THE JOURNEY - PART 02

Introduction

The Journey

Know God

Find Freedom

Discover Purpose

Make a Difference

Review

It’s confusing when someone professes to be follower of Christ, and yet, the fruit of their life, shows no evidence of that profession.

Simply believing the truth of the Gospel will not produce character, peace, Joy, and righteousness. It’s only when we master the Christian disciplines

Discipleship is not an option for followers of Jesus.

Jesus commanded that we make disciples. So, when do we become disciples? When we enter into the process of making disciples.

Jesus said it this way:

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

THE MOTIVATION OF THE HEART

Luke 17:33 TPT

33 All who are obsessed with being secure in life will lose it all—including their lives. But those who let go of their lives and surrender them to me will discover true life.

Matthew 16:25 TPT

25 For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep.

Matthew 6:33 NLT

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Righteosuness =

dikaiosynē

dh ee k eh aw s EEN ee

δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), ης 1. righteousness, what is right, justice; 2. be put right with, be in a right RELATIONSHIP with; 3. religious observances, act of righteousness, i.e., practices required by a religion.

This image is a scanned copy of Jim Elliot’s journal entry that he wrote over seventy years ago on October 28, 1949 which features the quote for which the martyred Christian missionary is most noted:

Oct 28 - One of the great blessings of Heaven is the

appreciation of heaven on earth — Ephesian truth.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain

that which we cannot lose. Luke 16:9

Scripture leaves so many stories untold. Think of the

calloused heart of the priest who stooped over, squinting in the dimness of the sanctuary, looking for the 80 pcs. of silver that Judas cast there, pausing to see if head found all 80. Too legal to put the money in the treasury since it was blood money, they wax very philanthropic and by with it a field to bury strangers in. How cold the heart of man! How feeling-less and obdurate!

ob·du·rate [ˈäbd(y)ərət] adjective stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Luke 16:9 (TPT)

9 It is important that you use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when this world fails and falls apart, your generosity will provide you with an eternal reward.

Luke 16:9 MSG

9 I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”

1 John 3:2 NLT

2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

1 John 3:24 TPT

24 For all who obey his commands find their lives joined in union with him, and he lives and flourishes in them. We know and have proof that he constantly lives and flourishes in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

1 John 3:19–20 TPT

19 We know that the truth lives within us because we demonstrate love in action, which will reassure our hearts in his presence. 20 Whenever our hearts make us feel guilty and remind us of our failures, we know that God is much greater and more merciful than our conscience, and he knows everything there is to know about us.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 TPT

4 Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Philippians 2:13 NLT

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2:13 TPT

13 God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him.