Jesus Challenge:
Are you willing to work to create opportunities to share your faith with those who don't know Jesus? Discuss as a cell how you can make opportunities to invite those who don't know Christ and share Jesus with them. This might look like hosting some kind of event as a cell and inviting your unbelieving friends or family along. Plan it out and put it into action!
Read: John 3:31-36, 1 John 1:5-2:6
There is an old saying that says "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." The ideas is this: that to know whether a pudding is good or not, you have to eat it! It's only as you taste and eat the pudding that you can see whether or not it is properly cooked and tastes good.
It is the same for us as followers of Jesus. For us, the proof of the pudding really is in the eating. That is, only our actions, the result of our faith, can truly prove whether or not we are in Christ. As we examine Matthew 7:13-14 this week we do well to as the question: are we on the narrow road or the wide road? Or, how do we know that we are in Christ?
These two passages show us how we can know that Christ is at work in our lives and that we are saved in Him. Firstly notice the promise in John 3: "Whoever believes in the son has eternal life." What a promise! If we truly believe and have faith in Christ God has promised that we will have eternal life through Him! Hallelujah! We can take God at His promise and know that if we believe in Christ we have salvation in Him.
But believing in Christ is not merely intellectual assent (read James 2:14-26 if you want to know more), real faith in Jesus results in action. John puts it like this in 1 John: "The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
Do you have faith in what Christ has done on your behalf? Can you see how the Holy Spirit is working in your life, changing you to be more like Jesus and helping you to obey His commands? It is easy to become discouraged and lose hope that the Holy Spirit is working in us when we are judging ourselves against God's perfect standard. Just because we aren't perfect though doesn't mean that God isn't working in us or that we don't truly have faith in Christ. 1 John 2:1 gives us hope for those occasions when we still fall. Instead we should look at the way the Holy Spirit has already been working in our lives. Can you see sins in your life which were once major struggles which are no longer a problem for you? Can you see the way the Holy Spirit has been working? Once we realise that God is working in us we can turn our face again to God's perfect standard and continue striving for it with the knowledge that, although we haven't arrived yet, God is working in us.
If you can't see God working in your life today is the day to talk to your pastor or one of the elders about it. Today is the day to repent of your sins and turn to faith in Christ. Today is the day to invite the Holy Spirit to begin the work of changing you to be more like Him. Call your pastor or one of the elders now to make a time to talk with them about faith in Jesus. You'll be glad you did!
Prayer:
Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Praise God for the work that He is doing in your hear to change you to be more like Christ. Pray that God would grow in you a passionate desire to live a holy life for Him. Pray that all those in the congregation would be seeking after God with their whole hearts and allowing Him to work in their lives.
¥ Pray for the Presbyterian church of South Toowoomba. Pray that God would uphold the current elders and leaders as they seek a new minister to fill the vacancy. Pray that God would raise up people to do the work which needs to be done and that each person would be using their gifts to edify and bless the body of Christ.
Discussion Questions For Families and Groups
1. Often we struggle with doubts about our salvation and about what Christ has done for us. Based on these passages what should you remember next time you struggle with doubt?
2. Imagine than another cell member comes to you struggling with doubt about their salvation. What would you say to encourage them?
No comments:
Post a Comment