Unique Conformity (Revised)

8/2/2019 Unique Conformity (Revised)

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Unique Conformity[re]defining and living authentic discipleship


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Table of ContentsIntroduction: Finding Purpose 1

Part One: [Re]Defining Discipleship 2

Part Two: The Upside-Down Kingdom 16

Part Three: Dont Rub It 27

Part Four: Spirit Walking 37

Part Five: Idol Smashing 49

Conclusion: Its a Start 57


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Get ConnectedFor a Deeper Experience

Because this experience is not meant to simply be a study or class material, my hope is that youll use

this it to form deeper connections; both with others who are taking the same journey, and with Godthrough the Holy Spirit. If you are particularly struck by a certain section, you may want to share your

insight and reflections with others. There may also be times when you need the guidance or challenge of

another persons perspective. So I encourage you to take this experience one step further, whether you

are engaging in it by yourself or with a group. There are a few ways we want to help in that process.

Unique Conformity Resources

Our website, uniqueconformity.org, is a great place to start. Here youll find ways to share your experi-ences with others, and get connected with those who are whole-heartedly engaging in this experience,

including:

Ways to interact with others to process the contents of this experience.

A place to post your experiences with the activities youll be challenged to do.

Opportunities to share pictures or videos from your experience.

Ways to engage this material as a whole church or small group through retreats, seminars, or youth

events with help from Unique Conformity leadership.

Visit the website to connect with these resources and discover more ways to find meaning as you beginthis journey.

Still have questions? Send them to [email protected] or call us at 888-742-6592.

About the Author

Trevor Lee is the Founder and President of Unique Conformity, a freelance writer,speaker, and the pastor of a church in urban Denver, Colorado.

You can contact Trevor directly at [email protected].

Unique Conformity, Inc. 2010


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IntroductionThe Journey

I was recently on a hike with my five-year-old son, Isaiah, just outside Denver in the foothills. Since we

moved back to Denver about a year ago, we havent had the chance to go on too many hikes. As weheaded out onto the relatively tame path, Isaiah exclaimed, Look Daddy, dandelions! He insisted on

picking a few of the flowery weeds to take home to his mom and sister and then we moved on. His ap-

proach to the hike didnt change much as we went. Wed walk for a little bit and then a spot along the

river, a big rock, or a bug would catch his attention and wed stop to check out his latest discovery.

There were times during our hike when I dissuaded him from venturing through the mud or going too

close to the rapids, but as long as he wasnt in too much danger (or too much of a mess) I let him go.

This experience is meant to be much like that hike. I have

provided you with a path to follow, and hopefully it will keep

you headed in the direction of understanding and living authenticdiscipleship of Jesus, but I also hope that your journey will be

your own. Some parts of the experience will strike you more

deeply than others and you will choose to slow down whilesomeone else might speed ahead at the same point. I hope your

time moving through the pages will be nearer the pace of my son

than the head-down quick gait I use too often when I hike by

myself or with other adults.

I have been calling this an experience, and that needs a little explanation. Couldnt it just be called a

study or class? It could, but if you treat this merely as a study I fear it will not make any more impact onyou or your discipleship than the myriad of books and classes that are available today. The difference

will be more about your attitude toward the material than about the material itself. It is true that you willstudy as you make your way through the pages, but to fully engage the process you will be asked to do

more than that. You will need to reflect and study yourself. You will need to take the challenge to en-

gage in practical exercises throughout the course of the week that will force you to consider what youre

reading beyond your head. You will need to let the Holy Spirit change you, not just increase your

knowledge. If you do all this I think you will find it becomes more of an experience than a study.

Scripture in this Experience

An important part of this experience is taking significant time to reflect on what Scripture says about the

topics were looking at. When you come to the parts where youre supposed to look at Scripture you

have the option to breeze through it or to really slow yourself down and let it get inside you. I strongly

encourage you to take the second option. Nothing in this experience will be as powerful as what God cansay to you through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Id even encourage you to take some time to read

through the Scripture for each section before you get into it. These passages are listed on the first pageof each section.

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Part One: [Re]Defining Discipleship[Scripture for this Section] Matthew 4:18-22 / Luke 14:25-34 / John 6:60-68 /

Philippians 3 / 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

There are a couple reasons we need to [re]define discipleship at the beginning of this experience.

Reason One: We need a common starting point

If we dont have a shared paradigm of discipleship we will not be able to move together through this

experience. Let me illustrate this from my relationship with my wife, Michelle. Ever since we had kids

it is extremely common for us to plop down on the couch with some popcorn and watch a movie on Fri-

day nights. When Michelle heads to the movie store she often asks me which movie Id like her to get

(and vice versa). Unless there is something out I really want to see, I will simply respond, Whatever,

just get something good. Aside from the veiled inference that she would try to pick a horrible movie,the problem with this statement is that our ideas of a good movie are vastly different. We do not share

the same paradigm of what makes a good movie. So if she comes home with a sappy romantic movie

and I say, I said you should get something good! She might very well respond, I did get somethinggood. If we end up with a movie we can both enjoy it is because Michelle and I understand each

others views on movies and take that into consideration when we choose.

Right now there is a chance we dont share the same paradigm on discipleship. If you are doing thisexperience with a group, it is likely you will not all share the same discipleship paradigm. After going

through this section its still probable that not everyone will agree on every aspect of what discipleship

means, but by wrestling with this topic you will gain some perspective on what I mean by discipleship

and you will understand more what your group members mean when they talk about discipleship. This

shared understanding will give us an ability to move through the experience together well.

Reason Two: Its poorly defined far too often

One of the difficulties with words is that their meaning can change over time. How else would you ex-

plain the use of words like sick, bad, ill, and nasty to refer to positive things? How could the word

like come to be used as a conversational filler rather than something that actually carries meaning? I

believe the word discipleship has been reduced, twisted, and misunderstood so badly that we need to

redefine it for it to have real benefit moving forward. A few pages from now well look more specifi-

cally at some of the misconceptions people have about discipleship and why [re]defining it is so impor-tant.

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Part One: [Re]Defining Discipleship

Your Discipleship ParadigmWhat does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

Try to define it as succinctly as you can while including the things you think are important.

Discuss

Share your thoughts with the others in your group. If youre doing this by yourself talk to a friend, fam-

ily member, or neighbor about it. You can also interact over these questions online on the Unique Con-

formity Facebook page.

What are the common themes, words, and components of the definitions people share?

What are the primary differences in themes, words, and components in the definitions?

Why do these similarities and differences exist?

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Source Awareness

Now go a step beyond your definition of discipleship. Consider how youve come to your current view

of discipleship.

What are the factors that have contributed to the way you see it?

How has your study of Scripture contributed to your view of discipleship?

How have your friends and family contributed to your view of discipleship?

How has your church contributed to your view of discipleship?

How have your life experiences shaped your view of discipleship?

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Quick Quiz (Breathe! Its not graded and its only twelve questions)

Rank the following statements based on this scale:1This is a discipleship essential.

2It is very helpful in discipleship.

3It doesnt matter for discipleship.

____ Regularly attend a church service.

____ Model your life after the life of Jesus.____ Serve people in your community.

____ Accept Jesus death as the grounds for the forgiveness of your sin.

____ Read the Bible.

____ Serve in some way in your church.____ Know and use your spiritual gifts.

____ Live by certain moral rules. (You know what Im talking about!)

____ Pray.____ Participate in bringing justice to the poor and marginalized.

____ Financially support your church and/or other Christian organizations.

____ Participate in a community of faith.

If there are other things you think are essential for discipleship, list those here:

Whats Your Grade? (I know, I said its not graded, and Im not losing my integrity over it.)

