Review of Week 24:
SEEK: Take the proper
steps and kingdom life opens up before you.
REST: The solution for
unrest is “coming to Jesus”.
STAY: Stay with Christ
and you will be transformed.
FOLLOW: Will we give up
our natural affinities to follow the Master?
ABIDE: Abiding leads to
transformation, obedience of thoughts, and correct thoughts.
CHARACTER: It takes
diligence to build good character.
LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE: Save
your life and lose it. Lose your life and save it. You must choose.
June 17 - JUDGE
NOT
Matt.7:1-5 "...Do
not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way
you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it
will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is
in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own
eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck
out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye...”
Jesus had one word He
used in reference to judging another - NOT (quite contemporary don’t
you think)
What does a judge do?
[passes final sentence, either clearing or convicting.]
Who is the judge?
Hebrews 12:23 “...to
the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in
heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous made perfect,...”
2 Timothy 4:1 “...I
solemnly charge you in the presence of God and
of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the
living and the dead, and by His appearing and His
kingdom...”
What happens when we
judge? [we come under the same judgment.]
What is criticism? Is it
the same as conviction? [NO] Does criticism come naturally for
Christians? For you?
What’s the difference
between a play-by-play announcer and a participant in the game?
Which is easier,
criticizing from the booth or playing the game? [The Holy Spirit
comes alongside. He doesn’t criticize from the booth.]
If the Holy Spirit would
work through you on behalf of another, how do you think He would do
it? [By coming alongside.]
Explain the speck and
plank from Matt.7:3
What does Matt.7:5 say?
- We are expected to help
our brother.
- God doesn’t say do
nothing. He says get fixed, then come alongside one another.
- Just don’t do what? JUDGE NOT
June 18 - LOOK
TO JESUS
Matt 14:29-30 “...And
He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked
on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind,
he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he
cried out, "Lord, save me!..."
What were the conditions
before Peter walked on the water toward Jesus?
- Matt.14:24 “...But
the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the
waves; for the wind was contrary...”
Why did Peter ask Jesus
to command Him to come on the water?
- Peter saw His Lord
involved in activity that was beyond the natural.
- He wanted to be
involved if His Lord wanted it so.
Did Jesus want Peter
involved in activity beyond the natural? Does Jesus want you
involved in activity beyond the natural?
What changed that caused
Peter to sink?
- It wasn’t
circumstances. They were rough to begin with, and continued to be
rough as Peter walked on the water with Jesus.
- It was focus that
changed.
What causes the life
giving word to be choked out of a believer (from parable of sower)?
- cares of this world and
deceitfulness of riches.
God’s Word comes to us
in all circumstances. We can’t wait until things calm down to act
on His Word. We can’t lose focus when circumstances don’t get
better as we act on His Word.
Jesus bids us to come
unto Him.
Let your actual
circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus,
maintaining complete reliance on Him.
June 19 - TEND
John 21:16 “...He
said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do
you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You
know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd
My sheep..."
What are sheep like?
[Dumb. Vulnerable. Prone to going astray. Helpless.]
Which sheep does a
shepherd care for? [All that are his, especially the one that is the
most prone to going astray.]
Jesus tied Peter’s love
for Him to the service of caring for His people.
Can a sheep decide to be
a shepherd?
If a sheep tried to be a
shepherd, would the flock be safe?
What, from this section
in John, qualifies one to be a shepherd?
- LOVING Jesus.
- HEEDING His call.
- CARING for people.
What does it mean to
substitute doctrinal belief for personal belief? [devotion narrowed
to creeds and causes, which falls short of devotion to Christ.]
Why does devotion to the
cause of humanity lead to exhaustion and faltering love?
If we love Christ and are
passionately devoted to Him, we will get beyond self and tend to
God’s business, no matter how we’re treated.
June 20 - OTHERS
Job 42:10 “...The
Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his
friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had
twofold...”
Others, Lord, yes others.
Let this my motto be. Help me to live for others, that I might live
like Thee.
When did Job’s blessing
come? [When he prayed for his friends]
Why did Job pray for his
friends? [God told him to pray for them]
When does your blessing
come? [It’s not because of what you know, but what you do]
What should you be doing?
- Whatever God tells you
to do.
- Self interests pervert
the will of the Father.
- We can’t bargain with
God.
- We must submit to His
authority, to His means of salvation, to the circumstances ordained
for us, and to the call to pray for others.
