1 MONTH GOAL

1. PREPARE ALL MEMBERS OF OUR POWER OF 12 TO ATTEND MONTHLY RALLY.

2. RECRUIT DISCIPLES. (Goal is to Complete level of leadership we are on.)

3. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR DISCIPLES.

   Let’s begin with a review question for the week.

   Question: Did you have an opportunity to show mercy to someone this week?

“BUILD INFLUENCE BY BEING AN EXAMPLE.”

THE GOAL OF EVERY CHRISTIAN LEADER IS TO DEVELOP OTHERS TO FOLLOW CHRIST AND BE LIKE CHRIST. (Another way to say it is: make disciples.)

Matthew 28:19-20 (AMP) 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

HOW DO WE DEVELOP PEOPLE TO BE LIKE CHRIST?

The ANSWER is: BE LIKE CHRIST. (The first step to training people to be like Christ is for us to live a lifestyle that others can pattern their lives after.)
1 Corinthians 11:1 (AMPC) Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah). 2 I appreciate and commend you because you always remember me in everything and keep firm possession of the traditions (the substance of my instructions), just as I have [verbally] passed them on to you.

That word Pattern means: an original model that deserves imitation

The more we are like Christ the more influence we will have with people.
Remember Jesus was the most influential person that ever lived in the earth!! He shows up

as #1 on every list of the most influential leaders of all time. He even split time in half. Here is a question for everybody:

Question: If you imitate God, what kind of person will you become?

1. EVERY BELIEVER IS CALLED TO BE LIKE CHRIST. (Not like the Nike commercial, “Be like Mike,” but “Be Like Christ!”)
Ephesians 5:1-6 (NLT) Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

2. BEING AN EXAMPLE IS A MUST. (We are to set a pattern for others to follow. We get our pattern from Christ. We are not just telling them, we are showing them.)
Titus 2:7 (TLB) And here you yourself MUST BE AN EXAMPLE TO THEM of good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect your love of the truth and the fact that you are in dead earnest about it.

3. TO BE LIKE CHRIST IS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SEE CHRIST IN ACTION. (When others see the works of Christ in our lives, they will glorify God.)

Matthew 5:16 (AMP) Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

WHAT DOES BEING LIKE CHRIST LOOK LIKE ?

To answer that, let’s break down the portion of scripture that we just covered: Ephesians 5:1-6.

1. A LIFE FULL OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE. (A love that sacrifices for the people that He is serving and leading. LOVE = SACRIFICE)

Ephesians 5:2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Love: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love.

Question: what is one way someone has show you sacrificial love?

A. THE SAME LEVEL OF LOVE COMMITMENT JESUS MADE FOR US, WE ARE TO

MAKE OTHERS. (Jesus never asked us to do anything that He wasn’t willing to do. Let’s make sure we are not giving a watered down pattern of Christ.)

Question: What is one way we can show sacrificial love for others?

Here is an important note to remember: If we ask our people for a greater commitment than we’re willing to make ourselves, we will lose influence. When we make a commitment greater than they’re willing to presently make, we gain influence.

B. IF WE CAN BE TALKED OUT OF IT, IT’S NOT A DEEP ENOUGH LOVE. (If we can be talked out of it, so will our people.)
Acts 21:10 ( NLT) Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea.11He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”12 When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

2. NO SEXUAL IMMORALITY. (Sexual Immorality is all sex out of the marriage union between a husband and wife. Ex. No fornication, adultery, pornography, homosexuality etc.)
Ephesians 5:3 says “Let there be no sexual immorality”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Question: what are some good practices for us to use self control?

3. NO IMPURITY (Not only should we be like Christ, but we must THINK like Christ.)
Ephesians 5:3 says “Let there be no… impurity.”
The word Impurity means: unclean in thought and life .

Matthew 5:28 (NLT) But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

4. NO GREED. (Greed is a god or idol. Many can’t follow Christ because they are following Greed.)
Ephesians 5:3 says “Let there be no… greed among you.”

The word Greed means: (ple-o-ne’k-tās) a selfish desire to have more and more, esp. what belongs to others, or selfish gain. It’s a desire to gain more without sharing with others, taking without giving. The motive of greed is self. Greed is desiring more and more and more, but with no output.

1 Timothy 6:17-18 (ICB) 17 Give this command to those who are rich with things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. 18 Tell the rich people to do good and to be rich in doing good deeds. Tell them to be happy to give and ready to share.

5. NO DIRTY TALK. (We should be like Christ in action, thought and speech. Our words reflect our heart and reveal our true identity.)
Ephesians 5:4 says “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you.”

John 12:49-50 (NLT) I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Note: We say what Jesus says just like Jesus said only what He heard the Father say.

Question: How do we know that we’re saying only what Christ said?

6. A LIFE FULL OF GRATITUDE. (Let their be thankfulness to God. A life full of praise. A life that is aware of what God has done for us. We should not forget where we were when Christ came into our lives.)
Ephesians 5:4 says “Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”

Thankfulness: grateful language (to God, as an act of worship) expressing gratitude; appreciative versus being critical, complaining, ungrateful etc.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP) in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Question: Grateful language is a language we must all learn. What language have you been speaking lately? Worried language? Complaining Language? Frustrated language? Praise language? etc.