This quiz is meant to help you think through your current attitude toward discipleship and your beliefs

about it. In reality, all the things described on the quiz can be great, the issue is what forms the founda-

tion for an understanding of discipleship. For instance, if you place attending a church service as the

highest priority, it may lead to a life of discipleship, but it might just stall at church attendance. Starting

with justice may move you toward a relationship with the God who loves the poor and marginalized or

that work might never connect to Gods love at all.

An important part of developing a faithful and useful discipleship paradigm is discerning which things

have the power to shape the way we view discipleship. There is a significant difference between the

things that form our paradigm on discipleship and the things that can be a helpful part of it. In develop-ing a helpful discipleship paradigm we need to address some of the misconceptions about discipleship.

Thats what we turn to now.

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Discipleship MisconceptionsDiscipleship MisconceptionsDiscipleship MisconceptionsDiscipleship Misconceptions

Misconception #1Discipleship ispart of what it means to be a Christian.

In winter of 2009 I attended a forum on how church and business can work together. There was a panel

of people who were giving insight from their experiences supporting and leading kingdom-mindedbusinesses. At one point the conversation turned to whether or not evangelism should be one of the goals

of a kingdom-minded business. One of the panelists, who was an owner of one of these businesses re-

sponded, Well, evangelism is important, but we have to remember it is not the only thing. Its also im-

portant to think about compassion, justice, and discipleship.

I cringed. To be fair, I hear statements like this all the time; he wasnt the first nor will he be the last.

Discipleship is very widely viewed as one consideration of many when we think of the Christian life. It

is a member of a list including such things as evangelism, worship, justice, compassion, community ser-vice, fellowship, and Bible study. Yet if discipleship is the process of learning to be a disciple of Jesus,

then it is not a part of the Christian lifeit is the Christian life.

Is this really a big deal? Isnt it just words? It is a huge deal! Disciple is one of the most common

monikers for people who were following and believing in Jesus throughout the Gospels and Acts. If we

have an improper or truncated view of discipleship it can significantly impact the way we read the Bibleand our ability to understand what Jesus teaches about what it means to be a disciple of His. The way we

view discipleship can significantly impact how we view what it means to be a Christian.

When Jesus sent his disciples into the world at the ascension he told them to go make disciples. That

summed it up for Jesus. He didnt tell them to make disciples, evangelists, worship leaders, pastors, en-

trepreneurs and on and on. He didnt have to. If they made disciples theyd make all the other things bydefault.

Misconception #2Discipleship is primarily about learning more.

Recently I was at a networking meeting for a number of area churches. There were about twenty pastors

and ministry leaders sitting in an asymmetrical circle around a few tables sipping coffee. The issue that

evening was discipleship. People took turns sharing beliefs, opinions, and experiences about how disci-

pleship happens and what their church was doing to feed the discipleship process. But our nice little dis-

cussion session was about to screech to a halt.

A few minutes after the discussion began a young man, probably in his early twenties, had slipped in

and taken a seat on the edge of the circle. He sat and listened for more than half an hour. Honestly, I

think most people forgot he was there because he was so quiet and unassuming. Then, when there was a

lull in the conversation (an anomaly in a room full of pastors and ministry leaders) he spoke up.

Hi everyone. My name is Shawn. I havent been a Christian very long, but when I hear you talkingabout discipleship it seems to me most of what youre talking about is being a student. No offense, but

someone could do the things youre talking about without ever really being changed.

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It isnt surprising that a new disciple would be the one to make such an important observation. He had

recently responded to the call to follow Jesus and was listening to the conversation with fresh earssomething its hard to do when your ears hear the same noise for a long time. His short statement

brought up something that has stuck with me sincebeing a disciple is not the same as being a student.A disciple is someone who is becoming like the one they follow. This includes being a student, but it

must go far beyond that or it is not discipleship. Too many people have believed that discipleship is con-

fined to growing in knowledge of Jesus which has resulted in many people who are more students than

disciples.

It is also important to note that discipleship is not the same as being an admirer. Many authors have re-

marked how people in our culture really like Jesus. That is a good thing and something that can help to

move them toward being His disciples, but merely admiring Jesus will not make you more like Him or

give you new life. Discipleship can (and in some sense should) involve admiration of Jesus, but it is

much more than that.

Misconception #3Discipleship is a process you can complete.

When I was growing up my church had discipleship classes. In our church being discipled meant you

made your way through all four classes and when you finished the fourth one you had completed the

process of discipleship. This may not have been what the leadership believed about these discipleship

classes, but it was what was communicated by the way they were set up. Many discipleship programs

give the impression that once you make it through the whole process you have been discipled.

The reality is that discipleship is a life-long process. Perhaps no group of people revealed this moreclearly than Jesus own disciples. In Mark 8, after the disciples have been following Jesus for some time,

they think Jesus is upset they dont have breadthis after he just fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of

bread and had leftovers. They werent applying what they had seen too quickly in that case. Shortly after

that they try to talk Jesus out of his death, which is an essential part of the reason why he came to earth

in the first place. But in the midst of this process they are transformed. They are constantly squirming

their way toward Jesus in the process of discipleship. Not long after Jesus has returned to heaven, Peter

and John found themselves in front of the Jewish religious leaders. When they saw the courage of Peterand John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note

that these men had been with Jesus. Their time spent becoming disciples of Jesus transformed them to

their corea process they continued in until the day they died.

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Misconception #4Discipleship is comfortable.

I could tell she was really struggling. The woman sitting across the table from me at church was facingsome daunting and difficult things in life and she couldnt

understand why things werent going better for her. Didnt Jesus say He came to give us abundant life.

This doesnt look like abundant life to me. I dont have a job, I dont know how Im going to keep pay-ing my bills, I dont have any close relationships. It all just sucks. Why isnt it the way Jesus said it

would be?

Not everyone believes life as a disciple of Jesus will be easy, but it is a fairly widespread belief that

Jesus wants us to be comfortable, relatively wealthy, and safe. We have believed the lie that He wants us

to have the American dream and if we trust Him thats what Hell give us. Im not sure where we get

this idea. If thats what it means to have an abundant life then neither Jesus or any of his disciples hadone. Jesus said, whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. How did we

get from cross carrying to comfort? I think this is one of the reasons Jesus tells people to consider thecost before they choose to be his disciple. We need to be sure we are willing to follow Him no matter

where it leads or what happens.


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Hearing Scripture

We need to let God shape our discipleship paradigm through the Scriptures. Take some time to work

through each of these passages and write down what you believe each is saying about discipleship.

Matthew 4:18-22

Luke 14:25-34

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John 6:60-68

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Are there any other passages of Scripture you think are really important for shaping a discipleship para-

digm (of course all of Scripture can help)? Write them down and share them with your group.

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Shaping DiscipleshipShaping DiscipleshipShaping DiscipleshipShaping DiscipleshipBefore getting to what I believe is a very simple and broad way of looking at discipleship, consider a

couple concepts from Scripture that can be very helpful in shaping our discipleship paradigm.

Following

A few years ago Rob Bell made a short video called Dust (If you

have access to it go watch that instead of reading the next few para-

graphs!). This video described the process young Jewish men went

through in their pursuit of becoming a disciple of one of the Rabbis.

The short version is that they went through an immense amount ofschooling, memorize vast amounts of Scripture, and then applied

to be disciples of a particular Rabbi. When the Rabbi chose from

among the hopefuls, he wasnt just looking for someone who knew

their stuff, he was looking for someone he thought could become

like him.

When a young man was chosen as a disciple, it didnt mean that hed be going to class with his Rabbi afew days a week; it meant he would devote years of his life to following that Rabbi around; observing

his behavior, listening to his teaching, and discerning how he lived. Being a good disciple meant you

followed your Rabbi as closely as possible. This resulted in a saying that was said to these young men as

a blessing; May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi. (Thus the name of Rob Bells video.) In

other words, being a disciple was not primarily about learning, it was about becoming.

