just_like

How? Why, Just Like Jesus,

Adapted from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio

"It is enough for the student to be like his teacher,

and the servant like his master."

Lesson Introduction

What this lesson teaches:

* Some important and yet very basic tenets of Christianity are put forth in this lesson: Obedience, imitating our Lord, and sanctification.

* We see a focus on the importance of the process of sanctification, and how much the Bible specifically points us to this work in our lives.

* The simple "plan" of Colossians 1:9-14 is examined to point out what God would have His saints do, in general terms, and how He has equipped us to do what He tells us to do.

Scripture references used:

* John 16:33; 17:17-26, Matthew 10:7,8,25: 18:14, 2 John 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Ephesians 4:24; 5:1,2, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Colossians 1:9-14; 3:10, Luke 15:24; 19:10, Ezekiel 34:16, Romans 8:19-22.

Discussion questions for study:

1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion?

2. God does give us "directions" to live our lives by, but does this lesson help in any way to clarify and simplify any of those "directions"?

3. Can you think of times when God was trying to give you "directions" for something in your life, and you didn't hear His voice, or you didn't heed His Word, but later you realized it was truly Him? Remember that feeling - it will help you to learn to discern His instructions.

4. Do any of the numerous passages regarding sanctification help you - for example, we are to be "imitators of God", or "we have the mind of Christ", or "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness"?

5. Can you see how inevitably, seeking the lost will be woven into your life by our Lord? That was what He came to us to do!

6. There is a connection between Colossians 1:9-14 and Jesus' passionate prayer for us in John 17:17-26. Can you see how much our Lord wants us to be like Him and with Him and the Father? Isn't it cool?!?

STEP 1 - "FOLLOW DIRECTIONS":

You may be new in the Lord, or you may be a veteran, but there is a far-too-likely chance that you do not have a clear picture of what you are supposed to do. Let's begin with the basics. First, you're a Christian, a believer, a follower of Jesus, a child of God (If you already feel like you've boarded the wrong plane to the wrong destination, then pitch this lesson in the trash, go back into the world, and have fun contemplating what hell will be like - and write when you get there). For all of you who are still with us, let's continue. Whether you're "new" or "spiritually dusty", you should be asking - "What am I supposed to do?" For starters, we should be looking to our Savior to do what He says - to obey Him!

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

So we must obey Jesus, and walk as He did, in love. That means we live our lives as He did (walk = live like). Showing love for His followers and showing loving obedience for His Heavenly Father's commands.

STEP 2 - "WHAT DIRECTIONS?":

The next question is this; what are His commands? How does a Christian find out exactly what they are to do? EASY! There are 2 eternal sources of information that are more effective than the internet. 1) The BIBLE. God's Word, His Will and His instructions. 2) The Holy Spirit. He speaks to us as we are reading the Word, as we pray, as we wait on Him, and throughout all our days and nights. The problem is, we don't hear Him so well.

OUR SPIRITUAL OCCUPATION - IMITATE THE BOSS:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified . . . .

Sanctified here means holy, pure, blameless, sacred, a SAINT! That's how God wants us to be. He wants us to be like His Son Jesus. He wants us to imitate Him in ALL things.

Ephesians 5:1, 2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children {2} and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Ephesians 4:24 And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

It is clear then, that God's will is for us to be sanctified. All He wants is for us to be more and more like His Son Jesus. Can you see how Christianity is basically SIMPLE in concept, but DIFFICULT in practice? OK then, we need to "do it like Jesus." What
would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? Read on . . . .

STEP 3 - LOST AND FOUND - WHAT JESUS DID:

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

OK, So what was lost? Let's see . . . .

Ezekiel 34:16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak . . .

Matthew 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Luke 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.

As you can see, we, mankind, are what is "lost". When God created our earth, He gave man (Adam and Eve) the responsibility to care for it. Well, as you know by now, they blew it. As a result, man has lost the deed to this planet (that statement implies - SIN !), and God, in His eternally fair, holy and righteous manner, has said that ONLY a man can "legally" recover it again from it's groanings and frustrations and futility (read Romans 8:19-22). That's why Jesus came as a man, as the Son of Man!

ARE YOU GETTING THE PICTURE?! LET'S REVIEW.

We must first realize that we have to obey God. That means that we love Him and want to do His will. His will for us is to "be like Jesus" in all things, meaning that we will do what Jesus did.

Jesus' main job was to save the lost. That was His ONLY job. He preached that the "Kingdom of Heaven is near", and He instructed His disciples to do the same.

Matthew 10:7, 8 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' {8} Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Basically He told His disciples to: 1) Preach of God's Kingdom, and 2) Show God's power. This was the "secret method" they were to use. They were to do all this in order to GLORIFY GOD IN ALL THINGS. That is what we call "bearing fruit".

