Lesson 8: The Proactive Heart of Jesus

PROACTIVE HEART:

Christ is a living example of how to set our minds "on things above" and our hearts "on the Kingdom first". Studying the life of Christ we see that nothing deterred Him from His goal, going to the cross. He was never deterred even though:

•  His closest friends misunderstood Him
• The religious right opposed Him
• The hypocrites accused Him
• His disciples deserted Him
• The courts accused Him
• The Romans beat Him
• His Jewish brethren betrayed Him
• The crowd called out to crucify Him
• and His Heavenly Father turned His face on Him

Jesus' proactive heart kept His path to the cross the focus of His life. No matter what happened externally in His life, Jesus was going to the cross. He was going to fulfill His Father's will. He was going to die for the very folks who misunderstood Him and abused Him.

REACTIVE HEART:

External situations often determine how we as Christians "react" instead of "pro-act". A proactive person with a proactive heart for God determines the correct course to follow and lets nothing deter them from their committed path. A reactive person waits for external circumstances to determine how they will act. The reactive heart is "tossed to and fro by every wind" (Ephesians 4:14; James 1:6). The reactive heart, like a pin-ball machine, turns against any obstacle and heads in a different direction.

People who are easily "offended" (off-ended like a train off its tracks) are folks with "reactive hearts". Our example in Christ is very clear. No matter what others do or say, no matter what circumstances in life confront us we, as Christ must stay true to our calling.

OUR CALLING:
Christians must be committed disciples that are:

• Not easily offended by brethren
• Not dissuaded or turned away from serving God by any internal or external force or event
• Not easily discouraged or depressed about in WHOM they believe.
• Committed to their "Calling", Higher Purpose (reflecting the Light to the World)
• Prepared to prioritize their lives around growing more and more into the image of Christ
• Dedicated to promoting the Kingdom in all areas of their influence.

A proactive heart is one that keeps examining itself to align itself with the will of God. As Christians mature, they recognize different areas in their lives that need to be adjusted as they grow more and more into the image of Christ. These adjustments continue throughout a person’s lifetime.

What effort on our part does the Lord require for us to accomplish our higher calling? Man's purpose is to glorify God in our bodies, our flesh (1 Corinthians 6:20). We do this by allowing the Spirit to produce fruit in us. (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience) Submitting to the Spirit shapes us more and more into the image of Christ. Submitting REQUIRES effort on our part! We must fight against our own fleshly nature and surrender (absolute surrender) to the promptings of the Spirit. To KNOW the will of God in our lives, we must take quality time to LISTEN & RESPOND. The Spirit will add these fruits to our lives if we are WILLING.

 Let's use the following hierarchy as a guide to growing in the Lord:

PRIORITIZING to BECOME MORE like CHRIST

LET's see what we have attended to by responding to the following:

• Where would you go for home improvement supplies?
• What types of diet plans are you aware of? List as many as you can.
• What types of home gym equipment items can you name?

We attend to things that deal with our physical bodies and surroundings.

Have you ever heard of Osteogenesis Imperfecta? It is a disease that affects people who live in extreme poverty. Since we do not live in extreme poverty, we probably do not "attend" to information concerning Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Just as we do not know about Osteogenesis Imperfecta and just as we have never probably cared about researching it or its particular symptoms or manifestations, so too many people have never bothered to research or study the Word of God. This lack of interest may to due to several factors. What might these be?

• Were not raised in a Christian home
• Were not aware that the Bible was more than a few fairy tales
• Were not comfortable with the language
• Were not motivated by other Christians
• and many more reasons the world has not "attended" to the Gospel.

In order to start a journey to become more like Christ, the first step must be "being aware" that there is something to "attend to", something to become aware of. There may have been a news story about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, but even if there were a news story, you did not pay much attention to it. After all there are soooooo many things to listen to. Some things are bound to get lost in the overflow of media information. In the Dark Ages there was not enough information about God's Word. Today, the Devil's new approach to confusing the world by giving them tooooooooooo much information. Too much information makes it difficult for people to glean what is important to "attend to" or vital to their salvation. This is where the Christian comes into play. We are the messengers who can draw people to attend to what is vital for their souls.