This is exactly what Jesus asked of His disciples when He called them to follow Him. Sometimes wetalk about following Jesus, but our definition of that strikes me as vastly different from what it meant to

those first disciples. From the moment they chose to follow Jesus they never left His sidethey ate with

Him, listened to His teaching, saw His miracles, did what He did, and tried to live like He lived. There

was no part of their lives that was not transformed by following Jesus. One of the decisive acts of disci-

pleship is following. The disciples left their livelihood, family, and friends, because a Jewish teacher

asked them to follow Him. This was the biggest decision any of them ever madeeven if they didntunderstand all the implications of it. We may not be called to leave our jobs or family as those first disci-

ples were, but we are issued the same life-transforming callto follow Jesus. What do you think it

means and looks like for people to follow Jesus today?

Ambassadors

One of the passages of Scripture for this section, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, says we are ambassadors of

Christ. When an ambassador of the United States goes to another country they are doing much morethan taking a personal trip. Everything they do reflects on their country. Everything they say is taken as

representing the views of their country and its leadership. If we are ambassadors of Christ then our ac-tions, words, and attitudes do not just reflect on us, they reflect on Jesus. This is one reason that becom-

ing like Jesus as His disciples is so important. It is certainly not the only reason, but our discipleship is

not just about usit is about our witness to the world on behalf of Christ. This is what the disciples of

the Rabbis became. They represented their teacher and the things he taught. If they proved to be bad

teachers or poor students of the Scriptures it reflected negatively on their Rabbi. We are ambassadors of

Christ so it is imperative that we are conformed to Him as His disciples. How does the idea of being an

ambassador of Christ impact the way you view being His disciple?

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Discipleship in Two WordsDiscipleship in Two WordsDiscipleship in Two WordsDiscipleship in Two WordsIf you had asked me to do what I asked of you earlierdefine discipleshipI would have had a number

of different definitions throughout my life. Im not sure exactly what those definitions would have been,

but I can guarantee they would not have been short. However, as I have gone deeper and deeper into myquest to clearly communicate discipleship and help people move toward it, I have come to a working

two-word definition: unique conformity. I believe these two words, applied correctly, hold the essence

of true Christian discipleship.

Unique Conformity as a Discipleship ParadigmUnique Conformity as a Discipleship ParadigmUnique Conformity as a Discipleship ParadigmUnique Conformity as a Discipleship Paradigm

Unique. Both Scripture and experience give evidence that eachperson in this world is unique. People have different features,

personalities, abilities, passions, and preferences. The substantial

variety among the people of the world is a testimony to the crea-

tivity of God. Unfortunately there are many approaches to disci-pleship that treat people as if they are all the same. Everyone

learns the same things, everyone is expected to act in the same

ways, and in the process the beautiful diversity of the body andpotential of individual disciples to become who God wants them

to be is stunted.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is telling the Corinthians that God has made people different and given them

different gifts on purpose. Just as a body isnt made up of seventeen hands, twenty-two eyes, and four

toes, so the body of Christthose who are his disciplesis not made up of a bunch of people with the

same gifts and passions. In this passage Paul is saying its essential that every person considers theunique way God has made them and the unique gifts theyve been given by the Holy Spirit. Being a dis-

ciple means owning these things and figuring out how God wants to use them for the good of the Churchand the world.

One important qualification in embracing our God-given uniqueness is that it is different from our cul-

tural value of individualism. Individualism is expressed through sayings like, I have to be true to my-self, and No one can tell me whats right for me. The uniqueness of each disciple of Jesus is ex-

pressed in the context of a deep connection with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, a connection explained

more in the next part on conformity. Discipleship is not about being an individual for our own sake, it is

about being unique for the sake of the Church and the kingdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul ex-

plicitly says that the gifts we are given are to be used for the common good.

What are your passions? What are your talents and skills? Which job are you currently holding? Whats

your family like? What things bring you great joy? All these questions and more should be brought un-der the Lordship of Jesus Christ and celebrated as things about you that he wants you to engage, not dis-

miss. You are unique. Thats important for your discipleship, not a hindrance to it.

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Conformity. Every person who chooses to follow Jesus as a disciple is called to conform. Wait, didnt Ijust say that we should maintain our uniqueness? Yes, and I mean both! The conformity is not to a

church, a moral code, a way of dressing or speaking, or any other Christian thing. Listen to these

words from Scripture:

This is how we know we are in Him [Jesus]: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.

1 John 2:5-6

For those God foreknew He also predestined to be to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that He

might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:29

You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ

have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26-27

Conforming to Jesus Christ is essential to real discipleship. If we claim to be disciples of Jesus we must

walk as He did. All of us who are being saved by God through Jesus have been predestined to be likeJesus. We must conform to Christ to such an extent that it is like He is our clothing. These three Scrip-

tures are just three of many that powerfully teach us that being a disciple of Jesus means being con-formed to Jesus. We are meant to be like Him and an essential part of discipleship is allowing Him to

transform all the parts of us that are not like Him. His light exposes and transforms our darkness. We die

to ourselves and find new life in Christ. If we are not being conformed to Christ it is not discipleship.

Saying we are His disciples without seeking conformity to Him and His ways is like saying we are fit-

ness nuts but refuse to exercise: its nonsensical.

Discipleship [Re]Defined

Hopefully this part of the experience has helped you to sort through your beliefs about discipleship, see

what Scripture has to say, and develop a paradigm that will help you engage the rest of it well. As yougo on to the other parts of this experience keep the idea of unique conformity in mind. Consider how

each of the things we cover can help you be conformed to Christ and to embrace your uniqueness for the

good of the Church and the world.

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What do you think?

How does the idea of discipleship as unique conformity strike you?

What are the implications for your discipleship if you view it this way?

Do you sense God telling you anything about how this should shape your life right now?

Final ReflectionsTake a few minutes to jot down your thoughts. Has this section been easy or hard for you? Why is that?

What so you take away from this? What are you still wrestling? What things you want to discuss?

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Part One ExercisesPart One ExercisesPart One ExercisesPart One ExercisesEach section will conclude with some suggestions for ways to take the content beyond your head. I

strongly encourage you to do at leastone exercise from each section. And dont forget to share how itgoes on the Unique Conformity Facebook page or website.

Your UniquenessWrite down everything you can think of about yourself in these categories: person-

ality, skills, natural talents, passions, spiritual gifts, hobbies, and preferences.

Have a couple friends, family members, or others in your group write down whatthey think about you too and compare. Consider how these things currently do or

dont conform to the way of Jesus. Brainstorm some creative ways your unique-

ness might be conformed to Christ that you havent thought of before.

ObservationObserve the life of someone you respect this week. We do this everyday, but do itintentionally and take some notes about what you observe. At the end of the weekreflect on what youve seen and think about what you have learned by observing

that person. (You might want to share it with them as an encouragement!) This is

one important aspect of followingobserving and learning.

Watching JesusRead through one of the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, or Johnand observethe life of Jesus from the perspective of his disciples. What do you think it was

like following him? What things do you notice about Jesus from this perspective

that you havent noticed before?

Blog ItStart a blog! A blog is a great way to process your thoughts and allow others tointeract with them. If youre doing this as a group I encourage you to start a group

blog where each person posts at least one thing throughout the week. This will

keep you thinking and interacting with each other throughout the week.

Blogger.com is a good place to start.

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Part Two: The Upside-Down Kingdom[Scripture for this Section] Matthew 5:1-12 / John 3:1-15

Throughout His ministry, Jesus talked repeatedly about the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven). He

described it, exhorted people to seek it, and explained how difficult it would be for anyone to enter it

who was not fully devoted to God. Just like Americans live in the kingdom of the United States, disci-

ples of Jesus live in the kingdom of God. In this section well be exploring what the kingdom of God is,how we enter it, and why its so important.

