It's an Inside Job

Transformed By The Gospel

It’s An Inside Job

John 15: 1-11

Is real change possible?

Key Truth For This Series:

The gospel is not just how we Begin in Christ, it is how we Grow in Christ!

The way that you grow in Christ is never growing Beyond the gospel, but growing Deeper in the gospel

The same grace that has Forgiven me is now in the process of Changing me

In Order To Experience This Daily Transformation, We Must:

1. Acknowledge our own weakness (1, 5)

The Bible is filled with weak people that God used in Mighty Ways

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

The call is not to Make ourselves weak, but to Admit our weakness

2. Accept God’s pruning process in our lives (2)

Pruning is not an easy or Pleasant Process

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

(James 1:2–4)

Pruning has a way of Identifying those things that we are looking to for our security, our identity, our meaning and joy other than God

Pruning can show us where we have taken Good things and made them Ultimate things

3. Abide in our relationship with Christ

Abide – vital union; an unbroken connection; staying connected

True vine implies that there may also be False Vines

God’s will is primarily a Relationship, not a Roadmap

We tend to think that production comes before connection; Jesus teaches that connection comes before production

The challenge is not Earning God’s love; the challenge is living in a constant Awareness of God’s love

Q: What about the commandments (10)?

These are not ways of earning God’s favor, they are:

• A Result of abiding in Christ Jesus

• A Means of remaining connected to Jesus

We obey God’s commandments not to be Loved but because we are Loved in Christ

Two Kinds of Growth

• Mechanical growth

• Organic growth

Diagram:

“Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.” Jerry Bridges

Preach the gospel to yourself every day!

The gospel is not just how we begin in Christ, it is how we grow in Christ!

The way that you grow in Christ is never growing beyond the gospel, but growing deeper in the gospel

The same grace that has forgiven me is now in the process of changing me

Making It Personal:

• Have I genuinely experienced the life changing power of the gospel in my life through renouncing my sin and relying totally on the finished work of Jesus Christ?

• What would it look like for me to acknowledge my dependency on God on a daily basis?

• How am I responding to the times of pruning that God allows into my life? How can I more effectively respond?

• How will I practice abiding in Christ and resting in the gospel this week? How can I practically preach the gospel to myself every day?

• Who can I share these truths with?