Review of Week 42:
WITNESSES: The method is
simple. Come unto Jesus. Go into the world as His witnesses.
Disciple, baptize, and teach all that He commands.
ATONEMENT: When we truly
grasp the atonement, we worship. When we truly worship, we are sent
out as witnesses.
HARVEST: The master knows
where laborers are needed. We must be willing to work there.
GREATER WORKS: Our prayer
is the connection with the Almighty that stabilizes and empowers us
for greater works.
LOYALTY: Are we loyal to
our preferences or to God’s purposes?
SOAKED: Have we taken the
time to be fully saturated in God’s presence?
TRANSACT: The
sanctification transaction requires humility, not pride.
Oct. 21 - BUILT
on FAITH
Jude 1:20-21 “...But
you, beloved, building yourselves up on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep
yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life...”
Context:
Jude 1:3 “...I felt
the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the
saints...”
Why contend? Jude 1:4
“...For certain persons have crept in
unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this
condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God
into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord,
Jesus Christ...” [licentious: marked by disregard for strict
rules of correctness]
Jude 1:5-6 “...Now I
desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that
the Lord, after saving a people
out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who
did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own
domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal
bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,...”
Does being saved prevent
later destruction? [not if there isn’t belief]
Jude 1:12 “...These
are the men who are hidden reefs in your love
feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for
themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds;
autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;...”
What can cause a faith
shipwreck?
Jude 1:19 “...These
are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the
Spirit...”
Who causes divisions?
[worldly people without the Holy Spirit]
What does it mean to be
built up on faith?
- the life of a disciple
is a life of discipline, which is built by the Spirit over time.
Why is it important to be
built up in faith?
- if we’re not, we act
impulsively from our flesh
Why do impulse (an abrupt
inclination) and temperament (characteristic or habitual inclination
or mode of emotional response) fail us?
- they both arise from
our fallen nature.
What does a strong desire
to justify our actions usually indicate?
- ‘self awareness’ is
trumping ‘other awareness’.
Is it easier to walk by
faith in a crisis, or in the every day grind of life?
What have you “seen”
lately that has rocked your world?
What have you “not
seen” but hoped for with assurance? Hebrews 11:1 “...Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen...”
Are we building up our
life on things seen or unseen?
Oct. 22 - ASSURED
Romans 8:16 “...The
Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of
God,...”
When you hear conflicting
reports, which do you believe?
What happens when we are
led by the voice of the flesh?
Rom. 8:13 “...for if
you are living according to the flesh, you must die;...”
Rom. 8:15 “...For
you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear
again...”
What happens when we
surrender to the TRUTH of the Spirit?
Rom. 8:16 “...The
Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are
children of God,...” Assurance of relationship with
God.
Rom. 8:17 “...and if
children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also
be glorified with Him...” Positioned as fellow heirs with
Christ.
What is Oswald talking
about when he refers to dangerously bartering and debating with God?
- we want the assurance
and the inheritance on our terms, without doing our part.
What is our part?
Rom. 8:6-8 “...For
the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the
Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the
flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the
law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in
the flesh cannot please God...”
Rom. 8:17 “...and if
children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if
indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be
glorified with Him...”
We set our mind and we
choose His course.
We are always confronted
by witnesses, each with their own perspective on truth.
Who will we believe?
How can we be assured we
are living in truth?
- we must surrender to
God.
- we must die to self.
- we must be born again.
- we must be built up in
faith.
- we must trust and obey,
for there’s no other way.
Oct. 23 - NO
PREJUDICES
2 Corinthians 5:17
“...Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creature; the old things passed away; behold, new
things have come...”
What are prejudices?
- judgments made without
having all the truth.
Do we have prejudices?
- political, religious,
socioeconomic judgments without all the truth
How are prejudices
developed?
- by listening to biased
witnesses.
- by building a lifestyle
based on experiences in the flesh.
- by regarding people
according to the flesh.
How are prejudices
destroyed?
- by listening to the
truth.
- by living a Spirit led
life.
- the old must pass away,
the new must come.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
“...Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and
He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him...”
Who initiated
reconciliation? 5:18 “...these things are from God,
who reconciled us to Himself through Christ...”
Who is to carry on
reconciliation? 5:18 “... and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation...”
Who wants the world to be
reconciled? God entrusts us with the message. 5:19,20 “... we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were making an appeal through us...”
Are we the righteousness
of God?
Oswald’s description of
new creation life:
- no lust.
- no self interest.
- no sensitiveness to
pokes.
- love that isn’t
provoked.
- love that doesn’t
think evil.
- love that is always
kind.
Is there old life that
has not yet died?
