AswelearnmoreaboutJesusChrist,welearnmoreaboutourselves.JesusisnotonlyoursaviorandLord—Heis alsoourexample;Heisourdirectionalcompass;Heisthelightthatrevealsthedarknesswithinourheartandsoul; and He is the light that exposes the darkness that surrounds us.Jesussaid,“Iamthelightoftheworld.HewhofollowsMeshallnotwalkindarkness,buthavethelightoflife.”John 8:12ItisimportanttounderstandtheobjectiveofthismessageistoenhanceunderstandingofJesusandourselves.However,whenweopenourhearttoguidanceandcorrectionbytheHolySpirit…itcansometimesbe“painful”when thedepthsofoursinarerevealed.Remember...weareforgivenbecauseofthesacrificialbloodthatJesusshedfor us;becausewebelieveJesusChristdiedforoursins;andbecausewehaveacceptedHimasourSavior.Jesus filledthegapbetweenwhoweareandwhoweshouldbe—andwearejustified—or“just-as-if-I’d”neversinned.ProofofGod’sgrace—andouradoptionasHischildren—isevidencedbyHispromiseHewouldgiveusanewheart and a new spirit. “Iwillgiveyouanewheartandputanewspiritwithinyou;Iwilltaketheheartofstoneoutofyourfleshandgiveyou aheartofflesh.IwillputMySpiritwithinyouandcauseyoutowalkinMystatutes,andyouwillkeepMyjudgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27ConsiderforamomentwhoyouwerebeforeyouacceptedJesus…andwhoyouarenow.Considerthechangesthat haveoccurredinyourheart,changesinyourbehavior,changesinyourthoughts,changesinhowyouviewothers, andchangesinhowyouviewtheworld.Allofthesechangeshaveoccurred—andwillcontinuetooccur—because God keeps all of His promises!“Forweourselveswerealsooncefoolish,disobedient,deceived,servingvariouslustsandpleasures,livinginmalice andenvy,hatefulandhatingoneanother.ButwhenthekindnessandtheloveofGodourSaviortowardman appeared,notbyworksofrighteousnesswhichwehavedone,butaccordingtoHismercyHesavedus,throughthe washingofregenerationandrenewingoftheHolySpirit,whomHepouredoutonusabundantlythroughJesusChrist ourSavior,thathavingbeenjustifiedbyHisgraceweshouldbecomeheirsaccordingtothehopeofeternallife.”Titus 3:3-7EachoneofuscanattesttothetransformationalpoweroftheHolySpiritbecausewehaveindividuallywitnessedan increasingdislikeofoursinfulnature;arepulsiontowardsthedarknessthatisintheworld;andadesiretospiritually grow, increase knowledge of our Lord, and to become more like Him. What’s more, we are not motivated by fear. But rather, we are pulled towards Him by His grace and love.•Love and fear are mutually exclusive. As one increases, the other decreases.•When someone is motivated by fear…you can gain obedience…but you will not win the heart.•When someone is motivated by love…you can gain obedience…and win the heart.Christians are Transformed into His ImageWhenwestepbackandlookatthebigpicture…Christiansexperiencealife-longprocessasGod’sgraceandthe Holy Spirit transforms each of us into an image of His Son…in the same way Jesus was an image of the Father.“Butweall,withunveiledface,beholdingasinamirrorthegloryoftheLord,arebeingtransformedintothesame image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 JesusChristwasaperfectreflectionofGod.IfyouwanttoknowthenatureandcharacterofGod…lookatJesus.In addition,theministryandlifeofJesuspointedtowardsHisFather…asHedirectedrecognitionandglorytowards God…and never sought personal acknowledgement or praise for His words and miracles.Jesusexplained,“Mostassuredly,Isaytoyou,theSoncandonothingofHimself,butwhatHeseestheFatherdo; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:19“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15“AndtheWordbecamefleshanddweltamongus,andwebeheldHisglory,thegloryasoftheonlybegottenofthe Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14PhilipaskedJesustoshowustheFather.Jesusresponded,“HaveIbeenwithyousolong,andyetyouhavenot knownMe,Philip?HewhohasseenMehasseentheFather;sohowcanyousay,‘ShowustheFather’?Doyou notbelievethatIamintheFather,andtheFatherinMe?ThewordsthatIspeaktoyouIdonotspeakonMyown authority;buttheFatherwhodwellsinMedoestheworks.BelieveMethatIamintheFatherandtheFatherinMe, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11In the same way Jesus was a reflection of God, we become a reflection of Jesus as the Holy Spirit works in our lives.However,duetooursinfulnature,weoften“getintheway.”Toreinforcethisconcept,here’sahumorousthatvideo that portrays our focus upon self.