Now What?
Hebrews 10:25
We had a great Resurrection Sunday. Great service, great breakfast, great day. But most importantly, we had great commitments to Christ. Great salvations, great beginnings, and if you are one who received Jesus Christ into your life on Resurrection Sunday – welcome to the family of God!
John 1:12 (ESV)
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
“To receive” means to “give access” to your life
“To believe” means to “put your full faith and trust in”
And so, if you put your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sin and received him into your life… then you have become a child of God – adopted into God’s family for eternity. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ and receiving him into your life is the best eternal decision you will ever make, and to know you are now a child of God is the best eternal news you will ever get.
But we like to say around here – now what? We have a real concern that we don’t see anywhere in the Bible where people just get to come forward, repeat a prayer, and then go on living like they were living before. That’s really unbiblical. Salvation is a permanent deal. Following Christ is actually a permanent deal. It’s not a one-time shot, it really is an eternal commitment. You make the commitment once, and then you carry that commitment your whole life.
You’ve made your commitment of faith. You’ve received Jesus Christ into your life… now what? And the answer to the “now what?” question is found in the real reason Jesus died for you on the Cross. Jesus Christ didn’t die (and pay the full penalty for your sin) in order to give you a fire insurance policy or to become a good luck charm for you to pull out occasionally. Jesus died for you to restore you to a right relationship with God, that’s what our Resurrection message was about. And so, today, I’d like to talk about how you can begin an incredible, supernatural, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The first thing you’ve got to know about following Jesus is:
1). There are NO SOLO MISSIONS!
You must get connected with other strong Christians. Do you know why the health club industry is a billion-dollar industry? Nine out of ten people cannot keep up an exercise routine alone. And so, they join a gym where they can work out together with other people who are striving for the same goal. They need the motivation and the accountability of exercising “in relationship with other people” and it is exactly the same when we commit our lives to follow Jesus Christ.
If you’ve ever been part of the military, you know the first thing they do is break your independence and make you dependent on one another.
You learn to
trust one another
depend on one another
be there for one another – no matter what.
And that commitment to one another is a huge part of what makes soldiers victorious in battle. There are no solo missions in battle and if we understood that we are in an even greater battle than our soldiers face, then we would understand why the Bible teaches us there are no solo missions in serving the Lord.
All through the Bible, we see God using committed relationships between Believers to bring about spiritual growth. Moses trained up Joshua, and he had Aaron before. Naomi had Ruth. Elijah had Elisha. Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) had Mary (the mother of Jesus). Jesus had the twelve Disciples, and especially the “inner three.” Barnabas actually brought Paul in. Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, but without Barnabas, Paul would have been nothing. Paul had Timothy and Titus and so many people. All through the Bible, we see relationships being at the very core of spiritual growth. It’s the same for you. If you’re a new Christian, if you’re an old Christian, hear this – you must have someone else to follow Jesus with. You must.
The enemy is an excellent sniper and he will pick you off. Because your mind is so influenced by your flesh and by the world, that if you don’t have someone else saying, “Hey do you realize that is totally anti-Christian? Do you see what you’re doing here is destructive?” You’ve got to have someone to say that to you.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 (in the Amplified Bible which takes the original language and expands it with the definitions of the original),
1 Corinthians 11:1 (AMP)
1 PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
Paul is saying (simply), follow me as I follow Christ. Watch my example and do what I do. (You’ve got to be careful sometimes in real life because not all Christians are ones you want to be influenced by. These are the Christians to avoid: The Criticizer. The Backbiter. The Slanderer. RUN! It’s critical to leave these people who are creating divisiveness and discord.) And so, the number one answer to the “Now What?” question is… find some people who are truly following Jesus, then join them as they follow Christ (build relationships).
Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
We can’t follow Jesus on our own – none of us can. And listen, all these truths today are just as much for you “mature” followers too. And by the way, if you cannot immediately name the person (or people) you are specifically helping follow Jesus, you might need to really consider the command of your Lord for you (personally) to be making disciples.
So, first, there are no solo missions. If you don’t build some strong relationships with mature Christians, you’ll get picked off by the enemy.
1). There are no solo missions
2). Develop a QUIET TIME with God
You’ve got to develop a real relationship with Jesus right away so he can begin changing your heart – right away.
