Review of Week 1

To keep from being ashamed, we need to keep to the point - the point at which Jesus asks us to yield - no excuses.

We must be willing to go out from where we are, the place where we live (physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually). When he calls us we must respond - no excuses.

It may involve clouds and darkness, and if we can’t go now, it may be because we haven’t yet made it to the life of power (our abilities can’t get us to where His Spirit wants to take us)

Jesus lived with worship, waiting, and work always together, fully integrated. Our intimacy with God is often severely hampered by our own plans and desires, our time misappropriations, our elevation of the promises to the position that only the promise maker should have.

Jan 8 - SACRIFICE

Gen 22:9 “...Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood...”

Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?

- insuring that the promise hadn’t become a god.

- whole story was a demonstration of the substitutionary death of Christ.

Does God want the sacrifice of death?

- O.C. Says it’s not God’s ultimate desire.

- God did institute the sacrificial process.

- God provided the perfect sacrificial Lamb - Jesus.

Does God want us to sacrifice things?

- We need to give up ownership and devotion to things when they become substitutes for intimacy with God.

- Rich young ruler.

- Every good and perfect gift comes from God. He blesses us in ways the world could not even imagine, but the blessing cannot take a wrong place in our life.

What does it look like to live Rom.12:1,2? “...Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect...”

Jan 9 - BLAMELESS

1 Thes. 5:23 “...Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

O.C. says the great mystical work of the Holy Spirit is in the dim regions of our personality which we cannot get at.

Do you agree? Does this explain why we are so incapable of fixing ourselves?

Does sin dull the senses? Are sinners unaware of their sin? Then how can they repent? Are you aware of all your sin? Then how can you be cleansed?

The Holy Spirit is amazing, and we must have His work in our lives. Do you see how important it is to not grieve the Spirit. Does He have access to your front porch? Your front room? Your back room?

Spirit (ruwach/zoe)

Conscience, Intuition, Communion

God consciousness. Touch God.

Soul (nephesh/psuche)

Intellect, emotions, will

Self consciousness. Touch Self.

Body (bios), Flesh (basar/sarx)

Senses

World consciousness. Touch the world

1 Cor. 2:14 “...But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised...”

Death in the Garden - loss of communion. Man sinks from Spirit controlled, to Soul controlled, to Body controlled.

Death at Calvary - veil torn, access restored. Man can again be Spirit led.

We are only healthy when all are in proper relationship to God.

We’re dirtier than we know, and we can become cleaner than we realize.

It’s not just a matter of cleaning up body problems.

Jan 10 - RECEIVE

Acts 26:17-18 “...I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me...'

Jesus talking to Saul at his conversion (Paul)

Our job, like his, is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God

Define the following:

Born Again - becoming Spiritually alive - not an intellectual (soul) event.

Justification - having the penalty paid, just as if you hadn’t done wrong.

Conversion - switching from flesh or soul led to Spirit led.

Regeneration - growth of something that was previously dead.

Salvation - being rescued from that which is harmful, which would kill and destroy.

Sanctification - increasingly set apart for God (led by the Spirit)

What did O.C. mean when he said conversion is not salvation? Be careful! Looking at truth is not the same as having it work in your life

What have you received from God?

Jan 11 - COST

Luke 23:26 ”...When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus...”

What is the cost of obeying God?

How can it be harder for others than for ourselves?

What tension does this create?

How can this tension negatively affect spiritual progress?

- Focusing on relieving others discomfort distracts from obedience.

- Not having compassion can become an arrogant excuse for self service.

What is conditional obedience? [telling God what consequences we will allow as a condition of our obedience to Him]

Have you ever been guilty of it conditional obedience?

Jan 12 - SOLITUDE

Mark 4:34 “...and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples...”

One of the spiritual disciplines is solitude - getting alone - away from the noise and crowds, the TV, the radio, the computers, that bombard our senses

O.C. says it is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! That we don’t recognize the envy, laziness, and pride. Do you agree?

How long does it take to conform to God’s purposes? [a lifetime]

What is the process? [conversion, regeneration, salvation, sanctification]

How does this happen? [By getting alone with Jesus. He knows, He loves. The Holy Spirit’s business is to lead us into all truth. He will reveal misplaced affections and desires]

What can prevent this process from occurring? [pride, busyness, misplaced affections and desires]

Do your habits and lifestyles make room for solitude? [Kids wanting noise - it makes them feel that they are not alone - but keeps them from the one who will always keep them from being lonely]

When you need to tell someone something, what is the best way to insure it’s done correctly? [not text, not tweet, not email, but meet privately]

Does God want to tell you anything?

Does being alone guarantee growth? [needs to be with God]

Jan 13 - SPEECHLESS

Mark 4:10 “...As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables...”

What is the difference between our arranging solitude with Him and His arranging solitude with us? [He can create some pretty extreme situations to get some ‘face time’ with us]

What do you think you understand best, the way God deals with you or the way God deals with others?

Are you better at telling others what God would have them be and do than in recognizing His talking to you?

Are we guilty of applying religion to others, but walking in a lifeless, powerless state.

God wants to get us alone, answer our questions, show us who we are, and lead us into what we can become.

Our education is best directed by Jesus, not by our questions.

Jan 14 - CALLED

Isaiah 6:8 “...Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!..."

Did Isaiah volunteer?

How did he know to volunteer? [He was already in a place of listening to and seeing spiritual things]

Was what he volunteered for personally rewarding in and of itself? Would it have come naturally from his own desires?

O.C. says whether I hear or not depends upon the condition of my ears. What I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.

Does God ever single someone out and force His will on them? [Jonah?]

Does God always single people out and force His will on them? [Normally it’s our option to be available or unavailable]

When God discusses His intentions, are we -

Available - open to the unpredictable, uncomfortable, expanding.

Unavailable - clinging to the predictable, comfortable, tether.

How can volunteering for church differ from volunteering for what God is doing?