Exploring the Kingdom

The best place to start in exploring the kingdom of God is the words of Jesus Himself. Take some time

to read through these passages and write down what they tell you about the kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:16-30

Matthew 21:28-32

Mark 10:13-16

Luke 10:8-12

Luke 17:20-21

Discuss what youve written down with your group. What is the picture of the kingdom of God that

begins to emerge?

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Part Two: The Upside-Down Kingdom

Gods Kingdom

The passages you looked at on the last page are only a small sample of passages of Scripture about the

kingdom of God. If you want to go into greater depth do a word search for kingdom of God orkingdom of heaven online or in a Bible software program and see what else Scripture has to say about

the kingdom of God.

There have been many books written on the kingdom of God, so we will not be able to great depth about

it in a few pages, but we can gain a basic understanding of it and what it looks like to live in it. On a ba-

sic level, the kingdom of God is the realm where Christ rules through the power of the Holy Spirit. This

realm is manifest in and among those who are disciples of Jesus. To explain, lets go back to the exam-

ple of the kingdom of the United States. (It is a kingdom in the sense that it has rulers, common laws,

common values, and calls for the allegiance of its members.) This kingdom is expressed most deeply

through the people who embrace its values and give their allegiance to it. It can also be seen in its sym-bols (like flags), rulers, borders, and laws. Similarly, the kingdom of God is the realm where the rule of

Christ is there. However, unlike the United States, the kingdom of God does not have human rulers orborders and it crosses all human nations. The kingdom of God is present within the nations or kingdoms

of the world, it is not set apart from them.

Disciples of Jesus say that He is their Savior and their Lord. If we mean that He is our Lord then we will

choose to submit to Him and his ways through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we submit to Hisways and give our allegiance to Him as our Lord we are expressing our desire to be a part of His king-

dom. So we cannot be disciples of Jesus without living in the kingdom of God. Sounds easy enough

right. Not so fast.

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Say what?!Read John 3:1-8. What is Jesus trying to get across to Nicodemus? If youve heard this time manytimes before take your time and try to put yourself in the place of Nicodemus. This is a man who knows

the Scriptures and even by coming to Jesus is expressing a desire to learn from Him.

When people talk about being born again they usually use it as a metaphor for salvation. That works.

Scripture does tell us that when we follow Jesus we die to ourselves and find new life in Himso in a

sense salvation does mean being born again. But I wonder if theres another reason Jesus uses this

language with Nicodemus. Consider that for a while and well come back to it in a little bit.

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The Upside-Down Kingdom

One of the reasons Jesus frequently talks about it being difficult to enter the kingdom of God is that the

kingdom of God functions in entirely different ways than the kingdoms of this world. There are differentvalues, different hopes, and different definitions of success. Compared to our culture the kingdom of

God is downright upside-down! Read through the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) and write down some

reflections on the difference between these and the values of our culture. Would these things make senseto most people?

Recently I was leading a group through this experience and when we came to this section one of the

men said, You know, this all sounds nice in the Bible, but its really hard! You may be feeling the

same way. Its true, the way of the kingdom of God is hard, but we dont pursue it on our own. Jesus has

given us the gift of the Holy Spirit and as we participate in the body of Christ with other disciples we

also find the support of others pursuing the same thing. It sounds nice in the Bible, and it is hard, but it

is wonderful and exciting as the Holy Spirit and other disciples help us live it.

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Consider the DifferenceConsider the DifferenceConsider the DifferenceConsider the DifferenceNow consider how the following things are viewed in the world and in the kingdom of God. In many

cases a passage of Scripture or two is there to help you think through it, but dont let that keep you fromlooking through other Scriptures!

Power

The gods must be crazy

Of all the things about the kingdom of God that seem upside-down, or even a little bit crazy, the craziest

of them all is the image of God on a cross. Throughout the history of humanity the gods have always

been pictured as incredibly powerful beings who impose their will on people.

Compare this with a bleeding, naked, dirty man experiencing the most humiliating death the RomanEmpire could impose on a person. In that image we see power in sacrifice, forgiveness in the midst of

severe injustice, and radical obedience to the direction of God. This is not the stereotypical picture of a

god! But in the upside-down kingdom, why would we expect anything else?

In each of these examples the way of the kingdoms of the world and the way of the kingdom of God aredrastically different. If you begin considering the overall way of viewing the world held by our culture

you will find that at almost every point the kingdom of God is upside-down. This is what makes entering

into the kingdom of God and living in it so difficult.

If we really grasp the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God it can begin to seem overwhelming. If

we live in His kingdom we will seem weird! We will have to learn totally new ways to live than the ones

were used to. As we consider the radical difference between these kingdoms check out this story.

Wealth

Success

Kingdom of the World Kingdom of GodMatthew 23:11-12

Kingdom of the World

Kingdom of the World

Kingdom of GodMatthew 6:19-24; 19:23-24

Kingdom of GodMatthew 18:1-4

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The Tale of the KnobThe Tale of the KnobThe Tale of the KnobThe Tale of the Knob

After college, I worked for two years as an Admissions Counselor. One of the duties I was given peri-odically was to make the two and a half hour drive to the Indianapolis airport to pick up students who

were flying in to come to school. Of the few times I did this, there is one that stands out. In early Janu-

ary I was given the opportunity to pick up a student who was coming to us from Kenya. His name was

Weldon and all I was told was that he had never been out of Kenya before.

I strolled into the airport and busted out my Weldon sign. After about fifteen minutes, a small, ath-

letic-looking man carrying a suitcase just a bit smaller than a conventional carry-on bag approached me.

Hello, he said extending his hand, I am Weldon.

Hi Weldon, I replied, my name is Trevor. Its nice to meet you. Well, why dont we pick up your

bags and well be on our way.

What bags? he questioned.

Your bags. You know, the ones that have your stuff in them, I stammered.

Oh, this is my only bag, he said motioning toward the large briefcase sitting at his feet.

At this point I had no idea what to say. I couldnt believe that someone had just come from another con-

tinent, not for vacation, and arrived with a suitcase that looked like it held enough for a long weekend if

you packed lightly. My options were to stand there in disbelief making both of us uncomfortable or to

suppress my feelings and move onso we prepared to head outside. I noticed that he was wearing only

a sweater, and since it was in the twenties outside I suggested he put on something else if he had it. He

proceeded to open his suitcase and pull out what appeared to be almost all the contents, wrapping him-self in extra layers as he went. Once he had emptied the contents of his luggage onto his body we

headed out the automatic doors.

Weldon walked out the doors and instinctively took a step back toward the warm, stale cover of the

airport. I didnt think about the fact that he hadnt been outside Kenya before and telling him it was

cold outside probably wasnt an adequate warning. It was like someone telling me skydiving without a

pack would be a little bit dangerous. After overcoming the initial shock, Weldon walked swiftly besideme to the car. We threw his nearly empty bag in the trunk and piled in. A few minutes later as we

pulled on the freeway the first in a series of interactions began that have since defined culture shock for

me.

Where are all the people? Weldon asked.

People? I questioned. Which people are you talking about?You know, all the people walking along the road, he responded knowingly.

Oh, umm, well, there arent really any people who walk along this road. Sometimes in the city people

walk beside the road, but mostly people ride in cars or buses to get around.Oh my, he said in surprise. In my country everyone walks! Not very many people have cars and so

people must walk to get to places. I thought that it must be very cold for people walking here, and dan-

gerous on roads like this where you travel so fast.

I checked the speedometer to be sure I hadnt inadvertently hammered the accelerator, but I was still

hanging around the speed limit. After a little while and some more conversation I figured after such a

long trip Weldon would probably be hungry, so I asked if hed like to stop and get something to eat.

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Oh no, he said, we dont have time for that.

Its okay, it wont take that long. If youre hungry we can stop.

