way:

[Heb 12:2-3 ESV] [We should look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Jesus was faithful in all he did. He took the journey ahead of us. He looked at you and me and said it was worth it. And now he calls us to do noting more than what he did.