Review of Week 34:

COME: Needed rest is found by coming to Christ. United by faith, with a pure heart and knowledge of His ways, we are lead by Him into His rest.

GIVEN: Rest is given, not earned. It comes from yielding.

PAUPERS: Paupers know how to yield, and yielding is a prerequisite in the kingdom of heaven.

BAPTIZED: Have we moved from the “as for me” to the “but He”?

PRAY: Prayer behind closed doors is an expected behavior.

TUNE IN: We pray correctly when we’re tuned in to God’s will in every situation.

FRIEND: Abiding in the agape of Jesus is linked to His commandment to love others, and it leads to fullness of joy.

Aug 26 - PEACE

John 14:23-27 “...Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful...”

What is the world’s peace? [absence of conflict. absence of discomfort. absence of struggle].

What is the peace that Jesus offers? [absence of anxiety].

How do they differ? [one depends on circumstances, the other on assurance].

How does ignorance offer some of the world’s peace? Is ignorance bliss?

- not knowing the circumstances feels better than knowing them (unfaithful spouse, medical diagnosis, stock market oscillations, government instability).

- ignorance allows a person to live in unreality, in their fantasy, in an illusion.

- it allows for a temporary false peace.

Why are the first few years of marriage both critical and complicated? [a couple gets beyond their ignorance and must face reality]

How does “reflected peace” (peace reflected from Jesus) allow a person to find stability in the midst of the world’s tribulation?

- Jesus created this world:

John 1:3 “...All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being...”

Revelation 4:11 ”...Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created..."

- Jesus holds all things together:

Colossians 1:17 “...He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together...”

- Jesus is Lord of All:

Romans 10:12 “...For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;...”

- Jesus cares.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 ”...Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!...”

- Jesus has overcome the world:

John 16:33 ”...These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world..."

When do we get disturbed, troubled, and/or perplexed? [when we are looking at circumstances and self-interest]

When are we undisturbed, non-troubled, and at peace? [when we are abiding in Him]

Isaiah 26:3 “...You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you...”

Matthew 5:9 "...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God...”

What kind of peace do sons of God make, the world’s or Jesus’ peace?

What do we bring to our sphere of influence?

Aug 27 - WALK IN LIGHT

John 12:35 ”...So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes...”

What does it mean to have the light?

- Psalms 119:105 ”...Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path...”

- John 8:12 ”...Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life..."

- God brings clarity to issues or attitudes.

What does it mean to walk in the light?

God illuminates the path.

He shines light so our feet can step in secure places.

He expects us to step there, to walk in the light.

Can darkness overtake light?

- Darkness doesn’t chase away light, light chases away darkness.

- Darkness isn’t the presence of something - it’s only the absence of light.

- If light is withdrawn, darkness exists.

- If light is blocked, darkness exists.

- If light is quenched, darkness exist.

If darkness can’t overtake light, what is the danger?

- Darkness can overtake a person.

- Failure to walk in the light, failure to keep up with Jesus, or walking away from where the light is shining results in darkness.

- Our life and faith aren’t passive. Something is required of us. We must walk, and it must be in the right place.

Do we know more than we do? How does this lead to dry rot in our spiritual lives?

- Does truth not applied deteriorate over time?

- Does truth not applied lead to hypocrisy?

What does it mean to apply truth?

- Going beyond mental agreement to actual life changes.

- Not just hearing, but obeying.

- Get rid of ______ and follow?

Would you rather go through a dark woods with a single flashlight, or with a thousand flashlights? [a thousand followers bring a lot of light to an otherwise dark world].

Aug 28 - COMMUNICATE

Luke 11:1 ”...It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples..."

Communication - we live in an age of communication unlike any other.

- We don’t send messengers running or riding between kingdoms.

- We don’t tap out messages on telegraphs.

- We have satellites and relay towers.

- We have mobile devices and internet based social networks.

- We have Skype, texting, tweeting, etc.

Are we a really close world?

What does it take to communicate?

1. A language both parties understand.

2. A means by which that language can get from one party to another.

3. An understanding of how to use the language and the means.

4. A willingness for both parties to use the language and the means.

Situation 1: It’s January of 1977. My mother calls on the phone and would like to talk with my daughter. My daughter is 3 months old. Will they have trouble communicating? There’s a significant language barrier.

