Love, Faith, Hope
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? It means being a student of Jesus. It
means being fully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. It means being
fully devoted and committed to Jesus. It means having great affection
for Jesus. And it means being an imitator of Jesus. In other words, it means becoming a disciple-making disciple --- growing in holiness while helping others grow in holiness.
As we plant a new church in Angier, it is paramount that we strive to grow as disciple-making disciples.
This is the question before us: How do we grow as disciple-making disciples? The answer is captured by three simple words: love, faith, and hope. These three simple words offer us the litmus test by which we may evaluate our own personal spiritual life, as well as the spiritual health of our church.
On Sunday we discussed Ephesians 4:1-16. In that text we learned why love, faith, and hope are so important to being disciple-making disciples. The text begins with Paul stating: "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called." Paul's point is that those who have placed their faith in the gospel have a standard to strive for, and that standard is holiness.
Usually, Ephesians 4:1 is taught in such a way so as to imply that the command ("walk worthy") given to the individual believer for the sake of that believer. However, the text shows us otherwise. The reason an individual believer should walk worthy of the gospel is because his or her walk directly affects the body (4:4, 13, 15-16). How a Christian walks has a direct impact on the health of the congregation. Each individual Christian as they strive to walk worthy of their calling can foster the growth of the body both qualitatively (spiritual growth - holiness) and quantitatively (conversion growth - numbers).
So what does it mean to walk worthy of the gospel? It's simple: love (4:2, 15-16), faith (4:5, 13), and hope (4:4). We cannot walk worthy apart of walking in love, walking in faith, and walking in hope. Spiritual growth is impossible without all three.
Love is the choice to place the interest of another ahead of our own. You, as a disciple of Jesus, display your love for Him when you prioritize His interests and live in obedience (which includes loving your neighbor as yourself).
Faith is the choice to place your trust in God. This is not simply something that takes place at conversion but is an ongoing practice. It's a daily duty. Growing your faith in Jesus requires knowing His word and living it out. In fact, growing in the knowledge of the gospel requires applying it to your life. Much spiritual understanding only comes after first obeying God's commands.
Hope is the choice to look past the things of this world and focus your gaze on the eternal. Hope is that unique gift from God that allows you to persevere through difficulties because you know that in the end you will be with Jesus in heaven.
As a church, we are dependent on each others love, faith, and hope. It's only as we individually grow in those three areas that we will help each other grow in holiness (4:13-16) and help the church grow in numbers.
A disciple of Jesus displays love, faith, and hope. And it is through the display of those three qualities that a disciple of Jesus is transformed into a disciple-making disciple of Jesus. Love, faith, and hope are the three qualities a lost world desperately needs to see.
At Anthem we desire each member to walk worthy of the calling. What does that mean? It means walking in love, walking in faith, and walking in hope. If we do that, we will be disciple-making disciples, and that means being used by God to bring many to salvation.
Take some time to consider which of these three are more lacking in your walk and which are more prominent. Think about Christians you know who excel in one of these areas. Consider what it will take to help you in improve in your capacity to display love, faith, and hope.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
As we plant a new church in Angier, it is paramount that we strive to grow as disciple-making disciples.
This is the question before us: How do we grow as disciple-making disciples? The answer is captured by three simple words: love, faith, and hope. These three simple words offer us the litmus test by which we may evaluate our own personal spiritual life, as well as the spiritual health of our church.
On Sunday we discussed Ephesians 4:1-16. In that text we learned why love, faith, and hope are so important to being disciple-making disciples. The text begins with Paul stating: "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called." Paul's point is that those who have placed their faith in the gospel have a standard to strive for, and that standard is holiness.
Usually, Ephesians 4:1 is taught in such a way so as to imply that the command ("walk worthy") given to the individual believer for the sake of that believer. However, the text shows us otherwise. The reason an individual believer should walk worthy of the gospel is because his or her walk directly affects the body (4:4, 13, 15-16). How a Christian walks has a direct impact on the health of the congregation. Each individual Christian as they strive to walk worthy of their calling can foster the growth of the body both qualitatively (spiritual growth - holiness) and quantitatively (conversion growth - numbers).
So what does it mean to walk worthy of the gospel? It's simple: love (4:2, 15-16), faith (4:5, 13), and hope (4:4). We cannot walk worthy apart of walking in love, walking in faith, and walking in hope. Spiritual growth is impossible without all three.
Love is the choice to place the interest of another ahead of our own. You, as a disciple of Jesus, display your love for Him when you prioritize His interests and live in obedience (which includes loving your neighbor as yourself).
Faith is the choice to place your trust in God. This is not simply something that takes place at conversion but is an ongoing practice. It's a daily duty. Growing your faith in Jesus requires knowing His word and living it out. In fact, growing in the knowledge of the gospel requires applying it to your life. Much spiritual understanding only comes after first obeying God's commands.
Hope is the choice to look past the things of this world and focus your gaze on the eternal. Hope is that unique gift from God that allows you to persevere through difficulties because you know that in the end you will be with Jesus in heaven.
As a church, we are dependent on each others love, faith, and hope. It's only as we individually grow in those three areas that we will help each other grow in holiness (4:13-16) and help the church grow in numbers.
A disciple of Jesus displays love, faith, and hope. And it is through the display of those three qualities that a disciple of Jesus is transformed into a disciple-making disciple of Jesus. Love, faith, and hope are the three qualities a lost world desperately needs to see.
At Anthem we desire each member to walk worthy of the calling. What does that mean? It means walking in love, walking in faith, and walking in hope. If we do that, we will be disciple-making disciples, and that means being used by God to bring many to salvation.
Take some time to consider which of these three are more lacking in your walk and which are more prominent. Think about Christians you know who excel in one of these areas. Consider what it will take to help you in improve in your capacity to display love, faith, and hope.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick
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