STEP 4 - THE PLAN, THE PLAN:

Paul's prayer to the church he started at Colosse sums up this whole scenario quite nicely. It goes something like this . . . . well, it goes exactly like this . . . .

Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. {10} And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, {11} being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully {12} giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. {13} For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, {14} in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

First, we need to understand what God's will is (verse 9). Once we get a clearer vision of what His will is, we will realize that we have been enabled to bear fruit for His Kingdom (verse 10). Next we see that in order to continue, we need to acquire more of His knowledge every day (verse 10). We also need to utilize His power (not ours!) and His strength (verse 11) which will allow us to endure all things with patience (verse 11). Oh yeah, we must NEVER NEVER forget to joyfully thank Him (verses 11 and 12) in all things.

"But as a Christian, I've led a really tough and painful life. What do I need to thank God for anyway? I mean, what do I have to show for my decision to live as a disciple of Jesus?"

Glad you asked. Read verses 12, 13 and 14 above. You are, as a Christian, a Saint, a Child of the King, a Child of God, fully qualified to share in Jesus' inheritance of His Kingdom of Light! There's even more than that, because if you weren't an heir, a sharing relative, then the only other place of residence in the life after this one is the dominion of darkness (guess where that is?). Now, even though your life may be difficult, compared with eternity, it's not so bad is it? Eternity is a very long time - longer even than the bowling season ! It's well worth everything this world can throw at you. Yes, life is often tough, as Jesus warned us, but He also gives us eternally strengthening hope.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

There it is in a nutshell! Have you got it? Are there any questions? Oh, to be sure, there is an infinite amount more to learn and know, but the basics are, as usual, SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY. Jesus prayed that we would so closely imitate Him, that we would be as one with Him as He is with God - The Father. Listen to a portion of His prayer to God for Us:

John 17:17-26 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. {18} As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. {19} For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. {20} My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, {21} that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. {22} I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: {23} I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. {24} Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. {25} Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. {26} I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

Can you see Jesus' desires in this prayer? He wants us to be sanctified so badly, He mentions it 3 times in verses 17-19. And He is praying, not just for His disciples of that day, but of His disciples yet to be (verses 20 and 21), that's us!

Remember this: When you encounter ANY situation, ANYTHING

AT ALL that you don't know how to handle, just think . . . .

How do I do this? Why, I'll do it 'Just like Jesus'

. . . . and to do that you must begin on your knees.




	How? Why, Just Like Jesus, That's How! Adapted from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio




"It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master." Matthew 10:25 Lesson Introduction What this lesson teaches: * Some important and yet very basic tenets of Christianity are put forth in this lesson: Obedience, imitating our Lord, and sanctification. * We see a focus on the importance of the process of sanctification, and how much the Bible specifically points us to this work in our lives. * The simple "plan" of Colossians 1:9-14 is examined to point out what God would have His saints do, in general terms, and how He has equipped us to do what He tells us to do. Scripture references used: * John 16:33; 17:17-26, Matthew 10:7,8,25: 18:14, 2 John 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Ephesians 4:24; 5:1,2, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Colossians 1:9-14; 3:10, Luke 15:24; 19:10, Ezekiel 34:16, Romans 8:19-22. Discussion questions for study: 1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion? 2. God does give us "directions" to live our lives by, but does this lesson help in any way to clarify and simplify any of those "directions"? 3. Can you think of times when God was trying to give you "directions" for something in your life, and you didn't hear His voice, or you didn't heed His Word, but later you realized it was truly Him? Remember that feeling - it will help you to learn to discern His instructions. 4. Do any of the numerous passages regarding sanctification help you - for example, we are to be "imitators of God", or "we have the mind of Christ", or "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness"? 5. Can you see how inevitably, seeking the lost will be woven into your life by our Lord? That was what He came to us to do! 6. There is a connection between Colossians 1:9-14 and Jesus' passionate prayer for us in John 17:17-26. Can you see how much our Lord wants us to be like Him and with Him and the Father? Isn't it cool?!?



