Week 3 - Day 1
THE MISSION
Show
JESUS’ CHARACTER (1)
DAILY DIRECTIONS
Use a sentence or bullet points to finish these statements.
UP - Lift Up Your Praise
Lord, I praise You for …
DOWN - Bow Down In Repentance
Lord, I repent of …
IN - Take In God’s Word
As we move on to focus on how to SHOW the character and the compassion of Jesus, don’t forget to keep praying for the people in your circle of influence, especially YOUR 3.
Hands down, our greatest witness for Jesus Christ is a changed life. When Jesus rescues us out of darkness and transfers us into His Light, we become like neon signs of His Kingdom power. When the Spirit makes us new creations in Christ so that the old is gone and the new has come, we become like walking billboards of God's amazing grace.
So the question is, How can we best SHOW this life-change? How can we best SHOW the reality of Jesus in our lives? By displaying within our circle of influence …
The character of Jesus
The compassion of Jesus.
Today and tomorrow, we’ll look at the character of Jesus and then we’ll look at the compassion of Jesus.
Galatians 5:13-25 (CSB)
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things 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. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Romans 13:14 (NIV)
Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
THE WORKS OF THE FLESH
What are the works of the flesh?
The flesh here can be thought of as our sinful rebellion and our selfish desires. The works of the flesh, then, are the attitudes and actions of sin within.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
What are the fruit of the Spirit?
The fruit of the Spirit really is the character of Christ. That’s because Jesus is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is to reproduce the character qualities of Jesus in the believer.
When people are used to seeing the works of the flesh in your life, what happens when they start to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life instead?
Why do you think that Paul uses the image of fruit to describe how Christlikeness develops in our lives?
The good thing about fruit is that it grows. Fruit, of course, doesn’t start off fully mature. It starts as a bud, then it becomes a flower. As it matures the fruit appears and finally it is picked when it’s ripe. The Christian life, then, isn’t about perfection, but progress. It’s about growing in the character of Christ through the help of the Holy Spirit.
CRUCIFYING THE FLESH AND MATURING THE FRUIT
Galatians 5:24-25 (CSB)
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Romans 8:12-13 (CSB)
So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
As believers, sin still remains in our lives, but by God’s grace we don’t have to let sin reign over our lives anymore. Through the Holy Spirit, we can kill our fleshly desires and mature in the fruit of the Spirit and the character of Christ.
Why is Christlike holiness an essential part of our mission?
Which work of the flesh do you struggle with the most?
How can your group help you kill this fleshly desire and walk by the Spirit?
Think of your circle of influence (where you live, learn, work and play). Especially, think of YOUR 3. Which fruit of the Spirit would be good for you to focus on so they might see a greater reflection of Jesus in your life?
If you display some work of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit, why is apologizing for that to those around you such a powerful witness to the reality of Jesus in your life?
Whom do you need to apologize to?
Alan Hirsch
Jesus’ strategy is to get a whole lot of little versions of him infiltrating every nook and cranny of society by reproducing himself in and through his people. In short, his aim is to fill the world with lots of “little Jesuses”—an active Christlike presence in every neighborhood and sphere of life. This is the Conspiracy of Little Jesus (Forgotten Ways).
What is your reaction to this quote?
Lord, I hear You saying to me …
Now, with Your help I will …
OUT - Pray Out Your Requests
Lord, I pray for …
STOP - Stop, Look and Listen
Lord, what do You want to show me or say to me?
GO - Go Through Your Day
Lord, I pray for Your help as I anticipate these events today …