No, no, he insisted. I really want to get back to the school and if we stop we will have to find the

food and then make a fire and cook it. That would just be too much right now.Actually Weldon, here we have buildings where you drive up in your car, tell them what you want, and

in about one minute they hand it to you wrapped in paper and stuffed in a bag.What?! he exclaimed letting out a laugh.

We continued the discovery of the vast cultural differences that existed between us most of the way

back to

campus. Near the end of the journey Weldon asked me one final important, and enjoyable, question.

With a concerned look on his face, Weldon asked me, Where will I get the wood for my fire?

The woodfor your fire? I asked, trying to figure out what he meant.

Yes, the wood. It is very cold here and I will need a fire to keep me warm.

Based on his previous responses, I couldnt wait to see what hed think of this revelation. Oh, actuallywhen you go into your room, there will be a little knob on the wall. If you turn the knob one way, the

room will get colder. If you turn the knob the other way, the room will get warmer.

If he was doubled-over before, he was tripled-over now. After literally five minutes of uncontrolled

laughter that kept him from speaking, Weldon wheezed out, My pastor came to America, and he told

us of such a knob, but we did not believe him!

Culture Shock

Just like Weldon felt some distress as he went through culture shock, learning to live in the kingdom of

God can be distressing.

Share any experiences youve had with culture shock.

For you and others in your group, what made switching cultures so shocking?

Why were those things difficult?


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The Difficulty of Switching Cultures

The overarching reason it is so difficult to switch cultures is

that the new culture functions in afundamentally different way than the old one. Consider what

Weldon had to try and comprehend.

Warmth came from technology, not fire.

Food was prepared for you in great quantities and varie-

ties. Though it seems small, he would now have to

choose between many things instead of having his meals

basically chosen for him.

Transportation was easy and quick. He went from walk-

ing everywhere to driving being the way people gotaround.

Not only are the ways people function different when you

change cultures, but often the values are different. Imagine

going from a culture that values community, family, and

close relationships to one that values individualism and pri-

vacy. When a new cultures values clash with the old onethe culture shock takes on the added difficulty of question-

ing the core values that have shaped a person.

What are your thoughts about entering the kingdom of God

being like culture shock?

Its not weird

Imagine getting used to some of these

cultural practices.

The Tupinamba of Brazil dont wear

clothes. Their primary mode of

body cover is paint and anoccasional scrap of cloth.

The Hilltribe women of Thailand use

rings to elongate their necks.

The Surma in Ethiopia put plates in

their lower lips up to five inches in

diameter. The dowry demanded by

a womans parents is determined bythe size of her lip plate.

It doesnt translate

When KFC entered the Chinese

market they discovered their slogan,

finger lickin good translated to

eat your fingers off.

Coca-colas first try at translatingtheir name into Chinese was Ke-

kou-ke-la. Translated this is, eat

the wax tadpole. When Pepsi entered the Chinese

market they used the slogan, Pepsi

brings you back to life. The

translation of this one came out,Pepsi brings your ancestors back

from the grave.

Chevy had little luck marketing the

Nova in South America. Finally

someone pointed out that no va in

Spanish means doesnt go.

Parker Pen meant to market their

pens in Mexico with the slogan, Itwont leak in your pocket and

embarrass you. However, their

improper use ofembarazarfor

embarrass made the slogan translate,

It wont leak in your pocket andmake you pregnant.

From www.takingontobacco.org

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Back to Nicodemus

All of this leads us back to Nicodemus. Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus if he wanted to enter the kingdom

of God he had to be born again? Part of the reason was that entering the kingdom of God is such cultureshock, so upside-down from the normal way of the world, that really getting it would take unlearning

everything he knew about how to live and how he should look at the world. It wouldnt be enough to just

change his views on a couple thingsentering the kingdom of God required such sweeping changes that

he had to be born all over.

The same is true for us. The kingdom of God is so vast that we dont stand a chance of really living in it

unless we start over. Through the help of the Holy Spirit the way we look at and interact with the world

must be deeply transformed to fit with the way of Christ in the kingdom of God.

If we are not born again in this sense it will be difficult, even impossible, for us to enter the kingdom of

God to live in the way of Christ under his rule. And if we do not live under the rule of Christ we can-

not be true disciples of Jesus. This would be like saying we wanted to follow Barak Obama no matterwhat, except we refuse to live in the United States because we cant quite handle the policies of the

place Barak leads. If our devotion to Christ stops short of doing what it takes to enter into and live in his

kingdom we are not doing any more than offering empty words of intention in relation to discipleship.

Living in the kingdom of God requires that we be born again.

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Final Reflections

Take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts. Has this section been easy or hard for you? Why is that?


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Part Two ExercisesPart Two ExercisesPart Two ExercisesPart Two Exercises

Become Like a ChildTeach some kids about the kingdom of God by acting out one of the parables.

Actually make bread dough and talk about the effect of the yeast.

Hide some kind of prize in the yard and have the kids search for it.

Plant a seed and talk about how something small becomes something muchlarger over time just because it was planted.

Come up with your own idea based on the parables!

Get CreativeCreatively represent your understanding of the kingdom of God. Write a poem,

story, song, or parable. Paint a picture. Create a symbol. Share your creation

with the people in your group or at your church and explain why you did what youdid. This could be your chance to get them thinking about the upside-down

kingdom!

Keep BloggingIf youve started a blog or journal for this experience, take a day (or a week) and

remain conscious of how your choices reflect either the kingdom of God or thekingdom of this world. Share your insights on the blog or in the journal.

Explore the ParablesLearn more about the kingdom of God by working through Jesus parables aboutit. Here are some of the passages where youll find these parables:

Matthew 13:24-52

Matthew 18:21-35

Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 25:1-13

Dont forget to share your insights, ideas, and creations at uniqueconformity.org!

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Part Three: Dont Rub It[Scripture for this Section] John 15

Why are you here?What drives you to get out of bed in the morning, shapes the way you view the world, and keeps you

going when things get tough (insert other helpful clichs here)?

List your life catalysts below:

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

Something to Consider

When you do an exercise like the one youre about to do, its likely you will identify the positive things

in your lifemost of which are truly life giving. However, most of us have something, or multiple

things, that we turn to instinctively to find life that are not capable of giving it to us. For instance, one

struggle in my life was identifying the fact that when things got tough (or sometimes when things were

really good) I would turn to food without even thinking. There was something in me that said eating

would be a source of life for me. Something that could pick me up when I was down or help me cele-

brate when things went well.

For you maybe its a certain activity, habit, or even relationship that promises life but cant deliver.Make sure you dont dismiss these things as you continue.

Take the time to be honest with yourself. If you grew up in church you learned the nice

Christian answers to everything (so you just put Jesus in every blank!).

Now go back and rank these from 1 to 10 (or however many you had) in the order that they hold

power in your life. Which ones take precedence over the others?

Open Up

Now ask someone you trust (in other words they wont just tell you what you want to hear) to review

what you wrote above. If you know your group members well enough this could be a great group exer-cise. Whether its your group or another person, ask them to answer these questions for you. Do you agree with the way I ranked these items?

Are there other things that I look to for life and purpose?

What is the evidence in my life for your answers?

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Part Three: Dont Rub It

The Importance of the Source

When it comes to discipleship, our source of life is paramount. It is the source of our life that

determines the character of our life.

This can be illustrated in any number of ways. If you have a craving for fruit and decide to visit an

apple orchard, you would most likely return with some apples. If you chose a vineyard instead, youmight return with grapes. But if you made a trip to the supermarket, you could end up with a large

variety of fruits. The source of the fruit determines the type.

Likewise, if you wanted water you could get it from a mountain stream, scoop it from a mud puddle, or

dish it out of the toilet. While you get water in all three cases, the source of the water will have some

bearing on what you are willing to do with it.