Situation 2: It’s January of 2002. I want to talk to my daughter, who’s in Ethiopia. Will we have trouble communicating? There are no phones in the remote village she is serving - no means by which our common language can be transmitted.

Situation 3: It’s January of 2010. My mother wants to Skype my daughter in Seattle. Will she have trouble communicating? They have a common language and the means, but my mother doesn’t know how to use Skype.

Situation 4: It’s January of 2012. I want to talk to my son in Mukilteo. We both have phones and know how to use them. Will we have trouble communication? It’s Monday, and his phone is turned off. We have a common language and the means, but he’s unwilling to be interrupted on his Sabbath.

Does God understand our language? Do we understand His?

Is there a means by which we can communicate with God?

Do we understand how to communicate? The disciple said ‘Lord, teach us to pray’.

Are we willing to communicate? How’s our communication with God?

What is the purpose of prayer?

- It’s about communication

- It’s not mainly about getting things, but rather about getting to know God.

When do people typically pray?

- When in a crisis.

- When at their wit’s end.

- When someone they care about is in crisis or at wit’s end.

When should people pray?

- Always.

- The life of a child of God is nourished not by food, but by prayer. Physical health and vitality require food. Spiritual health and vitality require communication with God

- John 1:4 “...In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men...”

Prayer alters the way we look at things, changing our disposition. Lord, teach us to pray, since our life depends on it.

Aug 29 - BELIEVE

John 11:40 ”...Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?..."

Again we have the great divide between faith and common sense.

Common sense is not faith. It is the natural result of seen events.

- You don’t spit into the wind.

- You turn the electricity off before working on the wiring.

- You give birth control to teens because they’ll probably be promiscuous.

- You don’t stand at a tomb of a 4 days dead guy and shout ‘Lazarus, come forth’

Faith is not common sense. It is the spiritual discipline of believing the unseen.

- Faith longs for the wind of God.

- Faith longs for the shocking power of the Holy Spirit.

- Faith will lead teens away from sin and into truth.

- Believing leads to seeing the Glory of God.

Why do we not see the Glory of God in our schools and in our culture?

We’ve removed faith from the public square.

Common sense doesn’t lead to seeing the Glory of God.

What is faith? What do we know about it?

Hebrews 11:1 “...Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen...”

Hebrews 12:2 ”...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, ...”

Romans 1:17 ”...But the righteous man shall live by faith..."

Romans 10:17 “...So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ...”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “...for we walk by faith, not by sight...”

Ephesians 4:11-13 “...And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ...”

Ephesians 6:16 ”...in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one...”

2 Thessalonians 3:2 “...and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith...”

Hebrews 11:6 “...And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him...”

Jesus talked of having too little:

Matthew 14:31 “...Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said* to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?..."

Mark 4:40 “...And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?.."

Luke 8:25 “...And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?..."

Luke 9:41 “...And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here..."

Faith takes us from the natural to the spiritual.

Common sense shouts against faith. It calls it a lie.

Faith isn’t real until we’ve made it through circumstances that common sense says we can’t get through.

You can organize your belief system in your mind, but Jesus will send you out into the storm so you can know whether your faith is real or imagined.

How do we know when to exercise common sense and when to exercise faith?

Ephesians 4:14,15 “...As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,...”

- we must always be looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

- we must communicate with, and thereby deepen our relationship with God.

Aug 30 - REJOICE

Luke 10:19-20 ”...Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven..."

Does God expect us to serve His purposes? [absolutely]

Does God equip us to accomplish great things as we serve His purposes? [absolutely]

Do we, at times, get to participate in exciting supernatural events? [if we’re following Him]

How much authority do we have in Christ?

Do we have authority over things that kill people (serpents, scorpions)?

Do we have authority over Satan? Over all his power?

If we walk by faith where Jesus sends us, do we go with all the authority of the creator of the universe?

What problems crop up over this issue?

1. Christians can be cowards in life, not realizing or exercising the authority they have in Christ, and not giving their lives to His bidding.

2. Christians can rejoice in the authority, as if they were something special, instead of rejoicing in what Christ has done.

Do we as individuals have either of these problems? Do we, as a church, have either of these problems? [This would be a good thing to pray about in our secret place]

Why shouldn’t we rejoice in this authority?

- This is God’s territory and His glory.

- We are too easily puffed up, self righteous, and self conscious.

