Discipleship Week

Wow! We're entering God's THIRD PURPOSE for our lives this week: DISCIPLESHIP!! If you haven't done so, check out the other blog @ http://deaf40.blogspot.com.

Allow me to share Rick Warren's comments in connection with our study on Discipleship which will begin tomorrow morning!

You were planned for God’s pleasure: That’s called worship.
And you were formed for a family, that’s called fellowship.
Here’s the third reason God made you: you were created to be like Christ, that’s called discipleship.

God made you to transform you into a likeness of his son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Romans 8:29, “From the very beginning, that those who came to him, and all along He knows who would, should become like His son, so that His son would be the first of many brothers.” Now this is not God’s new plan B. It’s been God’s plan from the very beginning of time.
God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. He’s far more interested in your being than in your doing. A lot of people ask, “What is God’s will for my life in my job or my career?” Do you know what - you could probably have 2 dozen different careers and God would say that’s fine. God is more interested in your character, and I’ll tell you why - you’re not taking your career into eternity, but you are taking your character.

So God’s goal here on earth is more about what you become than what you do because it’s what you become that you take into heaven. One of the biggest questions we ask ourselves over and over is, “Why is this happening to me? Why did this happen? Why do I have this problem in my life?” The answer is always the same, if you’re a believer.

To make you like Jesus.

If God is going to make you like Jesus Christ, then He’s going to take you through everything Jesus went through:

Was there anytime when Jesus was lonely? Yes.
Was there anytime when Jesus was tempted? Yes.
Was there anytime when Jesus was unpopular? Yes.
Misunderstood? Yes.
Criticized? Yes.
Went without basic needs? Yes.
Was there ever a time in Jesus’ life when things did not make his life comfortable? Absolutely.
Why do you think God would spare you those things? The Bible says Jesus learned obedience through suffering. The Bible says in Hebrews, that Jesus was made perfect – mature - through suffering. What makes you think you’d be any different? What makes you think God would spare you from something He did not spare His own Son from?

If He’s going to make you like Christ, He’s going to take you through everything Jesus went through. God produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life by putting you in the exact opposite situation.

If God wants to teach you real love, does He put you around a bunch of lovely people just like you? No, if God wants to teach you real love, He’s going to put you around some unlovely people. It’s easy to love people like you. You like yourself.
How does God teach you peace? You’re sitting at home when everything’s perfect and the kids are quiet, and you’re making a lot of money? No. He puts you in a traffic jam. Peace is learned in chaos, in a crisis.

How about patience? God puts you in lines. Ever been to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)? That’s the number one way God makes you more patient.

There is no problem you can’t grow from if you’ll learn the right response. You become like Jesus. This is God’s third purpose for your life. Becoming like Christ is called discipleship.