Embodying Faith: A Transformative Relationship with Jesus
Summary
In our journey of faith, we are called not just to follow the teachings of Jesus as a set of rules but to embody them so deeply that they become second nature. This transformation is akin to building our lives on the solid rock of Jesus and His kingdom, as described in Matthew 7. When we internalize His teachings, our actions naturally align with His will, and we become resilient to life's storms. The challenge lies not in the doing but in becoming the kind of people who do what Jesus said without conscious effort. This is achieved through a conversational relationship with Jesus, where His presence guides us in every aspect of our lives.
Many struggle with this concept because they perceive Jesus' teachings as mere laws to follow. However, these teachings are not the end goal but the byproduct of a life lived in communion with Christ. This relationship is cultivated through regular engagement with Scripture, where God often speaks to us, not necessarily to instruct but to illuminate and fellowship with us. As we grow in this relationship, we learn to give thanks in all circumstances, recognizing that God is at work even when we don't see it.
Understanding the gospel as an invitation to eternal living now, rather than a distant promise, is crucial. Eternal life is about an interactive relationship with God, where our lives become part of His ongoing work. This perspective shifts our focus from mere survival to thriving in God's kingdom, where our actions are empowered by His grace. We are called to be active participants in this relationship, learning to recognize His voice and respond to His guidance.
In the church, fostering an environment where individuals are confident in hearing from God is essential. This confidence allows us to discern truth from falsehood, especially in a world where many claim divine revelation. Our role as a community is to support one another in this journey, embracing the diversity of experiences and insights that come from a personal relationship with God. As we grow together, we become a testament to the transformative power of discipleship to Jesus Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- Transformation Through Relationship: Becoming the kind of people who naturally do what Jesus said requires a deep, conversational relationship with Him. This transformation is not about following rules but embodying His teachings through His presence in our lives. [00:43]
- Scripture as a Source of Fellowship: Engaging with Scripture is a primary way God speaks to us, offering illumination and fellowship rather than just instructions. This engagement helps us cultivate a thankful heart in all circumstances, recognizing God's work in our lives. [10:45]
- Eternal Living Now: Eternal life is not a distant promise but an interactive relationship with God that begins now. Our lives become part of God's ongoing work, empowered by His grace to thrive in His kingdom. [15:36]
- Confidence in Hearing God: Building confidence in hearing from God is crucial for discerning truth and navigating life's challenges. This confidence is nurtured in a community that supports and encourages personal relationships with God. [21:18]
- Active Participation in God's Work: We are called to be active participants in our relationship with God, learning to recognize His voice and respond to His guidance. This participation transforms our lives and aligns us with His eternal purposes. [19:46]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:21] - Becoming People of Blessing
- [01:14] - Building on the Rock
- [02:08] - The Foolishness of Self-Reliance
- [03:12] - Misunderstanding Jesus' Teachings
- [04:53] - Conversational Relationship with Jesus
- [06:12] - Moving Beyond Riches and Praise
- [08:01] - Recognizing God's Voice
- [10:14] - Centering on Scripture
- [12:08] - Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
- [14:31] - Understanding Eternal Living
- [16:51] - Interactive Relationship with God
- [19:46] - Grace and Spiritual Growth
- [21:18] - Confidence in Hearing God
- [24:02] - Independence in the Kingdom
- [29:53] - Daily Kingdom Access
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 7:24-27
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
3. John 17:3
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#### Observation Questions
1. According to Matthew 7:24-27, what are the consequences of building one's life on the rock versus the sand?
2. How does the sermon describe the process of becoming the kind of person who naturally does what Jesus said? [00:21]
3. What role does Scripture play in our relationship with God, as mentioned in the sermon? [10:14]
4. How does the sermon define eternal life according to John 17:3? [15:36]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to have a "conversational relationship" with Jesus, and how does this differ from merely following rules? [04:53]
2. How can understanding eternal life as an interactive relationship with God change one's perspective on daily living? [15:36]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that confidence in hearing from God can help discern truth from falsehood? [21:18]
4. How does the concept of giving thanks in all circumstances, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, challenge common attitudes towards gratitude? [11:34]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current relationship with Jesus. How can you cultivate a more conversational relationship with Him this week? [04:53]
2. Identify a specific area in your life where you tend to rely on your own strength rather than building on the rock of Jesus. What steps can you take to shift your foundation? [02:08]
3. How can you incorporate regular engagement with Scripture into your daily routine to foster a deeper relationship with God? [10:14]
4. Think of a recent situation where you struggled to give thanks. How might viewing it through the lens of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 change your perspective? [11:34]
5. Consider a time when you felt God was speaking to you. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience to better recognize His voice in the future? [08:01]
6. How can you actively participate in God's ongoing work in your community or workplace this week? [16:51]
7. What practical steps can you take to build confidence in discerning God's voice amidst the noise of daily life? [21:18]
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation Through Relationship
In our journey of faith, transformation occurs not through mere rule-following but through a deep, conversational relationship with Jesus. This transformation is about embodying His teachings so deeply that they become second nature, aligning our actions with His will without conscious effort. This is achieved by building our lives on the solid rock of Jesus and His kingdom, as described in Matthew 7. The challenge is to become the kind of people who naturally do what Jesus said, guided by His presence in every aspect of our lives. [00:43]
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find it difficult to embody Jesus' teachings naturally? How can you invite Jesus into these areas to guide you more deeply?
