3. y Our birth and our life Diet and exercise Privilege and responsibility Upward and outward Maturity and dependency A Fools ’ Guide to Following Jesus

4. Our Birth and our Life Luke 1, 3 & 4 Jesus healed by the Holy Spirit Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit Jesus preached by the Holy Spirit

5. y Diet and Exercise Hebrews 5 11-14 ; 1 Tim. 4 7-12 What do you feed on? Scripture? Worship? Prayer? Caring? Spiritual reading? Godly input grows godly character, thoughts and attitudes

6. y Diet and Exercise Hebrews 5 11-14 ; 1 Tim. 4 7-12 do you belong to a gym or a viewing gallery? what are your personal training objectives? who is your trainer? when did you last review? which specific gifts are you developing? is your understanding of the benefits clear enough for you to push through the pain barrier? who do you want to become like?

7. Embraced and welcomed as adopted family members Privilege and Responsibility Romans 8 12-27 Your understanding of your privilege will affect your attitude to your responsibilities

8. Let off? Welcomed in?  Legal foundation  Logical decision  Intellectual faith  Obeying God  Serving dutifully  Rational gospel  (Emotions dangerous)  Relational foundation  Emotional response  Intuitive faith  Pleasing Father  Celebrating joyfully  Passionate gospel  (Emotions essential) Privilege and Responsibility Romans 8 12-27

9. worship noun 1 a homage or service to a deity. b acts, rites, or ceremonies of this. 2 adoration, devotion. 3 ( Worship) (prec. by His, Her, Your) forms of description or address for a mayor, certain magistrates, etc. verb (-pp-; US -p-) 1 adore as divine; honour with religious rites. 2 idolize or regard with adoration. 3 attend public worship. 4 be full of adoration. Derivative: worshipper n. [Old English: related to worth -ship] The Pocket Oxford Dictionary of Current English, © Oxford University Press 1996 Upward and outward Romans 12 1-3 ; Amos 5 21-24 Show me a person’s whole life – and I’ll tell you what they worship!

10. Upward and outward Romans 12 1-3 ; Amos 5 21-24 “Worship” is not something I consume … it is what consumes me If I am “consumed” by the Father’s love, this will affect every part of my living

11. y Dependency Maturity and Ephesians 4 1-16 A Fools ’ Guide to Following Jesus

12. Ephesians 4 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

13. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it … 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.

14. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. The New International Version - Anglicised, (London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.) 1984.

15. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Increased maturity – decreased dependency

16. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 So … is a mature Christian one who has grown out of dependency? … did Jesus outgrow dependency on the Father?

17. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 an “independent” Christian cannot be a truly mature Christian a mature Christian is one who has advanced in the process of restoring lost dependency on God … … which is enabled through consistent dependency on other Christians

18. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Target “(prepared) for service” v 12 “unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son” – orthodoxy v 13 a “the whole measure of the fulness of Christ” – character v 13 b “no longer infants, tossed back and forth” – stability in the face of heresy v 14 “speaking the truth in love” - integrity v 15

19. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Target How close am I to maturity? serviceorthodoxycharacterstabilityintegrity

20. … (Christians who are trained) in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ. No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who

21. is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. Peterson, Eugene H., The Message, (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group) 1997.

22. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Training the gift of the apostle v 11 “sent”; oversight; “big picture”; strategist; accountability & training for local church leadership the gift of the prophet v 11 speaking God’s heart; modelling this gift & training; functioning under pastoral authority the gift of the evangelist v 11 reaping where seed has been sown;training the gift of the pastor-teacher v 11 caring for the sheep; explaining the scriptures; training carers & teachers note that training is practical!

23. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Training who are our “in-house” prophetic people? who are our “in-house” evangelists? who are our “in-house” pastor-teachers? who “speaks into” our fellowship from “outside”? to whom are we accountable? to whom do we look for strategic guidance?

24. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Training A question for prophetic people, evangelists, and pastor-teachers: Whom are you mentoring? A question for them… and everyone else!: Who is training you?

25. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Training

26. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Team the head is Jesus v 15 we are all “connected” through Him v 16 this “body” builds itself up … v 16 … “as each part does its work” v 16

27. Maturity and Dependency Ephesians 4 1-16 Maturity – the Team how well am I connected to Jesus? how well am I connected to the rest of the Body? what am I meant to be doing … and am I doing it? (note – some body parts are meant to rest for some of the time!)