STEP ONE:

1. RECEIVING (ATTENDING):

   A. Awareness: 

• I Tim 4:16 "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."
• Hebrews 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
• 2 Peter 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

EXAMPLE: You mother calls you to dinner while you are watching TV....do you even hear her? The Gospel is being preached over the entire earth...are most people paying attention? What message is God trying to give you...but you aren't paying attention? (APPLICATION: Meditation NOT just study ---"The Lord IS my shepherd")

SELF EXAMINATION:
Perhaps it is time in your life as a Christian that you pay attention to becoming more hospitable, or more loving, or more benevolent. What area of your life needs attention so that you can grow to be more like Christ? Are you paying attention to what God is trying to reveal to you through His Spirit?

   B. Willingness-- Hearing and willing to listen. "Ye have ears, but you do not hear." (Isaiah 6:10); A willing heart is the beginning of understanding. There are over 32 Scriptures which describe people who cannot hear or see what is right in front of them because they have hard hearts and are unwilling to hear.

   C. Controlled or Selected Attention: Willing to selectively hear and concentrate on what God is revealing. In church one person hears a baby cry, another hears the voice of God speaking to their heart through the singing. Controlled Attention means that you have focused long enough to get the message. You can receive the Word. Selective Attention also means that you choose to listen or attend to a message. You might even attend to the message on your "own" time.

EXAMPLES:  Dripping water, a bird's song, a car engine. Eventually, you no longer notice these noises if they are constantly a part of your environment.

APPLICATION: If God's Word is something that you are willing to hear, then you will spend your "own" time meditating on it. You are willing to select it as place to put your attention even during your leisure time. No one will have to "make" you glean from God's Word. You will "pant" for His Word in all willingness.

So the Spirit has given you a message that you have attended to and are willing to keep in your mind and heart. Now what?

In order to grow more into the image of Christ, listening or attending is only the beginning. The next step is to "respond appropriately". If someone yells, "fire" in a theatre, you will probably hear it, but do you do anything about what you hear? You show your "faith" in the individual communicating, "fire" by responding appropriately to his message.

STEP TWO

2. RESPONDING: (Exhibit a NEW behavior)

   A. Acquiescence: Believing...one is touched by the message and responds to it with feeling, emotion, and mental affirmation. Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

The heart MUST respond to the message. If the Spirit is telling you that you need to grow in love, then you must acquiesce in your heart.

   B. Willingness: One hears a message, believes it, and is willing to respond to it. Action follows the hearing. "Be ye doers of the word, not just hearers" (James 1:12).

   C. Satisfaction: The response brings satisfaction. Gladness results from the action taken. One is not embarrassed or demeaned by the action taken. The action generates an internal response which is typically a sense of well-being.

Philippians 2:17 "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all."


Colssians 1:24 "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions."

APPLICATION: Even if your response to the call of God results in suffering, this step will need to demonstrate some type of satisfaction or gladness as the result of the action or the action may never be repeated.

When new Christians come to the Lord, there MUST be rejoicing and satisfaction in this response. If there is no satisfaction in the new life they have chosen, they will soon walk a different path.

If you decide that you need to be more hospitable and you respond by having more folks into your home to share the Light, even if things did not go well, you need to feel joy because you are accomplishing growth in this area of your character.


STEP THREE: When one realizes the need to change then responds to that information by attempting new behaviors and can rejoice at the outcome of those behaviors, then something very special begins to happen.
The person begins to "value" and place priority on those behaviors.