Day 2: Scripture as a Source of Fellowship
Engaging with Scripture is a primary way God speaks to us, offering not just instructions but illumination and fellowship. This engagement helps us cultivate a thankful heart in all circumstances, recognizing God's work in our lives even when it is not immediately visible. Many struggle with perceiving Jesus' teachings as mere laws to follow, but they are the byproduct of a life lived in communion with Christ. Through regular engagement with Scripture, we learn to give thanks in all circumstances, acknowledging God's presence and activity in our lives. [10:45]
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate a regular practice of engaging with Scripture into your daily routine to cultivate a heart of thankfulness?
Day 3: Eternal Living Now
Understanding the gospel as an invitation to eternal living now, rather than a distant promise, is crucial. Eternal life is about an interactive relationship with God, where our lives become part of His ongoing work. This perspective shifts our focus from mere survival to thriving in God's kingdom, where our actions are empowered by His grace. We are called to be active participants in this relationship, learning to recognize His voice and respond to His guidance. [15:36]
"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3, ESV)
Reflection: What does living eternally now mean to you, and how can you actively participate in God's ongoing work in your daily life?
Day 4: Confidence in Hearing God
Building confidence in hearing from God is crucial for discerning truth and navigating life's challenges. This confidence is nurtured in a community that supports and encourages personal relationships with God. In a world where many claim divine revelation, it is essential to foster an environment where individuals are confident in hearing from God. As a community, we support one another in this journey, embracing the diversity of experiences and insights that come from a personal relationship with God. [21:18]
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27, ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper confidence in hearing God's voice, and who in your community can support you in this journey?
Day 5: Active Participation in God's Work
We are called to be active participants in our relationship with God, learning to recognize His voice and respond to His guidance. This participation transforms our lives and aligns us with His eternal purposes. As we grow in this relationship, we become resilient to life's storms, empowered by His grace to thrive in His kingdom. Our role as a community is to support one another in this journey, embracing the diversity of experiences and insights that come from a personal relationship with God. [19:46]
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific way you can actively participate in God's work today, and how can you encourage others in your community to do the same?
Quotes
"We don't try to do what Jesus said; we try to become the kind of people who will do what Jesus said without thinking about it. It's in our bones. Blessing is in us, so when someone curses us, blessing comes out of us. We don't have to think about it, and that's really where we're aiming." [00:23:26]
"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rains descended, and the floods came, the winds blew, and burst against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock." [01:17:52]
"Doing them puts us solidly on the rock of the kingdom of God, and because we're on that rock, then our house, that is, our doing, stands, and without that, it doesn't. Now, what I've been trying to say to you, mainly, in these times that we have spent together, is that the way into doing is a conversational relationship with Jesus." [04:29:28]
"Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise. To get beyond that, you see, that's just such a liberation, such a blessing, to stand beyond that, and how few people manage that. But in the fellowship of Jesus Christ, we do manage that because we don't trust riches; we trust God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." [05:15:44]
"90% of God speaking to me comes while I am reading the scripture. While I'm reading the scripture, and that's really the safe and best way to approach it. He further says 90% of what I get isn't telling me what to do; it's just fellowship, it's just illumination, it's just enlightenment." [10:42:39]
"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you. Now, there's a really helpful challenge: in everything give thanks. You'll notice he doesn't say give thanks for everything, but in everything. A lot of things that happen that God did not cause, and he's not back of it." [11:26:48]
"Eternal life is interactive relationship knowledge with God and with Jesus Christ. If we don't understand that, then we've sort of missed the first step in coming to a relationship with God where there is constant communication because we don't understand what eternal living is." [15:46:32]
"We have to understand that the invitation is to live interactively with God and Jesus in such a way that our life is a part of what God is doing, and that means we see how God is interested in what we're doing, and everything we do with him becomes a part of eternal living." [16:43:44]
"Grace does not come to make us passive; it comes to make us fruitful. Grace enables us to accomplish what we can't accomplish on our own, but we still have to act, and the key to understanding spiritual formation, growth in Christ, growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." [19:36:24]
"One of the things we most need to foster in our people is confidence that God will speak to them. We have to trust our work as pastors to God, and we want to bring people to life where they are in an interactive relationship where God is speaking, and they're speaking." [21:01:52]
"God is after character, and character requires that we be left to make our choices, including our mistakes, and that is the secret of understanding the Garden of Eden and what happened there. God is not just interested in conformity of action; he's interested in who we become." [27:44:48]
"One is daily kingdom access. That's really important to be able to speak with God and to know that if he has something to say to me, he will say it, and to know that on the basis of experience is extremely important to us because it gives us confidence and comfort and peace in communion with God himself." [29:57:12]
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