(Click the graphic below.)Thesinglewordofthesong(sungbytheMuppetcharacterBeaker)reveals abasictruthabouthumannatureinthatweareself-centered.Unfortunately, thewordsme,me,me,me,me,me,me,me…oftendefinesanundesirable sourceofhumanmotivation;andisasubliminalinfluencerofwhatwethink, whatwedoandwhatwesay.NotehowthevariouscharactersofBeaker harmoniouslysungthesong;howhebeathisowndrum;howheuseda violintoaccentuatethesong,howtheintensityincreased;howhebecame distraughtasthingsgotoutofcontrol;andhowdestructionoccurredinthe end (all of which correlates to the lifecycle of sin).Apredominanceof“me”willinfluencetwodifferentperceptions:externalandinternal.Both perceptions will often have little to no regard for others.Fromanexternalperspective,self-centerednesswillinfluencehowweperceive,judge andcommunicatewithotherpersons.Ourfocuson“me”willalsoinitiateemotionalresponses.Plus,itinfluencesour willingness to engage others based upon similarities (social status, education, and so forth).ChuckSmith—founderofCalvaryChapel—lookedbeyondhimself,yieldedtothe HolySpirit,andreachedouttothosewhowereconsideredsocialoutcastsand rejects.Here’sawonderfulvideothatrevealssomeofthereasonswhyCalvary Chapelhascontinuedtogrowsincethe1960s.ThevideoisofChuckintroducing LoveSongin2009…ashesharesthestoryofthefirsttimehemetthem.Clickon Chuck’s picture to launch the video.From an internal perspective, self-centered thoughts usually begin with an “I” or end with “me.” •I want it.• What’s in it for me?•I am angry.• What will others think of me?•I was disrespected.• Are there personal costs to me?Unfortunately,thisisour“normal”thinking—whichweallexperience.Simplystated,“me”permeatesandinfluences our thoughts. What’s more, it is extremely rare when a “me-driven” person will consider such thoughts as: •Will this please God?•Will this glorify God?•Will this benefit someone?•Is there eternal value?Whenyouthinkaboutit…thisisveryoddthinking.Andifsomeoneactsuponthesetypesofthoughtsitwilloftenbe perceivedasabnormalbehavior,andtosomeshocking—andwillaskthemselves“whywouldyoudothat?”The reason…thistypeofbehaviorconflictswiththedesiresofhumannature,isindirectcontrastagainsttoday’s marketingmessages,iscontrarytomovieportrayals,opposesjustaboutallsocialnorms,andprettymuch“messes" with everyone’s minds and expectations.Thistypeofbehaviorisknownasaltruistic.Altruismmaybedefinedanunselfishacttoenhancethewelfareof anotherperson—withoutanticipationorexpectationofpersonalrecognition,orpersonalreward,orpersonalreturn.Inaddition,thistypeofbehaviorisnoteasybecauseitusuallyinvolvessomeformofcost.Andyes,therearetimes whenaltruisticbehavioris“me”driven:tomakeonefeelbetteraboutthemselves.However,itisquitedifferentwhen altruismoccursforthegloryofGod.Thistypeofbehaviorrequiresheart-transformingrevelationbytheHoly Spirit—followedbyapersonaldecision—andcontinualremindersandreinforcement(viaprayerandreadingGod’s word)—inthatthiswholethingofliving…andthereasonIexist—isnotaboutme!Thisiswhenonediscoversa mystery…in that living life to the fullest is about loving God and serving others.Jesusdeclared,“YoushalllovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheart,withallyoursoul,andwithallyourmind.This isthefirstandgreatcommandment.Andthesecondislikeit:Youshallloveyourneighborasyourself.Onthesetwo commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40Take some time to contemplate the following statement: Everything Jesus Christ said and did during His life and death exemplified “it’s not about me.” •His life was about seeking the will of the Father.•His death was for us.