Life in Our Culture

Since the source of our life determines the character of our life, it can be very insightful to evaluate not

only where we get life but where our culture most often turns to receive life. Below are a few places

people in our culture turn to find life. (A side-note: most of these things can be great! The point is not

to make them seem wrong, but to consider the outcomes of asking something of them that they cant

give: an overarching meaning and purpose for life.) What is the outcome when people look to the

following things as the source of life?

EntertainmentThis source of life is experienced in things that are naturally fleeting (the show has to end sometime) and

often remove a person from reality rather than engaging it.

SexThe experience is divorced from relationship and glorified by itself. This creates the constant need for

more and may mean looking to many different places to fulfill that need.

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PossessionsNew things are exciting for a little while. But the life we receive from things inevitably wears off and

leaves us wanting more.

RelationshipsGod created us to be in relationships! Are there times when these relationships become the overarching

purpose of our life instead of a connection with Jesus?

Are there other things people in our culture look to as a source of life?

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John 15:6

John 15:7-8

John 15:9-10

John 15:11

John 15:12-17


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An Assignment

1. Break a branch off of a plant in your house or a tree outside. (Pick one thats yours, not a neighbors

or your moms or spouses).

2. Over the course of the next week go pick up the branch and rub it against the place where you broke it

off for ten minutes ten times a day.

3. If youre actually doing this, reflect on how some guy got you to spend an hour and a half a dayrubbing a branch on a plant by putting it in a study on discipleship.

Thats Ridiculous

Im guessing that while reading the assignment above, you were thinking something along the lines ofthats ridiculous. Well, youre right. So why is it that this is the approach we take to connection with

the true vine Jesus in our life as His followers?

In John 15 Jesus says very clearly that must remain (or abide) in Him. We have to be like a tree branch

that says constantly and securely fastened to the tree to receive what we need for life and growth. De-

spite teachings like this its easy for us to fall into patterns where were disconnected most of the time

and then periodically try to rub ourselves onto the vine expecting to connect to it, and then live and

grow.

Staying constantly connected to Jesus? Thats crazy, right? It might be, but what should we expect froma faith that calls us to carry crosses, die to ourselves, and be born again?

In reality, it makes sense that remaining or abiding in Christ is the only way to really live and grow

as His disciples. Remember what you read and discussed about the kingdom of God being upside-down?

The longer you disconnect, the more likely you are to revert to living with the passions and world view

purported by our culture.

While we may consider staying constantly connected to Christ a little crazy, we dont find remaining

connected to media to be nearly as insane. We keep an almost constant connection through the internet,

TV, radio, iPods, and cell phones. Is it difficult for you to disconnect from media for an extended length

of time? Could you sit in your home or car with nothing on and be happy?

However easy or difficult that may be for you, the point is that we find it much easier to stay connected

to other things than we do to Christ. These other things are constantly communicating messages aboutthe purpose of life and how we should view the world. These messages often contradict the message of

Jesus and His kingdom, yet we spend our days sucking life from sources other than Christ and still

expect to grow and be like Him. Now wonder transformation in Jesus can be difficult!

[Remain] 1. to continue in the same state 2. to stay behind or in the same place

[Abide] 1. To remain, continue, or stay 2. To have ones abode; dwell; reside 3. To continue in aparticular condition, attitude, relationship, etc. 4. To wait for

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Reflect and Discuss

What does it (or would it) look like for you to remain or abide

in Christ like a branch on a vine?

What are the biggest obstacles to that happening?

As you think about doing this, how does that make you feel?

Self-Disclosure

Part of the reason for asking howabiding in Christ makes you feel is

that it sounds like a nice idea, but

doesnt always feel like one. At

many times in my own life I have

thought that staying constantly con-

nected to Christ sounded hard, bor-ing, and unappealing. I had many

things I wanted to do that didnt

seem to fit into abiding Christ.

I didnt want to pray all the time, I

wanted to go to a movie. I didnt

want to spend hours reading myBible, I wanted to play basketball

instead.

There were two problems I had.

First, I wasnt fully committed to

following Jesus. There were things

I wanted more than to be His disci-ple. I was like the rich man who

was all in until he found out it

meant selling all his stuff.

My second problem was that I hada pathetically narrow view of what

it mean to abide in Christ. Prayingand reading the Bible are important,

really important, but they dont

even come close to encompassing

what it means to abide in Christ; to

submit each moment, thought, ac-

tion, and decision to Him.

I still have times when I venture

off, but thats a great signal that Im

disconnecting from the vine andwhen that happens, I have to choose

to reconnect or begin the process of

withering. Theres no other choice.

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Abiding in Christ

Remember this formula:

Prayer + Bible Reading = Discipleship

The important thing to remember about this formula is that its not true! These are good and important

things, but there are plenty of people who do them and are completely disconnected from Jesus. So howdo we stay connected to Christ? Here are a few important first steps.

1. Decide if you are ready and willing to receive your life from Jesus and submit your will to His.Abiding in Jesus means you choose to do what He asks you to do and to apply what you learn about

Him, not to store up knowledge and never use it.

2. Ask God how you can abide in Jesus. Some people may not be able to abide in Christ if they dontlet go of certain habits. Other people may not be able to abide in Christ without setting aside part oftheir day to spend it focusing on Him. Remember, being a disciple is about unique conformity, so

while there are many commonalities among the practices of disciples of Jesus, there is also a neces-sary variety in what it looks like for people to abide in Him.

3. Try things. You may not know what helps you to abide in Jesus right away. For instance, Ivefound that pausing before I make decisions and asking God what is right is helpful for me. Some-

times I am led in a direction I dont expect. But regardless of the outcome, Im intentionally submit-

ting my day and decisions to Him.

Try it!Below are some common (and a few less common) practices for abiding in Jesus. Pick one and try

it for at least a week, then move to another one. As you find youre the ones that work for you,

begin to use them regularly in your life.

1. Fasting: Give up food for a meal, a day, or a week. Let your hunger and the times you normally eatlead you toward prayer. Give up technology for a week and fill the silence by conversing with God

through the Holy Spirit. Try other fasts to help you focus on Jesus.

2. Memorization: Choose a verse, few verses, or even a chapter to memorize in a week. See howGod

applies it to your life or uses it as you speak with someone.

3. Retreat: Set aside a block of time to focus on God away from all distractions. Make it long enoughthat your mind has a chance to slow down. Id recommend at least 5 hours.

4. Observation Walk: Go for a walk, but as you walk try to see everything you pass from Godsperspectivepeople, nature, buildings, neighborhoods.

5. On-hour Prayer: Pause for one minute at the beginning of each hour to pray. Just pray aboutwhatever youre doing or thinking. Set an alarm if you need to.

Share any other practices that help you abide in Christ with the members of your group.

Im Holding Out on You

Theres something else. One more thing that contributes to abiding in Christ more than anything raised

in this sectionbut Im not telling you what it is yet. It is so important, so big, and deep enough that it

needs its own section. So part four of this experience will address it. For now, feel free to guess!

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Final Reflections

Take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts. Has this section been easy or hard for you? Why is that?


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Part Three ExercisesPart Three ExercisesPart Three ExercisesPart Three Exercises

Watch TV (I do)After watching a show or movie take the time to answer these questions. If you

watch it with other people make it into a group discussion!

What does this show/movie say about the purpose of life?

What does it say about how I should treat other people?What does it propose makes people happy?

What other messages does it communicate that I wouldnt normally notice?

How does all this match up with being a disciple of Jesus?

Teach Your Kids (or someone elses)Teach your kids (or someone elses) about abiding in Christ by actually doing the

branch-breaking exercise from page 32. Ask the kids what they think will happen,and help them connect the various spiritual practices they do to staying connected

to Jesus.

