3 Things to Achieve God's Vision for Your Life - Part 3

IN THE past weeks, we have examined encounters with God and the posture of the heart.

Today, we are discussing the culture of Christ: his teachings and how he lived his life.

WHEN the Jewish leaders persecuted him for healing a man on the Sabbath and calling God his Father, he told them that “The Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way. (John 5:19)

He also told his disciples he was on earth to do his Father’s will (John 6:38-46). So, he had a sense of purpose—God was his priority.

WHATEVER Jesus did was knowledge-based; no wonder the apostles began to preach in his name when he returned to the Father.

And as they did, the high priest and his friends saw their boldness and perceived they were unlearned and uneducated men, but they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:1-13)

THE TEACHINGS of the world will separate you from Christ, and Christ's teachings will separate you from the world.

Paul puts it this way, “Be not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. (Romans 12:2)

So, when you conform to God’s image, you prove him right. When you obey his word, you experience his will.

And when you know what you're called to do, and do it, you walk with clarity of purpose.

THE APOSTLES walked in clarity of purpose when there were complaints about the Hellenistic widows not being served.

They said, "It was inappropriate for them to neglect [teaching] the word of God to serve tables."

They told the brethren to choose seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom they may put in charge of this task. (Acts 6:2-3)

IF I allow God's will for my life, there's a plane I cannot fly; that's the plane of my life.

John understood this when he said Jesus must increase, and he must decrease. (John 3:30-35)

Paul knew this and said, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

If I allow God’s will for my life, there's a plane I cannot fly; that's the plane of my life

THE culture of Christ is one led by Him.

Romans 8:14 says, “All who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

And as I follow him, I can be the head and not the tail, and be above, not beneath. (Deuteronomy 28:13)

When Israel followed him, they won their battles; when they disagreed with him, they lost them. (1 Samuel 4)

THE culture of Christ is one of unity. Can two walk together except they agree? (Amos 3:3)

People agreed at Babel and God confirmed that nothing could be held back from them. (Genesis 11:1-6)

The trinity agreed, so they said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

Whenever you agree with God, you echo his voice and nothing will be held back from you.

ONE REASON we do not see answers to our prayers is because we do not agree with him.

When the ten Hebrew spies returned and confessed that they saw giants and themselves as grasshoppers, they did not agree with God. So they couldn't possess the land. (Numbers 13)

YOU must see with the eyes of faith, so the kingdom's culture is faith.

Faith is the balance between the supernatural and the natural.

Mark 11:23 says, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].

Faith is the balance between the supernatural and the natural.

Final Thought

WE READ reviews and watch movie trailers, believing they'll be great.

However, despite reading God’s reviews in the scriptures and watching the testimonies of his goodness in people’s lives, we still struggle to trust Him.

If we want to experience the Glory of God and experience the beauty of God and be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the word of God - David Platt.