- It is what God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him (and we actually rarely even know what He is accomplishing)

Why should we beware of people who make usefulness their ground of appeal?

- preaching service is not the same as preaching the Kingdom.

- preaching church is not the same as preaching the Kingdom.

- if we follow Him we will be used, but if we focus on our service, we may not even be following Him.

What should we rejoice in?

- that our names are recorded in the Book of Life. Are they?

Lord help us. Help us to rejoice in what you’ve done. Help us to make ourselves available, to be used by you, but to continue to rejoice in what you’ve done.

Aug 31 - JOY

John 15:11 ”...These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full...”

Which things on the following list affect your joy the most profoundly?

- bodily health.

- external happenings (circumstances).

- seeing Christian work succeed.

- knowing, communing with, and understanding God.

The first three are natural cares of this world. Are they real? What do they do to us?

- Mark 4:19 ”...but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful...”

- they enslave our thinking and rob us of joy.

- they make us self-conscious and self-centered.

The last one is our spiritual link to eternal life. Is it real? What does it do to us?

- liberates us from selfishness

- makes us Christ-conscious and places Jesus’ joy within us.

John 16:21-24 “...Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. "Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full...”

Does God expect us to have no sorrow? Can sorrow and joy coexist?

Does there need to be absence of sorrow for joy to be present?

Noah Webster says joy

- In its radical sense is to shout or to leap.

- The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good

- That excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, ...or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire.

Is there sorrow and tribulation in the world? Can sorrow and joy coexist?

Jesus says ‘In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer (shout and leap), for I have overcome the world.’

Has Jesus overcome the world? Does the world we live in look like its been overcome by Jesus? Do we have to see it overcome before we can have joy?

Do we require bodily health to have joy? Do we require certain external happenings to have joy? Do we have to see God’s work succeeding to have joy?

Sept 1 - HOLY

1 Peter 1:13-16 “...Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy..."

If you embrace the history and original focus of the Free Methodist Church, you have chosen to identify with a ‘holiness’ church

Both John and Charles Wesley attended Oxford University in the 1700s. It was there that Charles started “The Holy Club”

Methodism didn’t start as a church, but as a society within the Church of England in 1739.

By 1778 the sole condition for prospective members was “a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins”

Eventually, the basic Methodist theology came to include:

1. Justification by faith

2. Salvation is for all

3. Scriptural holiness

So what is holiness? Webster defines it as:

- purity or integrity of moral character.

- freedom from sin and sinful affections.

- perfectly just and good.

Does this describe God? Does this describe us? Should it?

God liberates us from the bondage of this world and sets us apart for Himself.

Leviticus 11:45 ”...'For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'..."

Leviticus 19:2 “...Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy...”

Is our end goal happiness, health, and/or holiness?

What do the Republican and Democratic leaders think we want?

Can you focus on any of these things and attain them?

- if it feels good, do it.

- health nuts.

- religious zealots.

Our attention get directed to a lot of things, most of which don’t line up with God’s ultimate intention for us.

Exodus 15:26 ”...And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer..."

Why can good preaching, the preaching of the gospel, awaken resentment? [it reveals our unholiness and we may not want to acknowledge it].

Why can good preaching, the preaching of the gospel, awaken sadness? [it reveals our unholiness and we may not like what we see].

Why can good preaching, the preaching of the gospel, awaken craving? [it reveals our unholiness and we may not want to continue living that way].

What if preaching isn’t awakening resentment, sadness, or craving?

- it may not be preaching of the gospel.

How does holiness affect our thinking? Our talk? Our walk?

1. God knows what clean is, and how to get us there.

Young children go out to play, they get dirty. They come in to eat, they get dirty. They play inside, they make a mess.

Good parents bathe them, wash their clothes, teach them to clean up their messes.

2. Choices we make will affect our purity and integrity.

A three year old comes to a puddle after a rain and jumps right in.

A more mature person will normally not follow this line of thinking and action.

3. Trying to appear clean is a poor excuse for really being clean.

Imagine a laborer who has been working a physically demanding job in the hot sun all day, switching to clean clothes and heading to a wedding.

There are definite advantages to a good shower.

God intends for us to be holy, for He is holy. What is the process described by Peter?

- “...prepare your minds for action...”

- “...keep sober in spirit...”

- “...fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ...”

- “...As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance...”

- “...like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior...”

1 John 1:9 “...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...”