John Lloyd - Abiding With God
/Growing in Our Walk with Jesus
Matthew 22:37-39
April 28, 2019
Pastor John Lloyd
Devoting attention to our walk with God is important and should be a priority. How is it going? How could it improve? First is our relationship with God. Second is our relationships with other Christians. Third is daily pouring out the love and resources of God to those outside our door. Hope you can join us for the next six weeks as we explore how to be a fruitful follower of Jesus.
Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deeper people.” Richard Foster
“Discipleship means living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ and His people, growing in conformity to His image, and helping others to know and become like Jesus.” Mike Wilkins
I. Strong relationships with God begin with ______________.
Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 63:1
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Reflective questions: What is it that is ruling my life? Is the ruler of my life keeping you from God? How is my walk with God?
John 4:14 “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
A. _____________ from destructive habits does not come by willpower.
Colossians 2:23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Colossians 2:21-22
Romans 7:23 But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
“As soon as you resist mentally any undesirable or unwanted circumstance, you thereby endow it with more power- power which it will use against you and you will have depleted your own resources to at exact extent.” Fox
“As long as we think we can save ourselves by our own willpower, we will only make the evil in us stronger than ever.” Heini Arnold
Declaration: God I cannot save myself! I need your Spirit’s help in my life! I will put my life in a place where God can change me from the inside out.
B. Place my life in the soil of Jesus by ________________ in Christ.
Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Hebrews 12:15) “Being bitter is a harder path than being filled with grace and joy.”
Commitment: Placing myself in God’s soil will allow Him to work His life and deliverance in my soul.
II. Learn to detach from this world and ________ to God’s kingdom.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Psalm 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Some suggestions: 1. Slow down 2. Conviction of its importance. 3. Quiet place, no distractions. 4. Start with 5 to 10 minutes. 5. Read Luke 2:19 take one Scripture treasure it… ponder it in your heart. 6. Write down the scripture and try it for 3 times one day… Live with your chosen text for the day. Murmur it. Memorize it. Pray it. Say it. Share it.
Reflective question: What is it that keeps me from strengthening my relationship with Jesus? Repent and believe…. Call it out, call upon!
“Only to sit and think of God, Oh what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the name Earth has no higher bliss.” Frederick Faber
Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Spiritual Growth Questions for April 28, 2019
Opener: Describe a time of spiritual growth in your life? What stands out as causes of this growth.
1. Read John 15:1-5 three times slowly. Circle words you see as important. What was Jesus trying to get across to the disciples? Write the passage in your own words. What application can you make in your own life? What things does God want you to change or do?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Read the following Scriptures and note what they teach about discipleship: Luke 2:52 __________________________________
Luke 6:40_____________________________________________
Galatians 4:19 _________________________________________
2 Corinthians 3:18 ______________________________________
Romans 8:29 __________________________________________
From these passages, what is God’s plan or goal for your life?
3. Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it. Two ideas are radically different. It’s not just detachment, but attachment. Read the following Scriptures and discuss the value of meditating on the Word of God.
Read Psalm 1:2, 63:6, 119:148, Joshua 1:8. Discuss what each verse says about meditating upon God’s Word. What steps can you take to strengthen your walk with God? Ask a friend to pray with you.
Four types of fruit:
1. Spiritual fruit of Christlike love: John 15:9.
2. Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith
3. Fruit of spiritual gift: Ephesians 4:12.
4. Fruit of new disciples: John 15:16.
4. Read John 15:8-9. What is your strongest area of “fruit” production? What is your weakest area of “fruit” production? What can you do to improve your weak area?