28th August 2005

DISCIPLESHIP - GROWING IN LIKENESS TO JESUS! a.m. version Pastor Linton Smith

It is hard to make sense of some of the things that happen.

Why does trouble come our way when we are seeking to be faithful to God?

Why does God allow other people to make life so difficult for us?

Why does He allow unemployment, illness and tragedy to come our way?

And why is it such a struggle at times to resist temptation and do the right thing?

Things like these begin to make sense when we understand the third of God’s five purposes for our lives.

We have looked at two of His purposes – Worship and Fellowship.

We have seen.. God created us.. to love us.. to last for ever.. to know Him.. to worship Him.. to love His people.. and..

Today we add.. ..to grow in likeness to Jesus. We call this Discipleship.

In the time of Jesus a disciple would attach himself to a teacher.. learn from him.. obey him.. imitate him.. become like his teacher.

That is what God wants for us. He wants us to be disciples of Jesus.. attach ourselves to Him.. learn from Him.. become like Him.

Today we look at three verses in Romans..

Romans 8:28-30.. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The first thing we learn here is that..

o GOD’S PURPOSE IS TO MAKE US LIKE JESUS!

Paul says, We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For the good of those who love Him. Does he mean, If you lose $100 you will later get $1000 and things like that? No. He goes on to tell us what he means..

Romans 8:29.. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Eugene Peterson brings out the full force of this in his paraphrase, The Message: God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.

That was God’s intention all along.. and He will make it happen. Paul goes on..

Romans 8:30.. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Those he predestined.. He called.. justified.. and glorified. [Not.. will glorify.. but glorified.. expressing certainty – prophetic perfect]

Peterson again.. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

At the end of this life.. when we enter heaven.. we will be like Jesus..

In character.. and even our bodies will be like His resurrection body..

In his letter to the Philippians Paul writes..

Philippians 3:20,21.. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

And to the Thessalonians he writes.

1 Thessalonians 5:23,24.. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

May God sanctify you through and through.. make you holy.. make you like Jesus.. A prayer. Then he says.. The one who calls you.. God.. is faithful and He will do it. Our destiny.. is to be like Jesus!

The Apostle John puts it like this..

1 John 3:1-3.. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

When He appears.. we shall be like Him!

If we are trusting in Jesus.. that is our destiny.. and when we know that is our destiny.. it changes the way we think here and now.. we will purify ourselves..

Right now.. while we live here.. God is at work.. making us into people like Jesus.. preparing us for that day.. and we will cooperate with Him..

When that day comes.. He will put His finishing touches on us.. to make us just like Jesus.

If you have been involved in a choir or drama group.. you will know that the practices just before opening night are often very discouraging.. full of mistakes… forgotten lines.. wrong notes.. but on the night it all comes together. That is how it will be with us. Right now we might wonder.. will I ever be like Jesus.. but God will finish what He has begun.. and when we see Jesus.. we will be like Him!

When we take hold of this.. the difficulties now.. seem very small in comparison..

Paul: Romans 8:18.. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Our destiny is to be just like Jesus. Focus on that.. and it will make sense of many of things that happen.. and greatly encourage us!

The next thing we learn from these verses is that.

o GOD IS AT WORK IN ALL THINGS TO MAKE US LIKE JESUS!

Romans 8:28.. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God is at work for our good.. to make us like Jesus.. and God is at work in all things to bring this about.

He says all things.. and means just that.. at work in all that life throws at us.. to make us like Christ.. to make us like Him in character.. That difficult circumstance.. that disappointment..

We can drop our bundles.. and blame others.. or we can say to ourselves.. in some way God is at work in this.. to make me like Christ..

In the letter to the Hebrews we read this..

Hebrews 12:4-7,10.. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?.. Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

None of us enjoyed being disciplined by our parents. But they did it because they loved us.. [mostly- sometimes as angry reaction perhaps..]

In a similar way God disciplines us – and always because He loves us.

God is at work in all things.. the circumstances we find ourselves in.. the people around us.. and yes.. the people in our church family.. to help us grow.. to polish the rough edges.. [Life in College as a Theological Student..]

We might be tempted to run to someone who is having a tough time.. to say.. I know what is happening.. God is disciplining you. Don’t! Instead.. sit with them.. weep with them.. and if the opportunity arises.. ask gently.. Do you think God is trying to tell you something? Do not presume to know what He is doing!

And when we are in trouble.. let’s ask the same question.. Is God trying to get my attention.. what is He saying to me through this? And be ready and willing to change.. to become a better person.. more like Jesus.

God’s purpose is to make us like Jesus.. He is at work in all things to make us like Jesus.. and..

o GOD IS AT WORK IN US TO MAKE US LIKE JESUS!

Paul writes.. Philippians 2:13.. It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

We have seen.. God’s purpose is to make us like Jesus.. and now we learn that He is at work in us.. to will.. and to act.. according to that purpose. He gives us the will to do something and the energy to do it.

Expositor’s Commentary:

God produces in believers both the desire to live righteously and the effective energy to do so.

In his letter to the Galatians Paul writes with passion..

Galatians 4:19.. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

That is what he wants to see.. and passionately.. He wants to see Christ formed in these people.. and in us..

How? Find out in the next chapter..

Galatians 5:16-23.. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God .

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

I am sure we all know something of the struggle Paul describes here.. the sinful nature wanting to do this.. and we knowing in our heart of hearts that it is wrong.,.. and so we struggle…

Paul says.. let the sinful nature have its way.. and this is the sort of thing that happens.. sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

Let the Spirit have His way.. and this is what happens.. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

And when we are like this.. we are like Jesus!

There are three things we need to note.

- These qualities are described as fruit.. and like any fruit.. they grow slowly.. ripen slowly.. Don’t be in a hurry.

- God Himself will complete the growing and ripening process as we enter the presence of Jesus! Don’t lose heart when we still have a long way to go.

- These qualities are described as the fruit of the Spirit.. the Spirit produces them.. we cannot manufacture them in our own strength..

So what do we do? Paul tells us.. Live by the Spirit! How do we do that?

Have we believed in Jesus.. trusted in Him.. given our lives to Him.. then He has given His Spirit to us. Believe it. The Spirit of Jesus lives in us!

Make time to be quiet.. to read the Bible.. reflect on it.. ask the Spirit of God to open our eyes.. show us what needs to change.. and make us willing to change.. Remember.. He is at work in us.. both to will and to act..

Go into the day.. knowing the Spirit is within us to give us strength. Face up to challenges in His strength. Bad news. Difficult people. Spirit of God.. this is too hard for me.. please handle it. He will. And as a result.. He will make us better people.. a little more like Jesus!

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