Steadfast in Love Be imitators of God therefore

Steadfast in Love

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ” ~ Ephesians 5: 1 -2

Jesus: Eternally Devoted to His Bride

• We are the desire of Jesus’ heart • Hebrews 12: 2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” • Included in the joy was relationship with us! • We are the inheritance He longed for!

• He has placed Himself in a covenant of devotion with us • He not only reconciled us to the Father but also continuously works in us for our transformation • Philippians 1: 6 “…being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ”

“Jesus is in the church, serving the immature. ” ~ Mike Bickle • • He is constantly working for the renewal of His bride by serving, cherishing, believing If we want to be with Him, we must go where He is working!

• • Ephesians 1: 18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…” May God open our spiritual eyes to see the beauty of His inheritance in other believers

• When I view the Bride in this way, I am empowered to • Be steadfast in love and hope for others • Build into other believers as the inheritance of Jesus • Deeply value the worth of others • The Kingdom of Heaven is made up of people!

Jesus: Humble Servant King • Matthew 8: 20 “ ‘Jesus said, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. ’” • Isaiah 53: 2 -4 “He had no beauty of majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. ”

• Mark 10: 43 -35 “Jesus said, ‘Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. ’” • Philippians 2: 6 -8 “Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ”

“Will you be lowly with Me? ” • • • Will I do it for Jesus? Will I work alongside Him no matter difficult the work or how scarce the results? The true reward is fellowship with Him!

• Where does my encouragement lie? “God wants us to study our disappointments, because if we’ll look at our disappointments, we’ll see what we love… You’ll learn what you really believe when the bottom falls out – when the crushing disappointment comes. And you’ll learn where you really rest – where you really find your fulfillment and satisfaction and security. You’ll find what your real treasure is. ” ~ Ligon Duncan

• In my flesh, I place my hope in • The praise of man • Ministry results/success • The only encouragement that will truly fulfill us in the long-term is the ministry of Jesus Himself! May we learn to satisfy ourselves in Him alone

• Hebrews 4: 15 “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. ” • He does not send us out alone! He is already laboring in the harvest as He invites us to join Him

• 1 Corinthians 15: 58 “Always given yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”