“LetthismindbeinyouwhichwasalsoinChristJesus,who,beingintheformofGod,didnotconsideritrobberytobeequalwithGod,butmadeHimselfof noreputation,takingtheformofabondservant,andcominginthelikenessof men.Andbeingfoundinappearanceasaman,HehumbledHimselfand becameobedienttothepointofdeath,eventhedeathofthecross.”Philippians 2:5-8“Letnothingbedonethroughselfishambitionorconceit,butinlowlinessof mindleteachesteemothersbetterthanhimself.Leteachofyoulookoutnot only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4Click on the picture above to heara wonderful song by Shelly Nirider.Aswegoaboutourdailylives…asweencounterotherpersons,andaswemakechoices…itisbeneficialtoask ourselves the following questions.•Will this please God?•Will this glorify God?•Will this benefit someone else?•Is there eternal value?ThesequestionsencapsulatetheministryofJesusChrist.What’smore,theywillilluminateyourheart;theywill reveal degrees of self-centeredness; and they will reduce the influence of me.All for His Glory!Harold D Thomas
Thought-Provoking QuestionsThepurposeofthequestionsbelowistofacilitateadeeperunderstandingoftheBible,thisBiblestudycontent,and ourselves.Thequestionsmaybeansweredbyeachreader;orusedbyaBiblestudygroupleaderorchurchpastor.The following questions should be answered or discussed after reading “It’s Not About Me.”Thefollowingquestionsaredesignedtoenhancelearningviatheidentificationofopinionsand/ordiscoveringhowthe lesson content illuminates our personal lives. As such, no answers are provided. QuestionsDo you know a self-centered person? If yes, what have they done or said that caused you to determine they are self-centered?Have there been any consequences? For example:•Do you find them manipulative?•Do you like being around this person?Are you able to identify self-centered characteristics in what you do and say?Did any content from the lesson speak to your heart? If yes, what spoke the loudest?What can you do differently in the future? Once identified, ask yourself is this for me or God?The questions may be viewed and downloaded via a PDF file by clicking on this button.Can you think of someone who could benefit from reading this lesson? If yes, CLICK HERE for more info.
The words of Jesus Christ are in red text.
AswelearnmoreaboutJesusChrist,welearnmore aboutourselves.Jesusisnotonlyoursaviorand Lord—Heisalsoourexample;Heisourdirectional compass;Heisthelightthatrevealsthedarknesswithin ourheartandsoul;andHeisthelightthatexposesthe darkness that surrounds us.Jesussaid,“Iamthelightoftheworld.Hewhofollows Meshallnotwalkindarkness,buthavethelightoflife.”John 8:12Itisimportanttounderstandtheobjectiveofthis messageistoenhanceunderstandingofJesusand ourselves.However,whenweopenourheartto guidanceandcorrectionbytheHolySpirit…itcan sometimesbe“painful”whenthedepthsofoursinare revealed.Remember...weareforgivenbecauseofthe sacrificialbloodthatJesusshedforus;becausewe believeJesusChristdiedforoursins;andbecausewe haveacceptedHimasourSavior.Jesusfilledthegap betweenwhoweareandwhoweshouldbe—andwe arejustified—or“just-as-if-I’d”neversinned.Proofof God’sgrace—andouradoptionasHischildren—is evidencedbyHispromiseHewouldgiveusanewheart and a new spirit. “Iwillgiveyouanewheartandputanewspiritwithin you;Iwilltaketheheartofstoneoutofyourfleshand giveyouaheartofflesh.IwillputMySpiritwithinyou andcauseyoutowalkinMystatutes,andyouwillkeep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27Considerforamomentwhoyouwerebeforeyou acceptedJesus…andwhoyouarenow.Considerthe changesthathaveoccurredinyourheart,changesin yourbehavior,changesinyourthoughts,changesin howyouviewothers,andchangesinhowyouviewthe world.Allofthesechangeshaveoccurred—andwill continuetooccur—becauseGodkeepsallofHis promises!“Forweourselveswerealsooncefoolish,disobedient, deceived,servingvariouslustsandpleasures,livingin maliceandenvy,hatefulandhatingoneanother.But whenthekindnessandtheloveofGodourSavior towardmanappeared,notbyworksofrighteousness whichwehavedone,butaccordingtoHismercyHe savedus,throughthewashingofregenerationand renewingoftheHolySpirit,whomHepouredoutonus abundantlythroughJesusChristourSavior,thathaving beenjustifiedbyHisgraceweshouldbecomeheirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7Eachoneofuscanattesttothetransformationalpower oftheHolySpiritbecausewehaveindividually witnessedanincreasingdislikeofoursinfulnature;a repulsiontowardsthedarknessthatisintheworld;and adesiretospirituallygrow,increaseknowledgeofour Lord, and to become more like Him. What’smore,wearenotmotivatedbyfear.Butrather, we are pulled towards Him by His grace and love.