WEEK 1
- Big Idea: A meaningful life is a life of
- Our lives gain meaning as we reflect God’s glory in acts of service to others.
WEEK 2
- Big Idea: A meaningful life is an eternal life.
- Trusting in Jesus’s promise of eternal life allows us to see
A meaningful life
on the Holy Spirit for faith and life. (not our strength)
We find great meaning in our daily lives as we live in
to the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to our relationship with Christ we can be open or closed
- Open handed / Closed handed
- Open Minded / Closed Minded
- Open Hearted / Closed Hearted
“True self denial is true self discovery. To live for ourselves is insanity and suicide; to live for God and for others is wisdom and life indeed. We do not begin to find ourselves until we have become willing to lose ourselves in the service of Christ and of others.” —- John Stott
We find great meaning in our daily lives as we live in openness to the Holy Spirit.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, BECAUSE I am going to the Father. —JOHN 14:12-14 ESV
The promise of “Greater Works” presupposes Jesus’ ongoing work in the world
- His purposes are amplified by the multiplying of believers.
- His purposes are amplified by the expanding of the church.
As the head of the church and the reigning King, Jesus continues his work in the world through HIS PEOPLE indwelt by his Holy Spirit.
Our work
Jesus is really our work
Jesus.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the father and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor know him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.—John 14:15-31 ESV
If we
him, we will obey him. Jesus does
say, if we obey him, he will love us.
Jesus makes five pronouncements on or about the Holy Spirit.
1. The Spirit will
with believers
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the father and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor know him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. —John 14:15-17 ESV
DEWLL – To be fully present in a place or with a person.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. —Psalm 23:6 ESV
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. —Colossians 3:16 ESV
2. Teach them and help them
what they’ve been taught
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. —John 14:26 ESV
3. Bear
to Christ
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. —John 15:26 ESV
4.
the world of their sins
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. —John 14:7-11 ESV
We have to
that we are not the voice of God for people and were never called on to convict people.
5.
believers and glorify God
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. —John 16:12-15 ESV
The Spirit operates on the conscience, so that we live more and more honestly in our work and relationships.
The Holy Spirit is presented to us to be
to go to work, living a different kind of life”
Our part is to stay
to that new way of knowing.
“The best contribution anyone can make to putting the world to rights is to live a Christian Life, build a Christian home and radiate the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” —- John Stott
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. —Titus 3:1-8 ESV
Sanctification - the action of making or declaring something holy / or process of being freed from sin or purified.
14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
—Titus 3:14 ESVThe Church is God’s “
community” and His “final witness” to the lost world —Francis Schaffer