EXAMPLE: When a young boy first plays T-Ball and attempts to hit the ball, he can often end up frustrated and unhappy until he succeeds in hitting the ball where he wants it to go. As the boy becomes more and more accomplished in the task of hitting the ball, he spends more time thinking and planning how he will become a great ball play one day. His goals change. His skills change. He likes the applause of the crowd and gains satisfaction from his new identity as a "ball player". He "values" his involvement in his baseball team and his abilities on the field.

3. VALUING: (Exhibits actions that are characteristic of true INVOLVEMENT)

   A. Acceptance: You accept the message, respond to the message, feel satisfaction from acting on the new value and now you accept this value as a part of your character.

   B. Preference: When faced with a new dilemma, you prefer to react in accordance with your new value system. You prefer the type of people who share your value system.

Romans 12:10: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor"

APPLICATION: When you begin to "prefer" growing into the image of Christ, you choose the activities which are in tune with the new value you are trying to imitate. You prefer to work in the benevolence center instead of going to the movies. You prefer to worship God instead of sleeping in. You prefer to work for LTC instead of going fishing. You prefeences show what you value.

Philippians 3:8: "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing (epignosis) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ"

  C. Commitment: You are committed to the new value and will even publicly proclaim your commitment. People see that you have made choices that agree with the new value system. Commitment implies faithfulness. You will be faithful to your commitment.

STEP FOUR
4. ORGANIZATION: (Value Clarification - Prioritize) A proactive person on the path to becoming more like Christ, will seek to organize their lives in such a way as to give God quality time to do His work in their heart. They will set goals and "press on" to those goals. It does take some effort on our part to stay on the path that God has for us.

   A. Conceptualization: Your life is defined by the way you prioritize your affairs. You organize your life around the new value system.

EXAMPLES: All your friends know that you will be at church on Sunday instead of in a bar.

There are people who organize their lives around hunting. If the season is open, they will not be available for any work of the church. There are people who organize their lives around baseball, dance or music lessons, or vacations.

What is God calling you to organize your life around? Are you listening? Responding? Committed?
   B. Organization: You define your life, schedule, finances, spare time, and friendships around the activities that represent your new values. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness" (Matthew 6:33)


STEP FIVE
5. CHARACTERIZATION: (Consistently acting in agreement with value )

2 Corinthians 3:19 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

Romans 8:29" For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren

2 Corinthians 9:10-15: 10Now He who supplies seed (alpha) to the sower and bread (omega) for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!


   A. Generalized Set: You have a set of values (Christ-like characteristics) that are predictable and holistic. There are no values in the set that conflict with any other values in your "set". You are not caring and mean. You do not serve two masters. The set of characteristics that define your life are not hypocritical (two-faced) by nature.

   B. Value Complex: Your life is so ethically and completely aligned with the value set that you become the very representative of the set of values.

EXAMPLE: Someone might say, "When I think of caring, I think of Irene She is the very essence of caring."

Who do you think of as caring? What name comes to mind?
Who do you think of as benevolent? What name comes to mind?
What do people associate with your name? What characteristics come to mind?
What characteristics do you still need to grow in?

As you come to characterize one of Christ's traits, you will find that you need to grow in another trait. This is the life-long pursuit of the Christian with a proactive heart....growing into the image of Christ.

Educators often use hierarchies to determine growth. In matters of the intellect, they use Bloom's taxonomy for the Cognitive Domain. The Affective Domain refers to matters of the heart. To learn how we can grow in our efforts to have a more Proactive Heart, we need to understand how we can prioritize (have goals for) growing more like Christ.

The KEY to a PROACTIVE HEART:

Hearing (Attending), Believing (Commiting), Repenting & Being Baptized (Responding),  Continually Confessing (Valuing), Being Faithful (Organizing), Growing in His Image: Sanctification (Characterization).

Questions to Ask:
Does it benefit the Kingdom?
Does it please God?
Does it make the angels rejoice?

HOMEWORK:
Chapter 7: Absolute Surrender
Define the following words: righteousness, glory.