BELIEVE Review Part 2

May 11, 2016
Jeff Lampl

 In Part 2 of BELIEVE, we learned the following 10 things about what I am supposed to do as a believer . . . . . .

God has made us with the goal of forming us into the image of Jesus.   This requires the formation of new habits which rewire our brains into a new kind of creature, a creature like Jesus.

1.    We are told to worship God.  Worship means to live in gratitude to God and in praise of God for who He has revealed himself to be.   Worship requires a shift – from living so that I am noticed to living so that God is noticed and loved.   (Psalm 95:1,2) (Romans 12:1-2)

  

2.    We are told to pray.  Prayer is what happens when believers are in an interactive relationship with God.   It includes attentiveness to God’s promptings, trust and obedience, asking for help, apologies, appreciation, talking with God, each of which are aspects of a heathy life-giving relationship with God. (Psalm 66:18-20)

3.    We are told to study the Bible.  The Bible is the record of the work of God on planet earth written by over 40 people over 1,400 years.   It teaches, instructs, warns, shapes us, grows us, so that we grow into the image of Jesus.   Bible reading may have the most significant formative effect in growing Christ-like character within believers. (Hebrews 4:12)

4.    We are told to be single-minded.  It is a great truth that when we put first things first (God), second things (all other good things) will be “thrown in”.  When we put second things first, we miss not only the first thing, but the second things as well.  (Matt. 6:33)

5.    We are told to surrender unreservedly  This means that we tell God that whatever He wants from me, He can have, and that, as much as it is possible, we mean what we say.   I am willing to surrender everything, because I know that God will replace it with something unimaginably better.   (Luke 22:47)

6.    We are told that we must be in biblical community.   This means committing to a vulnerable, honest, growing relationship with other believers, with whom and through whom God grows us up.   Without this we will not grow.   This is the foundational meaning being in a church, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, where we learn the meaning of “koinonia”, “one-anothering” (Acts 2:42-47)

7.    We are told that each of has a spiritual gift and that we must use it for sake of others.   A spiritual gift is a special ability (1 Cor. 12, Romans 12) given to each one of us.   You may not feel you are gifted, but you are and you are responsible to God for its use. (1 Corinthians 12)

8.    We are told to offer our time to God.  Each believer must take the 24 hours given her or him, view it all as an offering to God, and steward it wisely.  This will include time for your children, spouse, colleagues, those in need.   Sometimes it will mean saying “no”, other times it will be mean saying yes to very hard things.   Your time is not yours, it is a gift granted you from God.  (Colossians 3:17)

9.    We are told to give from our resources.   The Bible tells us that all we have is all gift.   As such our income and material possessions belong to God.  That’s the starting point for Christian giving.  From there we learn to live on less and learn to give more for the sake of others.  The biblical guideline is to give one tenth of one’s income to the local church and then increase giving beyond that to other areas of the world’s need.
(2 Corinthians 8:7)

10. We are told to share our faith.  God came to earth as Jesus to show us what He is like - and to show us how much he cares by dying on the cross – and to show us that he is now alive and well and reigning over the earth.   The world needs to know this.  Your friends need to know this.   God expects us to tell them about this.   In fact each of us carries the burden of the future destiny of other people.  Each of us is to some degree responsible for our neighbor either living a flourishing eternal future with God, or living an eternal regretful horror apart from God.   God expects us to take this reality with utmost seriousness.  (Ephesians 6:19-20)

Note:   You can read Believe Part 1 summary here.  Believe Part 3 summary will be posted on Friday.

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