Would we rather have
blessings or blessed assurance?
- are we looking for the
blessings of God?
- are we assured by the
sovereignty of God?
Oct. 24 - TRIUMPH
2 Cor. 2:14 “...But
thanks be to God, who always leads us
in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet
aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place...”
Context:
- There was trouble in
the church of Corinth.
- There was false
teaching.
2:1-4 It was painful for
Paul and painful for the Corinthians.
2:5-11 Paul wanted the
Corinthians to forgive and comfort the troublemakers. Failure to
forgive would result in being outwitted by Satan.
2:12-17 Things may not go
as planned, but God, in Christ, always leads us in triumph. We are
the aroma of Christ.
Are we watched? What do
people see?
What are our lives
supposed to produce?
- the fragrance of the
knowledge of Christ ...everywhere!
What is the difference
between obtaining personal victory and being led in triumphal
procession?
- our personal victories
fall well short of God’s bigger goals.
- proceeding
through life with Christ as our leader accomplishes His bigger
goals.
Oct. 25 - CHOSEN
1 Corinthians 9:22 ”...To
the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have
become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save
some...”
Context:
- Paul explains his
rights.
- Paul surrenders his
rights.
- Paul makes himself a
servant of all to win as many as possible.
If we have an interest in
something, we do it when it is convenient. If we have a conviction
about something, we do it regardless of circumstances.
Do we live in an ideal
world? An ideal community? An ideal church?
How can our preferences
cause us to be “hustled out of usefulness to God”?
- We prefer to work where
it is convenient.
- God wants us to work in
our current ignoble setting.
1 Corinthians 9:23 “...I
do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may
become a fellow partaker of it...”
Is this how we live?
Do we possess God, or
does He possess us?
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
“...Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in
such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my
body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be disqualified...”
Are we fit for Kingdom
work?
Have we chosen to work
for God or has He chosen us for the work? What is the difference?
Oct. 26 - SENT
John 20:21 ”...So
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has
sent Me, I also send you..."
Context:
- Mary Magdalene, Peter,
and John find an empty tomb.
- Mary mistakes Jesus for
the gardener.
- The disciples are
hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.
- Jesus makes an
appearance, breathes on them, and says “Receive the Holy Spirit”
John 20:23 “...If
you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if
you retain the sins of any, they have been retained..."
What is He sending them
to do?
- What the Father sent
Jesus to do - forgive sins.
Are there a few problems
in our world?
Are there a few people in
need?
Does it matter whether
we’re inspired from before or inspired from behind?
What happens when we are
inspired by what we see before us?
- we look at human need.
- we formulate plans to
meet that need.
- we also formulate a
perception of what success will look like.
What happens when we are
inspired by what we see behind us?
- we look at what the
Father sent Jesus to do.
- we identify with God’s
purposes.
- we bring God’s
purposes to our present world.
How can human sympathy
interfere with fulfilling the purposes of God?
- we try to elevate
people.
- we try to educate
people.
- we try to meet needs.
- we can misplace the
central truth of the gospel.
Why do you think the
Father sent the Son? [for God so loved the world]
Why do you think the Son
sends you? [for God so loved the world]
Do we love as God loves?
Are we about His
business?
Oct. 27 - MAKE
DISCIPLES
Matthew 28:18-20 “...And
Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age..."
Is it our job to save
souls? Can we save anyone?
John 3:3 “...Jesus
answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God..."
John 6:44 “...No one
can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will
raise him up on the last day...”
John 6:63 “...It is
the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that
I have spoken to you are spirit and are life...”
John 6:65 “...And He
was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can
come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father..."
Oswald says “there is a
passion for souls that does not spring from God, but from the desire
to make converts to our point of view”.
Does this happen? Do we
ever participate in this?
Matthew 4:23 “...Jesus
was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of
disease and every kind of sickness among the people...”
What was Jesus doing?
[teaching, proclaiming the gospel, healing]
Matthew 7:21 ”...Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter...”
Who gets to enter the
kingdom of heaven? [those who do the will of the Father]
Matthew 9:35 ”...Jesus
was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every kind of disease and every kind of sickness...”
Again, what was Jesus
doing? [teaching, proclaiming the gospel, healing]
Matthew 10:1 “...Jesus
summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and
every kind of sickness...”
Matthew 10:7-8 “...And
as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely
you received, freely give...”
John 14:12 “...Truly,
truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he
will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go
to the Father...”
What did Jesus expect
from His disciples?
What does Jesus expect
from His disciples?
Are we teaching,
proclaiming the gospel, and healing?
Are we trying to make
converts to our point of view, or disciples of Jesus Christ?