Opposite DayWhat doesnt help you stay connected to Jesus? Not necessarily sinful things, but

things that people often say are important in order to grow spiritually but justdont work for you. For instance, theres a method of prayer called Lectio Divina

that many cherish as something that draws them close to Jesus, but it doesnt work

for me. It doesnt mean I avoid prayer, just that one particular practice doesnt

resonate. What practices dont usually work for you?

Learn from OthersAsk five of the most spiritually mature people you know what keeps themconnected to Jesus. Try at least one thing each of them tells you.

Dont forget to share your insights, ideas, and creations at uniqueconformity.org!

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Part Four: Spirit Walking[Scripture for this Section] Romans 8:1-17 / Galatians 5:13-25

If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Galatians 5:18

Quick QuizHow many of the Ten Commandments can you come up with without looking?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

FortheanswersseeExodus20:3-17.Theseupsidedownanswersremindmeofquizzesonkidsmenus.

Giving It Some DefinitionWhen referring to law in this section, sometimes it will be capitalized and other times it wont: heres

why.

1. Law: When Law is capitalized it refers to the Law given to the Israelites by God. The foundation of

the Law is the Ten Commandments, but on the whole there are 613 commandments contained in the

first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

2. law: When law is not capitalized it is used to refer to a couple things. One is the interpretation of thelaw given by Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. When law is not capitalized it may also

be used to refer to the rules of conduct practiced by different groups of Christians or even individu-

als. Most of the time these laws are derived from Scriptures, but there are significant differencesbetween the laws practiced by different groups.

What is Paul saying in Galatians 5:18? it sounds like he is saying, Jesus may not have come to abolish

the law, but I have! Does Paul believe if you are led by the Spirit you can be an idolater, hate your par-

ents, and cheat on your spouse? Since Pauls writings havent been banned from the Bible, that must not

be true. But what is Paul really saying?

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Part Four: Spirit Walking

Reflect

Take some time to reflect on the two passages for this section (Romans 8:1-17 & Galatians 5:13-25).

These are two passages rich in meaning and application. Write down your reflections below. A fewthings to consider:

What is the relationship between the law and the spirit?

What is the result of walking with the spirit?

If you dont walk with the spirit, what are the other options?

Romans 8:1-17

Galatians 5:13-25

If youre up for a challenge, make one of these passages the subject of an hour of prayerfulreflection. Heres how you could do that:

1. Read through the entire passage. Make a note of any phrases or concepts that jump out at you.

2. Now read back through the passage, pausing after each phrase to consider it carefully. Dont move

on to the next phrase until you feel you have really heard and understood the one youre on.

3. Read through the passage again. This time, after each phrase or verse (or even each word in some

cases) stop and enter a time of prayer based on what youve just read. Let the Holy Spirit guide

your prayer through the words of Scripture.4. Read through the whole thing again and then write down how you see the passage differently.

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Three Ways to LiveThese two Scripture passages identify three different orientations or ways to liveby the sinful nature,

by the law and by the Spirit. It is not so simple as living completely by one without any hint of the

others, but by distinguishing between the three it is easier to see the differences. The journey of a life ofdiscipleship is living increasingly into life by the Spirit.

Living by the Sinful Nature

Orientation to the World: Theworld is primarily good. It is the

arena within which you can obtain

and participate in things that please

you. Whether things or activities in

the world are good or bad is

determined by if they make you

happy or feel good.

Orientation to Yourself: You arethe most important person on the

planet. You must figure out who

you are and do everything in your

power to be true to the image youhave of yourself. One of the

greatest sins is being untrue to

yourself.

Orientation to Others: Ultimatelyothers exist to help make you happy.

This does not mean you dont havemeaningful friendships or otherrelationships, only that conflict

arises when it appears you are

getting less out of these

relationships than you are putting in.

To some extent your relationship

with others is transactional. You

give in order to get and expect themto do the same.

Orientation to God: God may beany number of things, but he is not

someone to whom you are

accountable. Most often those

living by the sinful nature see God

as a being or force who can helpthem get what they want and guide

them out of difficulty. They may

also see God (or god) as ready to

punish them when they do anything

wrong.

Living by the Law (or law)

Orientation to the World: Theworld is full of pitfalls. It is a

cesspool of evils that will lure you

away from obedience to the law. It

is best to separate yourself from the

world and these temptations as

much as possible.

Orientation to Yourself: You are asinful being who is filled with the

desires the world puts in front of

you. You must work hard to tame

those desires and stay away frombreaking the law. You often

chastise yourself for failing in your

attempts to keep the law.

Orientation to Others: Others areeither on your side or they are a part

of the world that will try to drawyou away from following the law.Those who are living by the law

with you may be great allies, so you

are hesitant about venturing too far

outside the circles of these people

who you know are safe. You are

likely to look down on those not

following the law as poor sinners.

Orientation to God: You stronglydesire to please God. Your attempts

to keep the law are motivated by this

desire. The desire may be fueled by

love, guilt, obligation, or even pride.

It is difficult not to eventuallybelieve that on some level your

relationship with God depends on

the extent to which you keep the

law.

Living by the Spirit

Orientation to the World: Theworld is the domain of God. As you

walk with the Spirit you perceive

the world through his eyesseeing

both tremendous good and horrible

evil. Your desire for the world

flows from the desire of God for

itthat there will be widespreadredemption of it and in it.

Orientation to Yourself: You are abeing imprinted by both the image

of God and the desires of the sinful

nature. You seek to know yourself

through the eyes of the Spirit and beaware of his presence. You have

great worth as a child of God and

see great worth in others.

Orientation to Others: Everyperson in the world is loved by God.

Your first inclination is to find waysto serve people and direct their gazetoward the God who loves them.

You do not see people as enemies,

and even when it seems they are you

pray that they will become friends.

You cherish relationships with

others but do not give them attention

because of what they can do for you.

Orientation to God: God is a livingbeing with whom you have an active

relationship of worship and love.

You remain constantly open to

Gods leading and conviction

through the Holy Spirit. There isnot a formula for how you relate to

God, even if there are ways you

frequently do so.

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Primary Motivation: Being happy.

Success is: Having the materialthings you desire, the experiences

you crave, and staying away from

hardship. This doesnt mean you

will never do anything difficult or

painful, only that you will ventureinto difficult things only when you

believe it will result in more

happiness and comfort.

Living by the Law (or law)

Primary Motivation: Being holy.

Success is: Keeping yourself fromtemptation and sin. Being at the

top of the class in holiness and

purity.


Primary Motivation: Walking in

dynamic relationship with God andallowing him to transform you.

Success is: Becoming increasinglysensitive to the leading of the Holy

Spirit and obedient in following the

way of Jesus. As you do this you

will see transformation of your char-

acter, desires, and hopes.

Your Response

Which one of these three is easiest? Why?

In which of these three do you see the most of yourself?

Can you think of people in the Bible who exhibited each of the three? How did that impact their rela-

tionship with God?

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Outcomes of the Three Ways of LifeOutcomes of the Three Ways of LifeOutcomes of the Three Ways of LifeOutcomes of the Three Ways of Life


A life consistently lived according to the sinful nature leads to death. This death is not only a spiritual

death, but a destruction of life here and now. If you get drunk every weekend you will end up doing

many other things that will not bring you long-term benefits. If you sleep around and have an affair, you

will destroy your relationship with your spouse, hurt your children, and leave yourself spiritually torn.

Living by the sinful nature is often fun in the moment, and destructive in the long-run.

Often Christians talk about what sin does to rupture the relationship between God and people. It does

that, but what is equally disheartening is the way sin tears away at a persons life and relationships. God

wants people to put their faith in Jesus and live by the Spirit for the sake of His love for them and their

own good.

Living by the Law

On face value, pursuing obedience to the law is a positive course to take. Both the Law given to the

Israelites and the moral law found through Scripture were given by God. Jesus said that loving Him is

expressed by obeying what He commands. He instructed His disciples to go and make more disciples

and to teach them to obey everything He commanded.