Let’s look at Luke Chapter 8, where Jesus is telling a parable to a large crowd. A parable is a story meant to make one main point (by illustration), and the main point of this parable is to convey how critical the condition of your heart is in order to receive the Word of God.
Luke 8:4-8 (ESV)
4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,
It’s a large crowd – Jesus wanted to explain what was going to separate the people, so he tells a parable.
5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Most often when Jesus taught in parables, he left his hearers to figure out the main point he was teaching. And when God is not that worked up about whether it’s clear or not, he allows it to be unclear. And when he wants you not to understand something, he writes it as a mystery. Here’s my big encouragement to you: hold on to the stuff that’s really clear, and don’t get hung up on the stuff that’s not. But this subject was far too critical, so Jesus explains the parable so that we don’t miss it.
Luke 8:11-15 (ESV)
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
That’s what you heard when you chose to believe.
12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
They heard the Word – but they didn’t respond. They didn’t spiritually receive it.
13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
They receive God’s Word with joy but they have no roots, so as soon as the heat of trial comes, they fall away.
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
They receive God’s Word – but notice – they go on their way and their life with God is choked out by the things of this world.
15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
These make their hearts ready for God’s Word. They hold fast to it and their lives are eternally changed.
What’s the main point, Jesus? We must prepare our hearts, or this world or the enemy will snatch away, burn up, or choke out the incredible life God has for us. So, let’s talk about how the soil of our hard hearts is broken up so that the Word of God can come alive in us.
It’s all about spending real time with Jesus! The more you know Jesus the more access you give him to your life… the more supernatural, transforming power he’ll bring. So, we have to learn how to know him more and how to give him more access to our lives. The number one way to learn how to give Jesus access to your life? Get a “discipler” to teach you. To say, “I need to figure out how to do this. Can you show me how to do this? Is there a small group? Is there a Bible study? Can I sit down with someone? I’ve got to practice this.” And here is where that transforming relationship occurs. We call it quiet time.
The purpose of creating a regular quiet time is for us to meet the Lord in such a way that his Word and his Spirit noticeably transform our lives.
It’s about setting aside a time on a regular basis where we get alone with God and get real with God. It’s a time where we experience a real relationship with God meeting with him, talking to him, hearing him in his Word. If I spend thirty minutes with the Lord in the morning, when situations come up during the day, I am more likely to respond in the way the Lord has spoken to me. I get so full of Jesus that it actually changes me.
Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God …
And that’s what quiet time does for us. It allows us to slow down, meet with God, hear from God, and know that God IS God. But carving out quiet time in our not-so-quiet world takes a serious commitment – doesn’t it? But it’s not just our not-so-quiet world. The Psalmists in the Old Testament had the same problem.
Psalm 119:147-148 (NLT)
147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.
The Psalmists had the same time constraints you and I have. So, they got up early and stayed awake late, and Jesus himself did the same thing. All through the Gospels, we see Jesus slipping away early in the morning or late at night to get some quiet time with the Father. Jesus couldn’t survive this world without a dedicated quiet time with the Father, and if Jesus couldn’t, we certainly can’t.
Now, this takes some real help for you to learn how to do this on your own. But this is where the soil of your heart is turned up and made ready for God to truly transform your life. So, you can’t just “blow it off” – you can’t say, “Well, I’m coming to church, that’s okay, isn’t it?” Actually, no. Just coming to church is not okay.
As Greg Laurie says, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a cheeseburger.”
What makes you a Christian is the life of Jesus Christ transforming you from the inside out, and that is what a dedicated quiet time with the Lord will do. You do it by spending time with the Lord, so much so, that your life is crucified and his life comes alive in you.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. F or this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As we spend time beholding the glory of the Lord we are transformed into his image from glory to glory by the power of the Holy Spirit. We just have to make time to be with him (behold him).
Again, this takes some serious help so you’ve got to find another Christian who will help you learn how to do this.
And when you do begin to get that quiet time with God, what you’ll be focused on is God’s Word and prayer. But remember, the purpose of your quiet time is for you to get to know God better, intimately, powerfully. And so, never allow your quiet time to become some kind of checklist requirement. Make sure it is increasing your real relationship with the Lord.
