Review of Week 6

SACRIFICE: An offering is used up. Our reasonable service (Rom.12:1) is to present ourselves as living sacrifices. Poured out and used up for God’s redemptive and creative purposes.

WILLING: We prepare the altar, God provides the fire. We are the living sacrifices, ready and willing to be offered.

DEJECTION: We sometimes have the facts right, but our eyes are restrained from seeing the bigger picture. Dejection is a sign we are handling the facts incorrectly.

SANCTIFIED: Being “set apart” for God is easy, but it costs us everything. He who calls us is faithful, who also will do it.

EXHAUSTION: Spiritual exhaustion implies too little input or too much output. Decreasing the output is not the answer.

FOCUS: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Treasure, and focus, on God.

TRUST: If we are bored and sullen it is because we are trapped in a fallen, see/touch world. A redeemed, God inspired imagination opens up a world of opportunity, expectation, and excitement.

Feb 12 - LISTEN

Ex.20:19 “...Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die..."

Context? God had just given the 10 commandments, but the people (v.18) “...perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and ... they trembled and stood at a distance...”

Is it peculiar that people would not want to talk to God? That they would want a mediator?

Why is listening to someone other than God easier than listening to God? [we can reject or accept others as we please. Not so with God]

Jesus said in John 14:15 “...If you love Me, you will keep My commandments...”

Why don’t we keep the commandments? [we don’t love to listen].

Why don’t we listen? [we don’t love and respect Him].

Which is more likely in your life, lack of listening or lack of obedience?

How can we improve our listening? [it really starts with love and respect]

How can we improve our response? [take what we hear seriously]

How do we feel when a persistent God finally gets our ear? [ashamed. humiliated]

Feb 13 - HEARING

1 Sam.3:10 “...Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening...”

What is something you have clearly heard from God? Is that enough for you?

If you’ve listened and heard God clearly speak once, are you guaranteed to listen the next time he speaks?

Is your interest in hearing what God has to say increasing or decreasing?

How do friends get to the point of readily knowing each other’s thoughts and desires?

How can we get to the point of readily knowing God’s heart? [improve our devotion to and our abiding with the triune God].

How can devotion to our service or convictions be a problem?

Is it normal to be able to hear God only at certain times and in certain situations? Is it right?

What can be wrong with the “Speak Lord and I’ll hear” approach?

It gives me license to do as I please because I didn’t hear him speak.

Think of the child who stays clear of his parents because they might ask him to do something.

Feb 14- DARKNESS

Matt.10:27 “...What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops...”

(Jesus is sending out the disciples - as sheep among wolves, to a life of persecution, to confessing Christ before men, among those who can kill the body - though not the soul)

Why do we not like the dark? [We can’t see what’s there, what’s coming].

Why don’t we like spiritual darkness? [we can’t see with our understanding].

What does it mean for God to speak in the dark? [unknown, unclear places and times in our lives].

How does speaking in the dark differ from speaking in the light? [more intimate, more personal, more specific]

Explain the combination of delight and humility that come from hearing God in the dark. [tremendous opportunity to grow, revelation of how much we don’t yet know]

What is our responsibility with what we hear in the darkness? [proclaim upon the housetops]

Tune in. Listen. Speak in the light

Feb 15 - SHARE

Rom.14:7 “...For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;...”

Are you free to do as you please? Do you want to be free to do as you please? Are you tempted to do as you please?

Rom.14:8 “...for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's...”

Are you held accountable for how your life affects those around you?

Rom.14:10 ”...But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God...”

Rom.14:13 “...Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this - not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way...”

Who is affected if we don’t live and die for the Lord? [self, spouse, kids, friends, coworkers, community]

Do you slice bread from the perspective of your piece or the remaining loaf?

How does our culture promote a kind of independence that doesn’t really exist?

Which things on O.C.’s no-no list describe us?

- physical selfishness

- mental carelessness

- moral insensitivity

- spiritual weakness

How do we respond to awareness of our shortcomings? [give up in shame or embrace growing].

Is God doing something in us? Do we have a place in Kingdom purposes?

Feb 16 - INITIATIVE

Eph 5:14 “...For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you..."

What is initiative? [get up and go]

What is the difference between human and inspired initiative? [flesh vs. Spirit].

What causes a person to lose initiative? [disappointment, frustration, failure to get certain results]

Does God push us? [the Holy Spirit leads, but we must follow]

What is our part? [to arise] What is God’s part? [guide]

When does O.C. Say that life and power come? [after, not before, we’ve made a move]

What could’ve prevented the withered hand’s healing (Matt.12:13)? The man.

Feb 17 - DEPRESSION

1 Kings 19:5 “...He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat..."

Context: Elijah at Mount Carmel. Great victory. He prepared the altar. God provided the fire. The prophets of Baal were executed. Jezebel was unhappy. Elijah ran for his life (You get tired running away - you get energized waiting and pressing forward)

What is depression?

- an emotional low, feeling things pressing in a defeating way.

- the opposite end of the scale from exaltation.

- a condition that causes us to stop doing the common ordinary things.

Is depression a part of being human?

Is depression only a part of being a fallen human? [Rev.21 - New heaven and new earth 21:.4 “...no longer any death ...any mourning, or crying, or pain...” 21:.7 “...He who overcomes will inherit these things...”

Can depression be avoided this side of the new heaven and new earth?

How does one overcome depression?

- not by analyzing the details. Elijah wasn’t going to find strength in contemplating Jezebel

- drugs? Does changing body chemistry address the problem or the symptoms?

How is God’s inspiration and initiative against depression?

How are the simple everyday things a place to find God?

When we arise and obey God, we move on with him in victory.

Feb 18 - MOVE ON

Matt.26:46 “...Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!..."

Context: Jesus to his sleeping disciples on his way to his betrayal

How well did the disciples support Christ in the Garden? [they slept].

How well do we support the Kingdom issues of our day? [we sleep].

What happens when we miss our opportunity to participate in what God is doing? [We become aware of things that can’t be undone. We attempt to make up for it by giving increased effort. Both can prevent responding to the next opportunity]

What does the inspiration of God challenge us to do? [get up and do the next thing] Which is? [hear when we pray, trust and obey, join Him today]

Have you ever been caught sleeping? God is in the history making business - wake up and join Him!