The issue with living by the law is what leads us to abide by the law. The Bible says one of thefunctions of the Law is to show people that they cannot be righteous before God on their own. If

someone strives to justify themselves before God by following all the rules they will fail repeatedly.

Ultimately, living by the law as a means of being okay with God leads to death. Obeying Jesus is

important but salvation and fullness of life cannot be found in living by the law.


Living by the Spirit is messy. Living by the Spirit is a moment by moment dance of observing, listening,

processing, and obeying. Living by the Spirit is thoroughly relational. Theres no list of rules to follow

for living the in the Spirit. To live by the Spirit we must be in communion with the Holy Spirit, listening

to His guidance and His conviction. I wonder if this isnt why Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to pray

continually. It is the only state of openness to the voice of the Spirit that we can learn to walk with Him.

One of the great things about walking the Spirit is as we do that we will end up obeying the law as well.

It is not possible to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit while still living in a way that doesnt fit with the moraland ethical commands given to us by God.

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Your LawYour LawYour LawYour Law

Unless this is your first day following Jesus (and even if it is) you have some kind of law youre livingby. Maybe you think Christians cant drink alcohol. Maybe you think people just arent committed to

Jesus if theyre not in church every Sunday. Maybe you believe an important part of being a Christian is

having morning devotions. The point here is not to take a position on these issues or others, only to saythat there are many prohibitions or commands we adhere to that come more from a mentality of law than

one of walking with the Spirit. Your law is the things you think people need to do or definitely should

do if they are Christians. Consider what your unwritten law is.

Evaluating your lawRate the following statements on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 = strongly disagree 10 = strongly agree

_____ My law comes from a desire to please other Christians Im around.

_____ My law fits well with Jesus commands and Gods desires revealed in Scripture._____ I use my law to judge others and their standing with God.

_____ I judge my standing with God by my law.

_____ I know which parts of my law are important for all Christ-followers and which are not._____ My law serves as a way out of developing a continual listening relationship with the Holy Spirit.

_____ I am open to the Holy Spirit challenging my law.

_____ My law fits well with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Having principles to live by isnt bad, but in the first four statements above its not good. If you have

the proper perspective on your law (represented by the second four items) it can be a great help to you.

Dangerous Teaching?Some people get a bit queasy when you start talking about living by the Spirit and not concerningyourself as much with the law. Its as though this will become a free pass for people to do whateverthey want. A person will go get drunk and say, well, the Holy Spirit didnt tell me not to, so I figured it

was okay. Another will call a friend to share some dirt on their neighbor because they didnt sense the

Holy Spirit saying they shouldnt (or because the Holy Spirit would have disconnected the phone if he

really didnt want them to make the call). We cant adhere to this walking in the Spirit stuff because its

a loophole for hedonism!

Honestly, thats ridiculous. Just because we arent controlling every action in a persons life doesntmean its dangerous teaching. If someone is going and getting hammered I hardly think thats a display

of self-control (a fruit of the Spirit). If people are gossiping they arent exactly showing much love,

kindness, goodness, or self-control (those things sound familiar?). When it comes to holy and faithful

living, walking by the Spirit will put living by any law to shame.

Perhaps the real question for those who are weary of focusing on walking with the Spirit instead of law

is whether they trust the Holy Spirit to lead people in godliness. Is the Holy Spirit powerful enough tomove people into transformation or do we need to control it with our lists of rules?

It is also important to remember that focusing on walking with the Spirit doesnt mean the law has no

value. Im repeating myself, but the Holy Spirit will lead people in ways that line up with Gods

commands. So if a persons life displays a consistent pattern of disobeying all these commands it is a

pretty sure bet theyre not walking with the Spirit.

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Spirit Walking

Its all well and good to say we should walk by the Spirit, but

how does that happen? If you haventfigured it out yet, walking with the Spirit isnt exactly a five

step process. However, there are some

things you can do to grow your relationship with the HolySpirit.

1. Fill yourself with Scripture. In a sense, reading the Bibleisnt the pointits what the Holy Spirit can do with it.

When we fill ourselves with Scripture the Holy Spirit has

the word of God to use in speaking to us. Ive often been

surprised when the Holy Spirit has used something I justread in Leviticus or Deuteronomy to speak into a situation

that comes up in my day. The Bible is Gods revelation ofHimself and His ways, so it is essential that we are filling

ourselves with it. The exciting part is seeing what the Holy

Spirit will do with it when we are making sure we do this.

2. Practice listening. In each situation, interaction, and deci-sion during your day, simply pray, Spirit, what do youhave for me on this? Im not saying youll get some kind

of clear instruction every time, but it will help you develop

the habit of walking with the Spirit, rather than just listen-

ing to Him every now and then. The more we seek to listen

to the Holy Spirit the better we become at doing it. It is also

important that when we listen, we are prepared to obey as

well. If we disobey where the Spirit leads us, we becomehardened to His voice.

3. Meditate on the fruit of the Spirit. As these attributes of alife lived in the Spirit become ingrained on your mind and

heart you will more clearly see how the moments of your

life do or dont reflect on the Spirit. This gives you the

chance to pray for help from the Spirit in the areas where

you dont see His fruit and to celebrate the way it is chang-ing you.

4. Listen to the Holy Spirit in community. God has calledus to be in relationship with other believers, and one of the

reasons for this is so that we can be discerning together. It

is not a good idea for you to always try and listen to theHoly Spirit on your own and never share with anyone else.Listening to the Holy Spirit with others can be a powerful

relationship builder, but it also helps to ensure that we are

not being deceived into thinking were hearing the Spirit

when were not.

Strong Words

Sometimes we dont hear the fullweight of the words of Scripture. We

become accustomed to what the Biblesays and so we read over passages

without comprehending how difficult

or forceful they really are.

You, however, are controlled not by

the sinful nature but by the Spirit, ifthe Spirit of God lives in you. And if

anyone does not have the Spirit of

Christ they do not belong to Christ.

Romans 8:9

Living by, in, and with the Holy Spirit

isnt an option if you want to be a dis-ciple of Jesus. You cannot say you are

with Jesus if you do not submit to and

live by the Spirit. Most Christians will

acknowledge the existence of the Holy

Spirit, but how often do we substitute

a list of rules or a bevy of Christian

programming for a life lived in theSpirit? If you are a Christian then you

must be controlledby the Holy Spirit.

This doesnt happen without seeking a

continual relating to God.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you

will not gratify the desires of the sin-ful nature. Galatians 5:16

We must read this passage in light of

passages like Romans 7:14-25 where

Paul expresses the angst of the place

between what he wants to do and what

the sin still at work in him wants him

to do. Our lives will be a journey oflearning to increasingly yield to the

Holy Spirit and not the sinful nature.

At the same time, if we most consis-

tently gratify the desires of the sinful

nature we are not walking by theSpirit.

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You and the Spirits Fruit

Which of the fruit of the Spirit do you see as prominent in your life? Which do you see as often lack-

ing? Take some time to evaluate the growth and expression of these things in your life. Ask a goodfriend, your spouse, or even others in your group to say what they see in you.

LOVE

PEACE

JOY

PATIENCE

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FAITHFULNESS

KINDNESS

GENTLENESS

SELF-CONTROL

GOODNESS

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Obey the Spirit: A Story

One of my greatest regrets comes from a trip I took to Greece while I was in college. I certainly dont regret

going on the trip, it was amazing! We saw ancient ruins, well, tons of ancient ruins, modern cities, and quite afew places with biblical significance. One of the places we saw was the site where it is believed Lydia was

baptized by Paul (Acts 16:11-15). It was a beautiful place. A small stream ran through the countryside, and

they had made something that looked like a dock so that people could be baptized in the stream. Our professoroffered to baptize anyone who would like him to do that.

At that ti

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