Just Living My Best Life
Speaker: Pierre du Plessis
Read: Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:7
We all have expectations in our lives in that we anticipate that certain things are going to happen. With a source of eagerness our expectations are fueled by motivation whereby intentional efforts are made to bring that which we anticipate into a reality. And at some point, we evaluate whether we are moving closer to our expectation and whether our efforts are paying off. We see this principle in several areas of life including relationships such as marriage when we have a picture in our minds of what it will be like. But when expectations fall away or become misguided, motivation declines and the reality of the desired result falls away.
Some Christians have misguided faith expectations. They get saved only so they can go to heaven. Others do so because they believe they will be blessed in life, and still others give their life to Christ with the expectation that they will be protected from hurt, harm and dangers. These passive beliefs and low expectations also have low motivations and are not aligned with God’s expectations. As followers of Jesus, we have been given the commandment to pursue the great commission on earth (Matt. 28:18-20). Salvation is just the beginning of this process. But unfortunately, many participate in the great omission and their lives remain stagnant and they remain infants in their faith. God’s expectation is that we be transformed into the likeness of His Son Jesus as evidence to the world that faith is not inconsequential. And His desire is to restore us back to what was lost in the Garden of Eden.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as listened to this sermon and reviewed?
2. What is an expectation that you have had in your life? How have you seen the components of motivation and evaluation be played out for that expectation?
3. It was said that God’s desire is to restore us back to what was lost. What does this mean to you?
4. It was said that instead of participating in the Great Commission, many participate in the great omission. What does this mean to you?
5. It was said that without transformation there is no evidence that the Gospel works. What does this mean to you?
6. Reflect on the following statements. How do they relate to this sermon’s key message? What do they mean to you?
Salvation is a gift, but transformation is an art.
God’s desire is not that we get into heaven, but that heaven get into us.
Caterpillars carry the possibility of transformation but not the evidence of it.
7. What do we need to do to be on a journey of growth and transformation?