So, let’s talk briefly about God’s Word in your quiet time, and I know I just said it, but please hear it again. When you pick up God’s Word in your quiet time, your goal is to get to know God. It’s not to read a certain amount or check off a list. It’s to hear from God – in his Word.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
You’ve got to allow the Word of God to BE what it IS and DO what it does. God’s Word will speak to you, it will pierce you. It will uncover the thoughts and intentions of your heart (let it).
There are two basic ways to approach God’s Word
1). “The Big Picture” approach
2). “The Surgical Knife” approach
They’re both good, and the Bible should be used in both ways. The big picture approach is reading full books (full stories) and getting to know God in the big picture. The normal suggestion is to read the Book of John, and that’s always a great suggestion.
But lately, I’ve been encouraging beginning with the Life of Jesus in all four Gospels put together. If you made a commitment to Christ here last Sunday, you were given a small book called, “The Story of Jesus” This book is actually scripture (from NIV) putting all four gospels together and using some paraphrase “transitions” to keep the story-line going. It’s a wonderful way to get to know “The Life of Jesus” as one seamless story. I recommend it very highly for young and old believers alike, along with reading whole books of the Bible out of an easy-to-read translation like the NLT. But remember as you’re reading, the goal is real interaction with God, not just casual reading.
So that’s the “big picture” intake of God’s Word. But you also need some “surgical knife” God’s Word too. For that, we have incredible resources. We are really big on the surgical knife use of God’s Word. Over the years, we’ve developed what we call the “Daily Devotion Journal” and God will blow your mind with it (if you’ll use it). You can get all the information and download the Daily Devotion Journal on our website, calvarynuevo.org on the home page, or at the WordByMail phone app. (Search WordByMail in your app store.)
But again, the Daily Devotion Journal generally requires someone to come alongside you and help you get started. But that’s the point, anyway. You need someone to come alongside of you and help you get started. That’s called Discipleship.
The Devotion Journals lead you through three steps with God’s Word
1). Meditate
2). Apply
3). Respond
We have Scripture By Topic that you can access on our website or phone app as well, with surgical scriptures for each topic.
If you have a smartphone, download the WordByMail phone app on iOS or Android. Not only are most of our Bible messages on there, but we also have the surgical Word of God there. Under resources, “Scripture By Topic” currently there are nineteen topics. God’s Word is the most powerful tool we have to transform our lives. But we have to learn how to absorb it, how to use it, and for that, we need someone to “disciple us” – we call this person a “discipler.”
So, we’ve talked about
1). No Solo Missions – we need to be discipled
2). Develop a Quiet Time with God – where we meet God in his Word…
And also, where we meet God in prayer. And meeting God in prayer has the same prerequisite as meeting God in his Word. You really need to get around someone who can teach you how to meet God in prayer. We have a prayer ministry that meets, and they’re here on Sundays after service. Please contact us, and we will connect you, and so, I encourage you to learn from them how to really meet God in prayer.
Now, I don’t mean to not give prayer its due time. We just can’t do it all in one message. So, allow me to encourage you with some homework.
Listen to our series called, “The Fundamentals” This is a seven-message series that goes into detail regarding what we’re talking about today. you can find this series on the WordByMail phone app, or on the website at WordByMail.com under "Teachings."
I would also really encourage the “Discipleship 100” series which is eight foundational messages about following Jesus.
So, to answer the question, “Now what?” with the limited time we have here today…
1). No Solo Missions – get connected to some strong believers, get into a Small Group
2). Develop a Quiet Time with God – that involves God’s Word and prayer, get discipleship for this
The only other thing I would slip in is you can’t follow Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit. Search for the message, “Have You Received The Holy Spirit” on either of the websites or the phone app.
And just understand this. The life of Jesus Christ in you is a supernatural life. This is not religion or man’s way to clean ourselves up. This is the supernatural life of God in us, and that supernatural power is the Person of the Holy Spirit. So, just begin to desire the supernatural power of God in your life and you’ll get to know the Holy Spirit soon enough.
Alright, we’re going to take communion right now. Communion is one of only two “ordinances” that Jesus directly gave the Church. Communion is one, and Baptism is the other one. These are the only two things Jesus told us directly to do. If you haven’t been Baptized, contact us, and we’ll get you into a Baptism class and then we’ll baptize you.
