This sermon explores the transformative power of knowing God, not just about Him, and the role of Scriptures in guiding and equipping us for discipleship.
Good morning, dear church family. It is indeed a beautiful day that the Lord has made, and we gather here with hearts ablaze with a desire to understand His word and His will for us. Today, we are going to immerse ourselves in the profound wisdom of 2 Timothy 3:14-16, a passage that stirs the soul and challenges the mind. But before we do, I want to share a quote with you from the great Christian theologian, J.I. Packer. In his book, 'Knowing God,' Packer writes, "There's a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God, you have energy to serve Him, boldness to share Him, and contentment in Him."
Isn't that a powerful statement? It's not just about knowledge or facts, it's about a relationship, a connection that is as deep as it is transformative. This is the essence of discipleship - it's not a passive process, but an active, engaging, and ongoing commitment to know and serve God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
When we speak of the Christian life, we often refer to it as a walk. It's a fitting metaphor, isn't it? A walk implies movement, progress, and direction. It's not a sprint, it's not a race, it's a steady, purposeful stride towards a destination. This is what discipleship is all about. It's about moving forward in our relationship with God, growing in our knowledge of Him, and becoming more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Now, the first thing we need to understand is that discipleship is that it’s not something that just happens to us. It requires effort and yes, dedication. We have to make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, to learn from Him, to imitate Him. This is not something we do when it's convenient or when we feel like it. It's a daily, ongoing commitment that shapes every aspect of our lives.
Next, it is a communal journey. We are not lone rangers on this walk. We are part of a community, a family of believers, each one of us with our own unique gifts and talents, but all of us united by our common faith in Jesus. We learn from each other, we support each other, we encourage each other, we hold each other accountable. This is the beauty of the church, the body of Christ. We are not just a collection of individuals, we are a community of disciples, walking together on this journey of faith.
The third thing is that discipleship is also about transformation. It's not enough to simply know about Jesus, to know about the Bible, to know about the Christian faith. We have to allow that knowledge to change us, to shape us, to mold us into the image of Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He takes the truth of God's word and applies it to our hearts, convicting us of sin, comforting us in sorrow, guiding us in truth, empowering us for service.
Also, you might not know this, but discipleship is not just about us! It's about God's mission in the world. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to participate in God's redemptive work in the world. We are called to be salt and light, to proclaim the good news of the gospel, to serve the least of these, to seek justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. This is the calling of every disciple, the mission of every believer.
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