Having a Life Worth Showing part 2

Discipleship is about far more than sharing information. As Bishop Matt Thomas says, "Disciple making is about coming alongside someone and showing them how to live and teaching them how to live." Before we can lead someone else, we have to ask ourselves an important question: Is my life worth following?

That was the heart of this week's message as we continued our study through Jonah.

Last week, we talked about our responsibility to show others what it looks like to follow Jesus. This week, Pastor Mark took that thought a step further. If we're going to point people toward Christ, our lives must reflect Him consistently. Our relationship with Jesus isn't something we put on when it's convenient or remove when it's difficult. We have been united with Christ, and our identity should shape the way we live every day.

Pastor Mark addressed an important reality for every believer: we all struggle with sin. None of us reaches perfection on this side of heaven. The difference is whether we are fighting against sin or becoming comfortable with it. God's grace covers those who are continually surrendering their lives to Him and battling against their sinful nature. But when we choose to walk in sin without repentance, it robs us of the power, authority, and witness God desires for us today, while also affecting the eternal rewards He longs to give His children.

Sin always steals. It destroys relationships, weakens our testimony, and keeps us from fully displaying the transforming work of Christ.

When we read the story of Jonah, it's easy to focus on Jonah himself, but Pastor Mark challenged us to look beyond the prophet and consider the people of Nineveh. God wasn't simply sending Jonah on an assignment. He was calling an entire city to turn away from their sinful way of life and experience transformation.

That same invitation is extended to us.

Turning to Galatians 5:13-25, we see that Christian freedom isn't permission to satisfy our sinful desires. Instead, our freedom allows us to serve others in love. Paul reminds believers to walk by the Spirit so they won't gratify the desires of the flesh.

Every day, every hour, every decision presents a choice. Will we allow our emotions, opinions, politics, or personal preferences to direct our lives, or will we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us?

Paul makes it clear that the flesh and the Spirit are constantly at war with one another. Every Christian knows this struggle. Like Paul wrote in Romans 7, we often find ourselves doing the very things we don't want to do. The presence of this battle doesn't mean we've failed. In many ways, it's evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work within us. Once we belong to Christ, the war begins because our new nature and our old nature no longer agree.

The good news is that we aren't left to fight alone.

When we walk by the Spirit, we experience victory over the flesh. Temptation doesn't disappear, but temptation no longer has to become our master. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to choose obedience, even when our flesh wants something different.

Pastor Mark used the picture of a GPS to explain what it means to be led by the Spirit. Most of us have ignored our GPS at some point or followed one that took us in the wrong direction. The Holy Spirit is different. He never makes a mistake. He faithfully leads us through God's Word, through His voice speaking to our hearts, and through the wisdom of godly people around us.

The question isn't whether the Spirit is leading.

The question is whether we're following.

God never forces obedience. The Holy Spirit doesn't drive us against our will. He lovingly leads us, inviting us to trust Him one step at a time. As we follow Him, our desires begin to change, and the grip of sin begins to loosen.

Galatians then paints two completely different pictures of life. One is marked by the works of the flesh: sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, selfish ambition, anger, division, envy, drunkenness, and every form of living apart from God. The other is marked by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These aren't personality traits reserved for certain Christians. They are the evidence of a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit. Jesus perfectly displayed every one of these qualities, and through His Spirit, He empowers His followers to do the same.

This doesn't happen by trying harder. It begins with obedience. God never asks us to do something without providing the strength to accomplish it. As we take steps of obedience, the Holy Spirit produces His fruit within us and transforms us from the inside out.

Paul closes this passage by reminding believers that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we now live by the Spirit, we are called to keep in step with Him.

Pastor Mark illustrated this with the picture of marriage. When someone gets married, they leave behind the single life because their identity has changed. In the same way, those who belong to Christ have died to their old way of living. We have been crucified with Christ and raised to new life. Our actions should reflect the new identity we've been given.

So how do we show the world a life worth living?

Not by pretending to be perfect.

Not by relying on our own strength.

But by walking daily with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to shape our character, guide our decisions, and transform our hearts until our lives become a living testimony of Jesus.

The Spirit's invitation is simple:

Live in a new way. Walk in step with the Spirit, and let your life point others to Christ.