Jesus instituted Communion on the night of the Last Supper as a way for us to remember the sacrifice required for the forgiveness of our sins. As we pass out the Bread and Cup, they symbolize the broken body and the shed blood of our Savior, and I’d ask you to reflect on what it cost God in order to forgive your sin.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
John 1:12 (ESV)
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
“To receive” means to “give access” to your life
“To believe” means to “put your full faith and trust in”
And so, if you put your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sin and received him into your life… then you have become a child of God – adopted into God’s family for eternity. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ and receiving him into your life is the best eternal decision you will ever make, and to know you are now a child of God is the best eternal news you will ever get.
But we like to say around here – now what? We have a real concern that we don’t see anywhere in the Bible where people just get to come forward, repeat a prayer, and then go on living like they were living before. That’s really unbiblical. Salvation is a permanent deal. Following Christ is actually a permanent deal. It’s not a one-time shot, it really is an eternal commitment. You make the commitment once, and then you carry that commitment your whole life.
You’ve made your commitment of faith. You’ve received Jesus Christ into your life… now what? And the answer to the “now what?” question is found in the real reason Jesus died for you on the Cross. Jesus Christ didn’t die (and pay the full penalty for your sin) in order to give you a fire insurance policy or to become a good luck charm for you to pull out occasionally. Jesus died for you to restore you to a right relationship with God, that’s what our Resurrection message was about. And so, today, I’d like to talk about how you can begin an incredible, supernatural, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The first thing you’ve got to know about following Jesus is:
1). There are NO SOLO MISSIONS!
You must get connected with other strong Christians. Do you know why the health club industry is a billion-dollar industry? Nine out of ten people cannot keep up an exercise routine alone. And so, they join a gym where they can work out together with other people who are striving for the same goal. They need the motivation and the accountability of exercising “in relationship with other people” and it is exactly the same when we commit our lives to follow Jesus Christ.
If you’ve ever been part of the military, you know the first thing they do is break your independence and make you dependent on one another.
You learn to
trust one another
depend on one another
be there for one another – no matter what.
And that commitment to one another is a huge part of what makes soldiers victorious in battle. There are no solo missions in battle and if we understood that we are in an even greater battle than our soldiers face, then we would understand why the Bible teaches us there are no solo missions in serving the Lord.
All through the Bible, we see God using committed relationships between Believers to bring about spiritual growth. Moses trained up Joshua, and he had Aaron before. Naomi had Ruth. Elijah had Elisha. Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) had Mary (the mother of Jesus). Jesus had the twelve Disciples, and especially the “inner three.” Barnabas actually brought Paul in. Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, but without Barnabas, Paul would have been nothing. Paul had Timothy and Titus and so many people. All through the Bible, we see relationships being at the very core of spiritual growth. It’s the same for you. If you’re a new Christian, if you’re an old Christian, hear this – you must have someone else to follow Jesus with. You must.
The enemy is an excellent sniper and he will pick you off. Because your mind is so influenced by your flesh and by the world, that if you don’t have someone else saying, “Hey do you realize that is totally anti-Christian? Do you see what you’re doing here is destructive?” You’ve got to have someone to say that to you.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 (in the Amplified Bible which takes the original language and expands it with the definitions of the original),
1 Corinthians 11:1 (AMP)
1 PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
Paul is saying (simply), follow me as I follow Christ. Watch my example and do what I do. (You’ve got to be careful sometimes in real life because not all Christians are ones you want to be influenced by. These are the Christians to avoid: The Criticizer. The Backbiter. The Slanderer. RUN! It’s critical to leave these people who are creating divisiveness and discord.) And so, the number one answer to the “Now What?” question is… find some people who are truly following Jesus, then join them as they follow Christ (build relationships).
Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
We can’t follow Jesus on our own – none of us can. And listen, all these truths today are just as much for you “mature” followers too. And by the way, if you cannot immediately name the person (or people) you are specifically helping follow Jesus, you might need to really consider the command of your Lord for you (personally) to be making disciples.
So, first, there are no solo missions. If you don’t build some strong relationships with mature Christians, you’ll get picked off by the enemy.
1). There are no solo missions
2). Develop a QUIET TIME with God
You’ve got to develop a real relationship with Jesus right away so he can begin changing your heart – right away.
Let’s look at Luke Chapter 8, where Jesus is telling a parable to a large crowd. A parable is a story meant to make one main point (by illustration), and the main point of this parable is to convey how critical the condition of your heart is in order to receive the Word of God.
