Experiencing God: Jesus is Your Model

Jesus Is Your Model
Jesus watched to see where the Father was at work and joined Him.


"Jesus gave them this answer: 'I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.'"  -- John 5:19


During this course and your life, there will be times when you want to respond based on your own experiences or your own wisdom. Such an approach will get you in trouble. This should be your guideline: Always go back to the Bible for truth (or for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth).


      LOOK TO SEE WHAT GOD SAYS AND HOW HE WORKS IN THE SCRIPTURES. MAKE YOUR DESICIONS AND EVALUATE YOUR EXPERIENCES BASED ON BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES.


      When you study the Scriptures, so not base your decision on one isolated case. Look to see how God works throughout the Scriptures. When you learn how God has worked throughout history, you can depend on His working in a similar way with you. Your experience is valid only as it is confirmed in the Sciptures.
    I never deny any experience that a person has had. I always reserve the right, however, to interpret in according to what I understand in the Scriptures. At times individuals get upset with me and say, "Well, I don't care what you say, I've experienced this."
     I respond as kindly as I know how by saying, "I do not deny your experience. I do question your interpretation of what you experienced because it is contrary to what I see in the Word of God."
      Experiences alone cannot be our guide. Every experience must be controlled and understood by the Scriptures. The God revealed in Scripture does not change.


To see if you have grasped this idea, mark the following statements as true or false.

• Human interpretations of my experiences are an effective way to know and follow God.
• I should always evaluate my experiences based on the truth I find in the Word of God.
• I may get a distorted understanding of God if I do not check my experiences against the truths of Scripture.
• I can trust God to work in my life in ways similar to how I see Him working throughout the Scriptures.

(Statement one is false; two, three and four are true. Statement one is false because experiences must be interpreted in the light of the Scriptures. Experience alone is not a sound guide. You must be cautious about isolating a single experience from the context of Scripture. You will never go wrong if, under the Holy Spirit's instruction, you let the Bible be your guide.)


The Bible Is Your Guide
      The Bible is the Christian's guide. How do we let the Word of God be our guide? When we seek God's direction, I insist on following the guidelines that I see in the Word of God. Last week's lesson is an example. Does God call people to follow Him without giving them all the details up front? We know that God called Abram to follow that way. Is that pattern consistent in the Scriptures?
      Read the following Scriptures about God's (Jesus') call for people to follow Him. Write the names of those who were called to follow Him without being given much detail about what the future would hold for them.

• Matthew 4:18-20
• Matthew 4:21-22
• Matthew 9:9
• Acts 9:1-20

      In some cases God gave more details than in others. For Moses and the children of Israel, God provided daily guidance through the cloud by day and the fire by night. For Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew and Paul (Answers on the above activity), God gave very few details about their assignment. He basically said, "Just follow Mr, and I will show you." In every case, however, the individuals had to stay close to God for daily guidance.


What is God's Will for My Life?
      When people seek to know and do the will of God, many ask the question, "What is God's will for my life?" A seminary professor of mine, Dr. Gaines S. Dobbins, used to say, "If you ask the wrong question, you are going to get the wrong answer." Always check to see if you have asked the right question.
      'What is God's will for my life?' is not the right question. I think the right question is, 'What is God's will?' In other words, what is it that God is purposing where I am. Once I know what God is doing, then I know what I need to do. The focus needs to be on God, not my life!


Jesus' Example


       When I want to know and do the will of God, I can find no better model than Jesus. He perfectly completed every assignment that God gave Him to do. He never failed to do the will of the Father. He never sinned. Would you like to understand how Jesus came to know and do the will of God?
      "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working....I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, to your amazement He will show him even greater things than these." --John 5:17, 19-20
After reading the above, answer the following questions:

• Who is always at work?
• How much can the Son do by Himself?
• What does the Son do?
• Why does the Father show the Son what He is doing?

      The verses you just read contain the clearest statements of how Jesus knew what to do. I would outline Jesus' approach to knowing and doing the will of God like this:

• The Father has been working right up until now.
• Now God has me working.
• I do nothing on my own initiative.
• I watch to see what the Father is doing.
• I do what I see the Father already doing.
• You see, the Father loves Me.
• He shows Me that He, Himself, is doing.

      This model is for your life personally and for your church. It is not just a set-by-step approach for knowing and doing the will of God. It describes a love relationship through which God accomplishes His purposes. I would sum it up with way: Watch to see where God is working and join Him!


God Is Always At Work Around You
      Right now God is working all around you and in your life. One of the greatest tragedies among God's people is that, while they have a deep longing to experience God, they are experiencing God day after day but do not know how to recognize Him. By the end of this course, you will have learned many ways to recognize clearly the activity of God in and around your life. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will instruct you and help you know when and where God is working. Once you know where He is working, you will adjust your life to join Him where He is working.
      When you enter this kind of intimate love relationship with God, you will know and do the will of God and experience Him in ways you have never known Him before. You will experience Him accomplishing His activity through your life. I cannot accomplish that goal in your life. Only God can bring you into that kind of relationship.


     Here are two versions of the seven realities we'll be taking a look at in this study:


                                                             

Throughout the following weeks we will take a closer look at these seven truths.


Review Today's Lesson. Pray and ask God to identify one or more statements or Scriptures that He wants you to understand, learn, or practice. Then respond to the following:


What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture I read today?


Re-word the statement of Scripture ina prayer of response to God.


What does God want you to do in response to today's study?


SUMMARY STATEMENTS:

• I will look to see what God says and how He works in the Scriptures. I will make my decisions and evaluate my experiences based on Biblical principles.
• The Bible is my guide for my faith and practice.
• The right question is, What is God's will?
• I will watch to see where God is working and join Him.
• God is always at work around me.

      Thanks so much for reading here today, everybody! I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed reading this week's devotional, and the Lord has been with you and taught you a lot. Please comment below any thoughts or notes you have on the devotional; we would all enjoy reading them! In the meantime, may you continue to grow in the Word of God, and have a blessed week!