Journey--Grow - Made for more
Friend, have you decided to join us on the Journey - the adventure disciples live out as they follow Jesus? That means you
Realize you are a sinner in need of a Savior
Recognize the Savior you need is Jesus.
Responded to His invitation to “come.”
Renewed as a new creation
This is simply where the journey begins. The journey is actually a lifetime of following Jesus, going His way instead of your own. And it isn’t always easy. Our theme verse says–
Hebrews 12:1 | Therefore… let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race (or the journey) God has set before us.
Our journey begins when we “Come.” Then, we “Grow.” Why does God require the growing? Because He is constantly preparing us to “Go.” “Growing” and “Going” aren’t consecutive – they’re actually intertwined as soon as we’ve “Come.” In fact, typically when God calls us to “Go,” we simultaneously “Grow!” But as we wrap our minds around the journey, we’ll focus first on the growing and then switch to the going.
So after we make the choice to “come” to Jesus, what’s involved in the growing? We scratched the surface last week when we were challenged to —
Colossians 3:10 | Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
As we get to know God better and better, we should be challenged to become more like Him. But this isn’t accomplished through our own effort. Instead, it is a process that occurs over time as we allow Him to shape us, much like a potter shapes his creation out of clay. In fact, growing is really all about choosing to let God be the potter who shapes us as He wishes–
Isaiah 64:8 | And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.
It can hurt when God the Potter chisels off areas of your life because they are sinful or unproductive, but His creation should willingly submit to His shaping. Why is it worth it? Because, you were made for more than just remaining a marred up pot- full of holes and scars from the trials and tribulations you’ve endured. God is shaping you as His masterpiece, perfectly designed for the good things He planned for you long ago–
Ephesians 2:10 | For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
He “created you anew” or sought and saved you when you were lost so that you can do those good things! As the Potter, He continually refines and shapes you - we’ll see exactly how over the next few weeks.
To better understand this refining, let’s look at a time that Jesus explained this process of reshaping to His disciples. It was just before He went to the cross, after which, the disciples would be commissioned to “go.” Jesus used a familiar process to give His disciples a picture of the change that would occur. Jesus said–
John 15:1-2 | I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
The branches Jesus refers to are actually people. The branches cut away are those who choose not to join the journey with Jesus. But notice the way the gardner shapes the branches who remain (the people who are disciples of Jesus) –
John 15:2b | He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more
Pruning is a process where dead or ineffective parts of the plant are cut away. The picture here is that God is the gardener who cuts away the parts of your life that stand in the way of “producing even more.” You weren’t made for the mediocre that was possible when the old branches remained. You were made for more! Honestly, this process isn’t always pleasant. It can be painful or sacrificial. But it is part of the journey so that you become the “masterpiece” God designed you to be!
Do you believe you were “made for more” than who you are apart from Jesus?
Why does God prune or reshape His followers? What does this process look like?
How have you been reshaped since following Jesus?
What reshaping still needs to happen? Are you looking forward to this process? Why or why not?