Jesus Is My Model

Friday, September 16, 2011

Jesus watched to see where the Father was at work and joined Him!

Throughout my life, I will have times when I want to respond to situations based on my own experiences or wisdom.  Such an approach will get me in trouble.  This will be my guideline:

• I will always go to the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of my situation. 
• I will look to see what God says and how He works in the Scriptures. 
• I will make my decisions and evaluate my experiences based on Biblical truths.

My experiences cannot be my guide.  Every event in my life must be understood and interpreted by the Scriptures, for the God revealed in Scripture does not change.  Malachi 3:6, “I the LORD do not change.” However I will not base my decision on one isolated verse or story.  I will look to see how God generally works throughout the Scriptures.

·        I should always evaluate my experiences based on the truths I find in God’s Word.

·        I may get a distorted understanding of God if I do not check my experiences against the truths of Scripture.

·        I can trust God to work in my life similarly to ways I see Him working throughout the Scriptures.

·        I will never go wrong if, under the Holy Spirit’s instruction, I let the Bible be my guide.

·        As a Christian disciple, the Bible is my guide for how to relate to God and how to live my life.

“What is God’s will for my life?” is not the right question.  I think the proper question is, “What is God’s will?”  Once I know God’s will, than I can adjust my life to Him.  In other words, what is it God is purposing to accomplish where I am?  Once I know what God is doing, then I know what I need to do.  The focus needs to be on God, not on my life!

When I want to learn how to know and do God’s will, I can find no better model than Jesus’ life.  He perfectly completed every assignment the Father gave Him.  He never failed to do the will of the Father.  He never sinned.

John 5:17, 19-20:  17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."  19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.”

Jesus clearly states how He knew what to do.  Jesus watched to see where His Father was at work and joined Him.  Jesus’ approach to knowing and doing His Father’s will, can be outlined like this:

1.    The Father has been working right up until now.

2.   Now the Father has Me working.

3.   I do nothing on My own initiative.

4.   I watch to see what the Father is doing.

5.   I do what I see the Father doing.

6.   The Father loves Me.

7.   He shows Me everything He is doing.

This model applies to my life personally and also to my church.  It is not a step-by-step approach for knowing and doing God’s will.  It describes a love relationship through which God accomplishes His purposes.  It can be summed up this way:

Watch to see where God is working and join Him!

Right now God is working all around me, as well as in my life!

One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that, although they deeply love to experience God, they are encountering Him day after day but do not recognize Him.

By the end of this course I will learn:

1.   Many ways to clearly identify God’s activity in and around my life.

2.   The Holy Spirits and God’s Word will instruct me and will help me know when and where God is working.

3.   Once I know where He is Active, I will adjust my life to join Him in His activity.

4.   I will experience God accomplishing His purposes through my life.

5.   When I enter this kind of intimate love relationship with God, I will know and do His will and experience Him in ways I have never known before.

What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture I read today?:

Malachi 3:6, “I the LORD do not change.”

My Prayer is:

Daddy, I realize that you do not change and I want that to really sink into my life.  Because really understanding this truth will help me to see how very consistent You are and how I can trust you to always work the same way in my life as you did in Scripture.  Help me in my unbelief!  In Your Son’s Name I pray, Amen.

What does God want me to do in response to today’s study?

I believe God wants me to trust Him to work in my life.

The Memory verse for this unit is:

I am the vine and you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in Him he will bear much fruit.  Apart from Me he can do nothing.  Matthew 15:5