Since bearing fruit unto the likness of Christ is the paramount thrust of the Gospel, we’ve turned our attention to the means by which this is accomplished.
Transformation begins by renewing the Mind. So we spent time in Romans 12:1-2 and James 1.
These two passages opent he door to our understanding of how transformation takes place in the life of a child of God to take ojn the likeness of Christ.
Continue reading
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”… a statement of Jesus most often quoted out of context as evangelistic.
In reality Jesus was talking about the lost sheep of the house of Israel. These people were already in covenant with God, but were wandering as sheep without a shepherd. The message of John the Baptist until the resurrection of Jesus was to prepare themselves and change their minds regarding the King and the Kingdom – because it was NEAR!
What was Jesus looking for in response to the message He and His disciples taught? Faith! Specifically faith in their Messiah! But they missed their opportunity.
Nowunder the New Covenant God has turned to the Gentiles as His living witnesses. The primary lesson being that regardless of the covenant, the harvest God is looking for is the fruit of faith and a changed life.
Continue reading
As we turned our attention away from scriptures which press the need to bear fruit and the persecution it will elicit from the world, we started examining 2 Peter 1. In this chapter we are told that fruit production is the result of collaboration between us and the Spirit of God. That fruit does not just happen. It requires genuine effort and sustaining power. Each progression in the process outlined by Peter reveals that each is dependent upon the other and that if we have all of these things AND we are increasing in them – we will NOT be fruitless!
However, if we are fruitless it is because we do NOT have these things which proves that we are nearsighted and have forgotten that we have been forgiven our sins.
Continue reading
This is the second step in fulfilling the Great Commission or conforming to the work of the Spirit WITHIN and that is the uncontested Lordship of Jesus Christ.
We cover this in detail today – what it DOES means, what it does NOT mean and their implications.
Continue reading
Paul’s ending command ti Timothy was to live the Gospel and preach it whether convenient or not because that the days were coming when neither the world nor many in the church will endure or even tolerate sound doctrine. Instead they will have fanciful desires for something new and unique. In short, the truth would no longer suit them!
Nevertheless he was to encourage, rebuke, exhort with extreme patience and teaching.
Last week we began looking at this from the perspective of the Great commission which is the work of the Kingdom of God.
This week we began with the FIRST of those obligations which is to live out the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all things.
The Spirit of God WITHIN, does a progressive work which produces in the child of God a heart change from interests in the affairs of this life to those of the Kingdom. We begin to “SEEK FIRST” the kingdom of God rather than selfish, earthly pursuits.
It is not hard to see how this first principle of Kingdom life, runs contrary to the modern interests of many Christians and certainly the world. This is because we are part of the generation Paul warned Timothy about. A generation who would not endure sound doctrine but who having desires to hear something new, would find teachers to fill their ears with what they want to hear.
Continue reading