•Loveandfeararemutuallyexclusive.Asone increases, the other decreases.•Whensomeoneismotivatedbyfear…youcangain obedience…but you will not win the heart.•Whensomeoneismotivatedbylove…youcangain obedience…and win the heart.Christians are Transformed into His ImageWhenwestepbackandlookatthebig picture…Christiansexperiencealife-longprocessas God’sgraceandtheHolySpirittransformseachofus intoanimageofHisSon…inthesamewayJesuswas an image of the Father.“Butweall,withunveiledface,beholdingasinamirror thegloryoftheLord,arebeingtransformedintothe sameimagefromglorytoglory,justasbytheSpiritof the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 JesusChristwasaperfectreflectionofGod.Ifyou wanttoknowthenatureandcharacterofGod…lookat Jesus.Inaddition,theministryandlifeofJesuspointed towardsHisFather…asHedirectedrecognitionand glorytowardsGod…andneversoughtpersonal acknowledgement or praise for His words and miracles.Jesusexplained,“Mostassuredly,Isaytoyou,theSon candonothingofHimself,butwhatHeseestheFather do;forwhateverHedoes,theSonalsodoesinlike manner.” John 5:19“HeistheimageoftheinvisibleGod,thefirstbornover all creation.” Colossians 1:15“AndtheWordbecamefleshanddweltamongus,and webeheldHisglory,thegloryasoftheonlybegottenof the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14PhilipaskedJesustoshowustheFather.Jesus responded,“HaveIbeenwithyousolong,andyetyou havenotknownMe,Philip?HewhohasseenMehas seentheFather;sohowcanyousay,‘Showusthe Father’?DoyounotbelievethatIamintheFather,and theFatherinMe?ThewordsthatIspeaktoyouIdo notspeakonMyownauthority;buttheFatherwho dwellsinMedoestheworks.BelieveMethatIamin theFatherandtheFatherinMe,orelsebelieveMefor the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11InthesamewayJesuswasareflectionofGod,we becomeareflectionofJesusastheHolySpiritworksin our lives.However,duetooursinfulnature,weoften“getinthe way.”Toreinforcethisconcept,here’sahumorousthat video that portrays our focus upon self.(Click on the picture below.)Thesinglewordofthe song(sungbythe Muppetcharacter Beaker)revealsabasic truthabouthumannature inthatweareself-centered.Unfortunately, thewordsme,me,me, me,me,me,me,me…oftendefinesanundesirable sourceofhumanmotivation;andisasubliminal influencerofwhatwethink,whatwedoandwhatwe say.NotehowthedifferentpersonasofBeaker harmoniouslysungthesong;howhebeathisown drum;howheusedaviolintoaccentuatethesong,how theintensityincreased;howhebecamedistraughtas thingsgotoutofcontrol;andhowdestructionoccurred in the end (all of which correlates to the lifecycle of sin).Apredominanceof“me” willinfluencetwodifferent perceptions:externaland internal.Bothperceptions willoftenhavelittletono regard for others.Fromanexternalperspective,self-centerednesswill influencehowweperceive,judgeandcommunicatewith otherpersons.Ourfocuson“me”willalsoinitiate emotionalresponses.Plus,itinfluencesourwillingness toengageothersbaseduponsimilarities(socialstatus, education, and so forth).ChuckSmith—founderofCalvaryChapel—looked beyondhimself,yieldedtotheHolySpirit,andreached outtothosewhowereconsideredsocialoutcastsand rejects.Here’sawonderfulvideothatrevealssomeof thereasonswhyCalvary Chapelhascontinuedto growsincethe1960s.ThevideoisofChuck introducingLoveSongin 2009…ashesharesthe storyofthefirsttimehe met them.Click on the picture above to watch the video.Fromaninternalperspective,self-centeredthoughts usually begin with an “I” or end with “me.” •I want it.•I am angry.•I was disrespected.•What’s in it for me?•What will others think of me?•Are there personal costs to me?Unfortunately,thisisour“normal”thinking—whichweall experience.Simplystated,“me”permeatesand influencesourthoughts.What’smore,itisextremely rarewhena“me-driven”personwillconsidersuch thoughts as: •Will this please God?