The one small step for
man, the one giant step for mankind, isn’t a step on the moon, it’s
the step from self-centered to others-centered.
Where is our focus today?
June 21 - PROCLAIM
1 Pet.2:9 ”...But
you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, A
holy nation, a people for God's own possession,
so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;...”
Context:
1 Peter 2:6,7 “...For
this is contained in Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a choice
stone, a precious corner stone, And he
who believes in Him will not be disappointed." This
precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who
disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, This became
the very corner stone,..."
1 Peter 2:8 “...and,
"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense";
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word,
and to this doom they were also appointed...”
Who is Peter talking
about here? [Paul was addressing the pilgrims of the dispersion, born
again people, Christians living in Asia Minor who were suffering
rejection in the world because of their obedience to Christ.]
Are you a part of the
royal priesthood, His own special people?
Why does God have chosen
race, a royal priesthood? [to proclaim His excellencies]
How does self evaluation
and introspection create a self-centered morbid type of Christianity?
How can it be avoided?
Do we spend more time
discussing and evaluating darkness than we spend living in His
marvelous light?
If we have been called
out of darkness into His marvelous light, we will be proclaiming His
excellencies!
June 22 - MERCY
Matt. 7:2 "...For
in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your
standard of measure, it will be measured to
you...”
Are we the creators of
the world within which we live?
If I don’t think I’m
in control, but the future rests on my shoulders, what will my future
look like?
If I think and act like
I’m in control, but I’m not, how will the one in control respond?
If I never ask these
kinds of questions, and never find answers - does it matter?
Highlights of the life of
King Nebuchadnezzar from the book of Daniel.
Daniel 1:2 “...The
Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand...”
Daniel 4:22 “...it
is you, O king; for you have become great and
grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the
sky and your dominion to the end of the earth...”
Daniel 4:25 “...that
you be driven away from mankind and your
dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given
grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and
seven periods of time will pass over you, until you
recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and
bestows it on whomever He wishes...”
Daniel 4:28 “...All
this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king...”
Daniel 4:34 “...But
at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my
eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I
blessed the Most High and praised and honored
Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, And His kingdom endures from
generation to generation...”
The Lord gave
Nebuchadnezzar power, and he became great, but failed to acknowledge
his position under God. Circumstances changed until he finally
accepted the fact the God’s kingdom endures forever.
If Matt.7:2 is true, does
ignorance of the truth make it any less true? Does ignorance of any
of God’s truth make it less true?
What do you need, what do
you want, when you come before God, carrying all the baggage of your
sin and shortcomings? [Mercy and Grace]
What do your fellow
humans need? [Mercy and Grace]
What do you extend to
people?
What will God extend to
you, according to Matt.7:2? [What you extend to others]
June 23 - SIN
Isa.53:3 “...He was
despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He
was despised, and we did not esteem Him...”
One of the first books I
read as a new Christian was Peace with God by Billy Graham.
I recall that he had a
list of things that people through time have used to try to find
peace and contentment. And all of them fail.
I was reminded of the
book by O.C. saying men try to control instincts and educate
themselves into the life of God.
Why are our good
intentions doomed to fail?
- we always run into a
wild, irrational problem.
- we must face the
problem of SIN.
- sin doesn’t submit to
our good intentions. It doesn’t listen to our logic.
- sin is “red-handed
mutiny against God”.
How can we escape the
corruption that is in the world?
- 2 Peter 1:4 “...For
by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises,
so that by them you may become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
by lust...”
- His precious and
magnificent promises lead to partaking of the divine nature.
Can we think our way
clear of sin?
- It can’t be managed,
and Jesus knew it.
- Galatians 2:20 ”...I
have been crucified with Christ; and it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me...”
- Galatians 5:24 “...Now
those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires...”
- It must be crucified.
What was the instruction
to the lukewarm Laodicean church in Revelation.
- Rev. 3:15-16 “...'I
know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish
that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm,
and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth...”
- Rev 3:19 “...'Those
whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous
and repent...”
Why did Jesus come?
- To reconcile man to
God.
- To pay the price for
sin.
- To make a way for Peace
with God.
- He was despised and
rejected ...a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Sin cause
grief.
- Jesus was intimate with
the grief.
Don’t be casual about
sin! Jesus faced it. We must readily repent and allow the cleansing
to occur. This is the purpose of God in our lives for which Jesus
came.
