An ‘Aha Moment’!

Whatever it Takes Pt 4

3.20.11       Integrity  Bud Wrenn

 

John 16:29-30, 33 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Jesus' three pictures to help the disciples understand how to move forward.

1) Expectation:  I will be leaving you – but I will come again for you.

2) Engagement:  I will still be engaged with you – though in a different way.

3) Energy:  I will send Someone new Who will energize you.

 

Following Jesus Gives Us ….

 

1) Focus in the face of our fears.  (Expectation)

 

a) Start with the end in mind.

John 14:1  “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

b) Work to continuously widen your peripheral vision.

John 14:8   Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?

 

2) Confidence in spite of our imperfection.  (Engagement)

 

a) It’s God’s garden – not mine.
John 15:1 (NLT) 
1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

 

b) It is much better to be pruned than to be cut off from the Vine

 John 15:2 (NLT)  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

 

Remaining in Jesus: It’s an attitude driven by a mindset.

Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT) 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

John 15:5-6 (NLT)  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

 

3) Power to accomplish BIG things….  (Energy)

 

…through the Holy Spirit...

 

a) providing spiritual guidance.

John 16:13 (NLT)  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. ….

 

b) directing me toward God's plan.

John 16:13 (NLT)   …. He will tell you about the future.

 

c) pointing to Christ and not Himself.

John 14:26 (NLT) 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

 

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Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 

 

Romans 12:1-13 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

 

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

 

4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,

 

5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

 

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

 

7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.

 

8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

 

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

 

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

 

12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

 

13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

 

 

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

 

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

 

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

 

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

 

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

 

16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

 

 

Ø  Try a Ministry / Ministries

Ø  Trial & Error is OK

Ø  Take SERVE Class 301

Ø  Commit to Faithfulness

Ø  Commit to Being a Team Player

Ø  Commit to a Life in the Church