Luke 8:4-8 (ESV)
4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,
It’s a large crowd – Jesus wanted to explain what was going to separate the people, so he tells a parable.
5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Most often when Jesus taught in parables, he left his hearers to figure out the main point he was teaching. And when God is not that worked up about whether it’s clear or not, he allows it to be unclear. And when he wants you not to understand something, he writes it as a mystery. Here’s my big encouragement to you: hold on to the stuff that’s really clear, and don’t get hung up on the stuff that’s not. But this subject was far too critical, so Jesus explains the parable so that we don’t miss it.
Luke 8:11-15 (ESV)
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
That’s what you heard when you chose to believe.
12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
They heard the Word – but they didn’t respond. They didn’t spiritually receive it.
13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
They receive God’s Word with joy but they have no roots, so as soon as the heat of trial comes, they fall away.
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
They receive God’s Word – but notice – they go on their way and their life with God is choked out by the things of this world.
15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
These make their hearts ready for God’s Word. They hold fast to it and their lives are eternally changed.
What’s the main point, Jesus? We must prepare our hearts, or this world or the enemy will snatch away, burn up, or choke out the incredible life God has for us. So, let’s talk about how the soil of our hard hearts is broken up so that the Word of God can come alive in us.
It’s all about spending real time with Jesus! The more you know Jesus the more access you give him to your life… the more supernatural, transforming power he’ll bring. So, we have to learn how to know him more and how to give him more access to our lives. The number one way to learn how to give Jesus access to your life? Get a “discipler” to teach you. To say, “I need to figure out how to do this. Can you show me how to do this? Is there a small group? Is there a Bible study? Can I sit down with someone? I’ve got to practice this.” And here is where that transforming relationship occurs. We call it quiet time.
The purpose of creating a regular quiet time is for us to meet the Lord in such a way that his Word and his Spirit noticeably transform our lives.
It’s about setting aside a time on a regular basis where we get alone with God and get real with God. It’s a time where we experience a real relationship with God meeting with him, talking to him, hearing him in his Word. If I spend thirty minutes with the Lord in the morning, when situations come up during the day, I am more likely to respond in the way the Lord has spoken to me. I get so full of Jesus that it actually changes me.
Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God …
And that’s what quiet time does for us. It allows us to slow down, meet with God, hear from God, and know that God IS God. But carving out quiet time in our not-so-quiet world takes a serious commitment – doesn’t it? But it’s not just our not-so-quiet world. The Psalmists in the Old Testament had the same problem.
Psalm 119:147-148 (NLT)
147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.
The Psalmists had the same time constraints you and I have. So, they got up early and stayed awake late, and Jesus himself did the same thing. All through the Gospels, we see Jesus slipping away early in the morning or late at night to get some quiet time with the Father. Jesus couldn’t survive this world without a dedicated quiet time with the Father, and if Jesus couldn’t, we certainly can’t.
Now, this takes some real help for you to learn how to do this on your own. But this is where the soil of your heart is turned up and made ready for God to truly transform your life. So, you can’t just “blow it off” – you can’t say, “Well, I’m coming to church, that’s okay, isn’t it?” Actually, no. Just coming to church is not okay.
As Greg Laurie says, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a cheeseburger.”
What makes you a Christian is the life of Jesus Christ transforming you from the inside out, and that is what a dedicated quiet time with the Lord will do. You do it by spending time with the Lord, so much so, that your life is crucified and his life comes alive in you.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. F or this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As we spend time beholding the glory of the Lord we are transformed into his image from glory to glory by the power of the Holy Spirit. We just have to make time to be with him (behold him).
Again, this takes some serious help so you’ve got to find another Christian who will help you learn how to do this.
And when you do begin to get that quiet time with God, what you’ll be focused on is God’s Word and prayer. But remember, the purpose of your quiet time is for you to get to know God better, intimately, powerfully. And so, never allow your quiet time to become some kind of checklist requirement. Make sure it is increasing your real relationship with the Lord.
So, let’s talk briefly about God’s Word in your quiet time, and I know I just said it, but please hear it again. When you pick up God’s Word in your quiet time, your goal is to get to know God. It’s not to read a certain amount or check off a list. It’s to hear from God – in his Word.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
You’ve got to allow the Word of God to BE what it IS and DO what it does. God’s Word will speak to you, it will pierce you. It will uncover the thoughts and intentions of your heart (let it).
