The Seven Realities of Experiencing God

1. God is always working
2. He invites us into a relationship with Him (last week)
3. He invites us into His Work
4. God speaks –how?
5. His invitation leads us into a crisis of belief
6. We must adjust our life to join Him
7. When we obey God, we experience Him

The Third Reality: The invitation: God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

God’s plan is not just to allow us to have a front row seat to watch what He is doing, but to actually participate in it!

1. Definition of a Disciple

Definition of a disciple of Jesus is one who is:

• Following Jesus
• Being changed by Jesus
• On mission with Jesus

If we simply look at these 3 qualifications of a disciple, we can actually know what it is that Jesus is inviting us into.

2. Following Jesus

• Jesus is calling us into a personal relationship with Him and to follow Him wherever He goes.
• He is calling us to lay down our life and submit ourselves to Him, by allowing Him to be our leader, our authority, our God.

Luke 9:23-26 & 57-62 (NLT) — Matthew 10:38 (NLT) — Mark 8:34 (NLT) — John 12:26 (NLT) — John 8:12 (NLT)

3. Being Changed by Jesus

• Your testimony: your story is more than just all the brokenness of your past—Jesus saved you!
• God didn’t just change you; He is still changing you or at least He wants to.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

God will continue to work in you to make you more and more like Jesus.

• He will continue to shape you into His image.
• He will empower you through His Spirit to live the life that you are wanting to live as a Christian.
• This only comes by ALLOWING the Holy Spirit to do that work in you.

Galatians 5:16 & 17; 19-24 (NLT)

• God is inviting us to first be changed so that we can be used.
• We want to be invited to be used, but we first have to respond to their invitation to be changed so that we can be used.

4. On Mission with Jesus

• After we choose to follow Jesus, and allow Him to change us through the power of the Holy Spirit, God now wants us to join Him in what He is doing all around us
• How does He invite us to be a part of that?
• •  Hard, unusual, frustrating, stressful, scary situations are ways that God invites you to join Him in what He is doing.
  •  Interruptions in your day can be ways that God is trying to get your attention

Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)

• Jesus was aware that God the Father was at work all around Him at all times.
• Jesus had a personal, deep, intimate relationship with God the Father.

Life Group Discussion:

Scriptures to Consider: Psalm 139:1-6 — Isaiah 6:1-8 — Luke 5:1-11

Questions:

1.  Describe a time you were excluded or not invited to something? What was the impact? a. In contrast, have you ever been invited to something really fun, exciting, or meaningful? What was the impact?
2. How is God shaping you as a tool for His divine work? a. Do you sometimes resist this refining process? Explain.
3.  What has God been teaching you lately? a. How might He be preparing you to join Him in the lives of those around you?
4. If someone were to scrutinize your texts, emails, social media & checkbook, would they conclude your priorities line up with God’s?
   a. In what areas do you think you’re doing well? Where are you challenged?
5. In what areas of your life do you think God is inviting you to join Him in His work? a. What is preventing you from stepping out in faithful obedience?
6. How can you be more prepared to experience God this week?