STEP 1 - "FOLLOW DIRECTIONS": You may be new in the Lord, or you may be a veteran, but there is a far-too-likely chance that you do not have a clear picture of what you are supposed to do. Let's begin with the basics. First, you're a Christian, a believer, a follower of Jesus, a child of God (If you already feel like you've boarded the wrong plane to the wrong destination, then pitch this lesson in the trash, go back into the world, and have fun contemplating what hell will be like - and write when you get there). For all of you who are still with us, let's continue. Whether you're "new" or "spiritually dusty", you should be asking - "What am I supposed to do?" For starters, we should be looking to our Savior to do what He says - to obey Him! And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2 John 1:6 So we must obey Jesus, and walk as He did, in love. That means we live our lives as He did (walk = live like). Showing love for His followers and showing loving obedience for His Heavenly Father's commands. STEP 2 - "WHAT DIRECTIONS?": The next question is this; what are His commands? How does a Christian find out exactly what they are to do? EASY! There are 2 eternal sources of information that are more effective than the internet. 1) The BIBLE. God's Word, His Will and His instructions. 2) The Holy Spirit. He speaks to us as we are reading the Word, as we pray, as we wait on Him, and throughout all our days and nights. The problem is, we don't hear Him so well. OUR SPIRITUAL OCCUPATION - IMITATE THE BOSS: 1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified . . . . Sanctified here means holy, pure, blameless, sacred, a SAINT! That's how God wants us to be. He wants us to be like His Son Jesus. He wants us to imitate Him in ALL things. Ephesians 5:1, 2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children {2} and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. and . . 1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. and . . Ephesians 4:24 And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. and . . Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. It is clear then, that God's will is for us to be sanctified. All He wants is for us to be more and more like His Son Jesus. Can you see how Christianity is basically SIMPLE in concept, but DIFFICULT in practice? OK then, we need to "do it like Jesus." What would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? Read on . . . . STEP 3 - LOST AND FOUND - WHAT JESUS DID: Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. OK, So what was lost? Let's see . . . . Ezekiel 34:16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak . . . Matthew 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Luke 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. As you can see, we, mankind, are what is "lost". When God created our earth, He gave man (Adam and Eve) the responsibility to care for it. Well, as you know by now, they blew it. As a result, man has lost the deed to this planet (that statement implies - SIN !), and God, in His eternally fair, holy and righteous manner, has said that ONLY a man can "legally" recover it again from it's groanings and frustrations and futility (read Romans 8:19-22). That's why Jesus came as a man, as the Son of Man!

ARE YOU GETTING THE PICTURE?! LET'S REVIEW. We must first realize that we have to obey God. That means that we love Him and want to do His will. His will for us is to "be like Jesus" in all things, meaning that we will do what Jesus did. Jesus' main job was to save the lost. That was His ONLY job. He preached that the "Kingdom of Heaven is near", and He instructed His disciples to do the same. Matthew 10:7, 8 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' {8} Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Basically He told His disciples to: 1) Preach of God's Kingdom, and 2) Show God's power. This was the "secret method" they were to use. They were to do all this in order to GLORIFY GOD IN ALL THINGS. That is what we call "bearing fruit". STEP 4 - THE PLAN, THE PLAN: Paul's prayer to the church he started at Colosse sums up this whole scenario quite nicely. It goes something like this . . . . well, it goes exactly like this . . . . Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. {10} And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, {11} being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully {12} giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. {13} For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, {14} in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. First, we need to understand what God's will is (verse 9). Once we get a clearer vision of what His will is, we will realize that we have been enabled to bear fruit for His Kingdom (verse 10). Next we see that in order to continue, we need to acquire more of His knowledge every day (verse 10). We also need to utilize His power (not ours!) and His strength (verse 11) which will allow us to endure all things with patience (verse 11). Oh yeah, we must NEVER NEVER forget to joyfully thank Him (verses 11 and 12) in all things. "But as a Christian, I've led a really tough and painful life. What do I need to thank God for anyway? I mean, what do I have to show for my decision to live as a disciple of Jesus?" Glad you asked. Read verses 12, 13 and 14 above. You are, as a Christian, a Saint, a Child of the King, a Child of God, fully qualified to share in Jesus' inheritance of His Kingdom of Light! There's even more than that, because if you weren't an heir, a sharing relative, then the only other place of residence in the life after this one is the dominion of darkness (guess where that is?). Now, even though your life may be difficult, compared with eternity, it's not so bad is it? Eternity is a very long time - longer even than the bowling season ! It's well worth everything this world can throw at you. Yes, life is often tough, as Jesus warned us, but He also gives us eternally strengthening hope. John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." There it is in a nutshell! Have you got it? Are there any questions? Oh, to be sure, there is an infinite amount more to learn and know, but the basics are, as usual, SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY. Jesus prayed that we would so closely imitate Him, that we would be as one with Him as He is with God - The Father. Listen to a portion of His prayer to God for Us: John 17:17-26 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. {18} As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. {19} For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. {20} My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, {21} that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. {22} I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: {23} I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. {24} Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. {25} Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. {26} I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. Can you see Jesus' desires in this prayer? He wants us to be sanctified so badly, He mentions it 3 times in verses 17-19. And He is praying, not just for His disciples of that day, but of His disciples yet to be (verses 20 and 21), that's us! Remember this: When you encounter ANY situation, ANYTHING AT ALL that you don't know how to handle, just think . . . . How do I do this? Why, I'll do it 'Just like Jesus' . . . . and to do that you must begin on your knees.

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