•Will this glorify God?•Will this benefit someone?•Is there eternal value?Whenyouthinkaboutit…thisisveryoddthinking.And ifsomeoneactsuponthesetypesofthoughtsitwill oftenbeperceivedasabnormalbehavior,andtosome shocking—andwillaskthemselves“whywouldyoudo that?”Thereason…thistypeofbehaviorconflictswith thedesiresofhumannature,isindirectcontrastagainst today’smarketingmessages,iscontrarytomovie portrayals,opposesjustaboutallsocialnorms,and prettymuch“messes"witheveryone’smindsand expectations.Thistypeofbehaviorisknownasaltruistic.Altruism maybedefinedanunselfishacttoenhancethewelfare ofanotherperson—withoutanticipationorexpectation ofpersonalrecognition,orpersonalreward,orpersonal return.Inaddition,thistypeofbehaviorisnoteasy becauseitusuallyinvolvessomeformofcost.Andyes, therearetimeswhenaltruisticbehavioris“me”driven: tomakeonefeelbetteraboutthemselves.However,it isquitedifferentwhenaltruismoccursforthegloryof God.Thistypeofbehaviorrequiresheart-transforming revelationbytheHolySpirit—followedbyapersonal decision—andcontinualremindersandreinforcement (viaprayerandreadingGod’sword)—inthatthiswhole thingofliving…andthereasonIexist—isnotaboutme!Thisiswhenonediscoversamystery…inthatlivinglife to the fullest is about loving God and serving others.Jesusdeclared,“YoushalllovetheLordyourGodwith allyourheart,withallyoursoul,andwithallyourmind.Thisisthefirstandgreatcommandment.Andthe secondislikeit:Youshallloveyourneighboras yourself.Onthesetwocommandmentshangallthe Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40Take some time to contemplate the following statement: EverythingJesusChristsaidanddidduringHislifeand death exemplified “it’s not about me.” •His life was about seeking the will of the Father.•His death was for us.“LetthismindbeinyouwhichwasalsoinChristJesus, who,beingintheformofGod,didnotconsiderit robberytobeequalwithGod,butmadeHimselfofno reputation,takingtheformofabondservant,and cominginthelikenessofmen.Andbeingfoundin appearanceasaman,HehumbledHimselfand becameobedienttothepointofdeath,eventhedeath of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8“Letnothingbedonethroughselfishambitionor conceit,butinlowlinessof mindleteachesteem othersbetterthanhimself.Leteachofyoulookout notonlyforhisown interests,butalsoforthe interestsofothers.”Philippians 2:3-4 Click on the picture above to hear a wonderful song by Shelly Nirider.Aswegoaboutourdailylives…asweencounterother persons,andaswemakechoices…itisbeneficialto ask ourselves the following questions.•Will this please God?•Will this glorify God?•Will this benefit someone else?•Is there eternal value?ThesequestionsencapsulatetheministryofJesus Christ.What’smore,theywillilluminateyourheart;they willrevealdegreesofself-centeredness;andtheywill reduce the influence of me.All for His Glory!Harold D Thomas
Thought-Provoking QuestionsThepurposeofthequestionsbelowistofacilitatea deeperunderstandingoftheBible,thisBiblestudy content,andourselves.Thequestionsmaybeanswered byeachreader;orusedbyaBiblestudygroupleaderor churchpastor.Thefollowingquestionsshouldbe answered or discussed after reading “It’s Not About Me.”Thefollowingquestionsaredesignedtoenhancelearning viatheidentificationofopinionsand/ordiscoveringhow thelessoncontentilluminatesourpersonallives.As such, no answers are provided. QuestionsDo you know a self-centered person? Ifyes,whathavetheydoneorsaidthatcausedyouto determine they are self-centered?Have there been any consequences? For example:•Do you find them manipulative?•Do you like being around this person?Areyouabletoidentifyself-centeredcharacteristicsin what you do and say?Didanycontentfromthelessonspeaktoyourheart?If yes, what spoke the loudest?Whatcanyoudodifferentlyinthefuture?Onceidentified, ask yourself is this for me or God?The questions may be viewed and downloaded via a PDF file by clicking on this button.Canyouthinkofsomeonewhocouldbenefitfromreading this lesson? If yes, CLICK HERE for more info.