There are two basic ways to approach God’s Word
1). “The Big Picture” approach
2). “The Surgical Knife” approach
They’re both good, and the Bible should be used in both ways. The big picture approach is reading full books (full stories) and getting to know God in the big picture. The normal suggestion is to read the Book of John, and that’s always a great suggestion.
But lately, I’ve been encouraging beginning with the Life of Jesus in all four Gospels put together. If you made a commitment to Christ here last Sunday, you were given a small book called, “The Story of Jesus” This book is actually scripture (from NIV) putting all four gospels together and using some paraphrase “transitions” to keep the story-line going. It’s a wonderful way to get to know “The Life of Jesus” as one seamless story. I recommend it very highly for young and old believers alike, along with reading whole books of the Bible out of an easy-to-read translation like the NLT. But remember as you’re reading, the goal is real interaction with God, not just casual reading.
So that’s the “big picture” intake of God’s Word. But you also need some “surgical knife” God’s Word too. For that, we have incredible resources. We are really big on the surgical knife use of God’s Word. Over the years, we’ve developed what we call the “Daily Devotion Journal” and God will blow your mind with it (if you’ll use it). You can get all the information and download the Daily Devotion Journal on our website, calvarynuevo.org on the home page, or at the WordByMail phone app. (Search WordByMail in your app store.)
But again, the Daily Devotion Journal generally requires someone to come alongside you and help you get started. But that’s the point, anyway. You need someone to come alongside of you and help you get started. That’s called Discipleship.
The Devotion Journals lead you through three steps with God’s Word
1). Meditate
2). Apply
3). Respond
We have Scripture By Topic that you can access on our website or phone app as well, with surgical scriptures for each topic.
If you have a smartphone, download the WordByMail phone app on iOS or Android. Not only are most of our Bible messages on there, but we also have the surgical Word of God there. Under resources, “Scripture By Topic” currently there are nineteen topics. God’s Word is the most powerful tool we have to transform our lives. But we have to learn how to absorb it, how to use it, and for that, we need someone to “disciple us” – we call this person a “discipler.”
So, we’ve talked about
1). No Solo Missions – we need to be discipled
2). Develop a Quiet Time with God – where we meet God in his Word…
And also, where we meet God in prayer. And meeting God in prayer has the same prerequisite as meeting God in his Word. You really need to get around someone who can teach you how to meet God in prayer. We have a prayer ministry that meets, and they’re here on Sundays after service. Please contact us, and we will connect you, and so, I encourage you to learn from them how to really meet God in prayer.
Now, I don’t mean to not give prayer its due time. We just can’t do it all in one message. So, allow me to encourage you with some homework.
Listen to our series called, “The Fundamentals” This is a seven-message series that goes into detail regarding what we’re talking about today. you can find this series on the WordByMail phone app, or on the website at WordByMail.com under "Teachings."
I would also really encourage the “Discipleship 100” series which is eight foundational messages about following Jesus.
So, to answer the question, “Now what?” with the limited time we have here today…
1). No Solo Missions – get connected to some strong believers, get into a Small Group
2). Develop a Quiet Time with God – that involves God’s Word and prayer, get discipleship for this
The only other thing I would slip in is you can’t follow Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit. Search for the message, “Have You Received The Holy Spirit” on either of the websites or the phone app.
And just understand this. The life of Jesus Christ in you is a supernatural life. This is not religion or man’s way to clean ourselves up. This is the supernatural life of God in us, and that supernatural power is the Person of the Holy Spirit. So, just begin to desire the supernatural power of God in your life and you’ll get to know the Holy Spirit soon enough.
Alright, we’re going to take communion right now. Communion is one of only two “ordinances” that Jesus directly gave the Church. Communion is one, and Baptism is the other one. These are the only two things Jesus told us directly to do. If you haven’t been Baptized, contact us, and we’ll get you into a Baptism class and then we’ll baptize you.
Jesus instituted Communion on the night of the Last Supper as a way for us to remember the sacrifice required for the forgiveness of our sins. As we pass out the Bread and Cup, they symbolize the broken body and the shed blood of our Savior, and I’d ask you to reflect on what it cost God in order to forgive your sin.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.