What did Jesus say? Not just the message from His mouth but the message of His life. Not just His words, not just His body language, but everything He did, His attitude, every nuance, every action, that was all saying something to the Earth, and God was speaking to us then, as He is now.
"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
Hebrews 1:1- 4 (NIV)
God is aching for a relationship with us. He did not create us to send us on our way and never talk with us, He sent His son so that we would have a relationship with Him, and a continuing walk with Him again. To have that, we must be spiritually alive, born again of the Spirit. Then we will know God, bond with Him, connect with Him in an eternal purpose and adventure that He has designed from the very beginning. Not only that we would we know Him, but that we would reflect Him to the world around us. Just as Jesus reflected the Father to the world, we must reflect the beauty and glory of Jesus to those around us. To know Him and to walk closely with Him is to learn His ways, learn His thinking, to feel His heart, and to reveal Him to the rest of the world. We the church are to be the arms of Jesus who lifts others up. We are the feet of Jesus, the mouth of Jesus, we are the actions of Christ to the world around us.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Rom 8:29 (NKJV)
Jesus wants His nature and His character to become ours. He wants us to be Christ-like.
Jesus says
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16 (NIV)
When we go from hearing Jesus to hearing, understanding and accepting Jesus, we will experience:
- Change: When something God says to us, connects into our hearts, as we humble ourselves and lean into His mercy and power, we can bring incredible, Kingdom (God’s way) change to our lives.
- Calling: When I truly hear Him, He will call me first to Him, then to who I am in Him.
- Mission: We understand all He is saying is part of His mission to recreate this world in line with His will. As we follow His voice to us and how we live individually, this empowers our effectiveness corporately, so every day of the week we are His Church following His voice to bring the His Kingdom to our community.
- Passion: The Holy spirit can help you begin to really hear Him, and the more you practice and read the Bible, listen to preaching and engage in discussion, the clearer and more exciting all this becomes.
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
- Share a moment in your life when you feel God has transformed you, or a verse from scripture which has transformed you.
- Do you set aside some time to read and reflect on the living word of God?
- What is the next step you can take to know Jesus better and have a closer walk with Him?
- Is there anyone in your life that you can reach out to and be the reflection of Jesus in their world?
