Review of Week 15

DESTINY: Jesus was not derailed from fulfilling what He was sent to do. The Holy Spirit won’t be either. If we’re sad or dismayed because things aren’t working out as we expected, we must allow the reality of God penetrate our preferences. The truth will set us free.

BEYOND SIGHT: Seeing is a flesh sense. Receiving is an internal yielding at the spirit level. We live beyond sight.

DEATH: We can’t curb, suppress, or counteract sin. We must be crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with

RESURRECTION: A well-adjusted person is one who is resurrected with Jesus. Trying to be like Jesus is futile, because our concepts of Him are faulty. The Holy Spirit is reliable.

ETERNAL LIFE: This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Eternal life is His life NOW.

BURDENS: Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. Be rid of illegitimate burdens.

YOKED: Being yoked to Jesus brings rest to our souls. He knows where to go, what to carry, and how to carry it.

Apr 15 - BLAMELESS

2 Chron.15:17 ”...But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa's heart was blameless all his days...”

Context: The spirit of God had come upon the prophet Azariah, who then explained the things of God to Asa. Asa then set out to make reforms in the land. He removed idols, reinstated sacrifices, and rallied the people to seek the Lord God. 15:17 says he failed to remove the high places, nevertheless his heart was loyal all his days.

What are High Places, and why have they always been a problem for God’s people?

How could Asa’s heart be blameless if he failed to remove the high places? Is it the high places, or what’s done on them that’s the problem?

Would it have been better to remove them? Would removing them have prevented any further problem? [they always seem to be rebuilt]

Is it possible that trivial matters to us are extremely important to God?

Can you take a day off morally and remain moral?

Can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual?

What’s the difference between a meticulous housekeeper and an average housekeeper?

Are we meticulous about our spiritual house? Should we be?

Are there things in our lives that we think don’t matter much, but God has a different view?

Apr 16 - BELIEF

John 12:36 “...While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them...”

Context: Following the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus explained His upcoming death. He then hid Himself from them. Why? John 12:37 “...But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him...”

Is our ability to see Jesus affected by our belief?

What is a mountain top experience? [above issues, feeling fine (triumphal entry)]

What is a valley experience? [down in the thick of realities, less perspective]

Which do we prefer? Do we get to choose?

What should we do and what should we remember when on a mountain top?

- get our bearings and perspective (don’t just be thrilled).

- we must move on, and it will mean functioning in less than the current state.

What should we do and what should we remember when in a valley?

- keep the perspective of the mountain and navigate carefully.

- know that this is not permanent, not all there is.

How can we, as O.C. says, “bring the commonplace life up to the standard revealed in the high hour,” or “live in the gray day according to what we saw on the mount?” [Pay careful attention while in the light. Rely on what we know to be true when circumstances are giving us the opposite information]

Examples:

- Room full of furniture - navigate during a power outage.

- Marriage - navigate during a feelings outage.

Isaiah 40:4-5 “...Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken..."

Apr 17 - BEELINE

John 21:7 ”...Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea...”

Context: Post resurrection. Out fishing. Lord Jesus on shore. Peter put on his garment and dove in.

Why would he put on his garment before diving into the water?

Opportunity presented, Peter plunged.

Should we be making a beeline for the Master?

Should we first get our house in order? Should we first bury our dead?

Can emotion lead a person to Jesus?

- emotions are powerful enough to make you jump.

- preachers appeal to emotions regularly to bring people to an altar.

Can emotions sustain a relationship with Jesus?

- emotions change when a person realizes the reality of the deep, cold water, and the great distance to shore.

- it takes more than emotion to go the distance.

- it takes more than will power to go the distance.

It takes faith (absolute assurance without sight) to finish the race.

Apr 18 - BE READY

Ex.3:4 “...When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am..."

What happened here?

1. God caught Moses’ attention - he turned aside to look. Moses could have been so intent on other things that he didn’t turn aside.

2. After getting his attention - God spoke to him. It wasn’t just a neat little occurrence of nature. The living God speaks to man.

3. Moses responded. He didn’t think himself crazy. He didn’t turn back to the familiar. He was ready to meet God

Moses was 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years in leading Israel.

Was he more ready to turn aside in Egypt or the wilderness of Midian?

How does God get our attention? Will we turn aside from what we’re doing to see what God’s calling is all about?

Are we ready for both big things and small things? Which do we prefer?

Will we say “Here I am” when God’s call us?

Apr 19 - BE LOYAL

1 Kings 2:28 “...Now the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar...”

Absalom was David’s son. He conspired to overthrow his father, and did indeed chase him out of Jerusalem. Joab was the commander of David’s army, and he remained true to David, he slew Absalom whose hair had him hanging from a terebinth tree.

Adonijah, another son of David, and probably the oldest surviving son, presumed to be king when David was old, and his circulation was bad. Joab joined him, but Solomon, the son of Bethsheba, the wife David stole from Uriah the Hittite, was anointed king -- so Joab lost his life

Does passing the big test insure that we will continue to choose wisely?

There is an undercurrent of deceit that fills our world. It can take the feet out from under anyone who becomes over confident and careless. We must maintain our alertness

1 Cor. 10:12 “...Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall...”

1 Peter 1:3-5 “...Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time...”

Apr 20 - BE ACTIVE

2 Cor.1:20 “...For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us...”

Do you think of yourself as a capable person?

Do you think you know what you are capable of?

Do you think God would require more of you than you are capable of?

Matt.25:14-30 - The parable of the talents. Two achievers. One fearful underachiever.

What was the problem with the underachiever? [He misunderstood the Master. He misunderstood his relationship to the Master]

What determines our spiritual capacity, the extent of our life in spiritual matters?

- not education, intellect, or natural abilities.

- the ‘yes’ promises and purposes of God.

Can you be and do anything you want? [that’s a lie]

Can you be and do all you were created to be and do? [that’s the truth]

Will God expect more of you than you can deliver?

Our spiritual capacity is not related to our natural ability. It’s dependent on God in Christ Jesus. And all the promises of God in Him are yes and so be it.

How would you describe a lazy person? [someone who chooses to do nothing rather than to do that which needs doing]

How would you describe a spiritually lazy person?

Apr 21 - BE SIMPLE

John 14:9 ”...Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?...”

Context: Philip had asked Jesus to show us the Father.

When you think of the disciples, do you think of them as being slow learners or quick learners?

What were some of the problems they had?

- they were looking for something more!

- they didn’t see the obvious before them, or understand the direction Jesus was going

Is looking for the spectacular still a problem?

O.C. says we look for God to manifest Himself to us when all along He wants to manifest Himself in us.