Review of Week 46:
COMMITTED: We really need
to move from interest to commitment - to God.
NEW LIFE: The old must
pass away. God gives new life.
CHRIST’S LIFE: The life
of faith is Christ is living in us, presenting us holy and blameless,
beyond reproach.
SUCCESS: God sends us.
God grants success. We worship.
OUR STORY: It’s our
story that we live with Christ. Follow Him.
EVERY DAY FAITH: The
spectacular is interesting, but we need to be committed to every day
faith.
SIMPLY OBEY: every single
act of obedience draws us closer to God.
Nov. 18 - FREEDOM
John 8:36 “...So if
the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed...”
Context:
- Jesus claims to be the
light of the world.
- Jesus claims to be from
above.
- Jesus claims to always
do what pleases the Father.
- Jesus claims that true
disciples abide in His word.
- True disciples know the
truth, and the truth sets them free.
- If the Son sets you
free, you are free indeed.
What is the opposite of
freedom? [bondage]
What types of bondage
keep people from being free? [sin, habits, addictions]
Why do we accept our
bondage?
- we don’t see the
potential God has placed in us.
- we don’t really
believe God cares enough about us to liberate us.
How is a person set free
from sin? [by being crucified with Christ]
How is a person freed to
be all God intends? [by the resurrected life of Christ]
How does the world’s
idea of freedom differ from God’s?
- freedom from
responsibility leads to anarchy.
- freedom from the
corruption of this world leads to something entirely different.
Do we want the freedom
Christ offers or the freedom the world promotes?
Do we prefer the “knowns”
of our bondage over the “unknowns” of Christ’s freedom?
[remember the Israelites wanting to go back to Egypt]
Why do people love
darkness? [John 3:19 “...because their works are evil...”]
Nov. 19 - SIN,
RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUDGMENT
John 16:8 “...And
He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin
and righteousness and judgment;...”
Context:
- There is danger of
falling away.
- Religion will persecute
Christ’s disciples because it doesn’t know Christ.
- Jesus must go, and it
is an advantage for His followers.
- The helper will come to
convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
What does it mean to be
convicted of sin?
- not just a “whoops I
shouldn’t have done that”.
- what goes through a
person’s mind in our courts of law when they are convicted, when
after all the deliberations, they are found guilty.
- realization that the
price MUST be paid.
Do we know how much we’ve
transgressed in God’s kingdom?
- why is the Holy Spirit
making it clear.
- the process increases
our belief and understanding of the sacrifice of Christ.
What does it mean to be
convicted of righteousness?
- realization of the
resurrected, glorified, righteous Son of God.
- the process increases
His life in us.
What does it mean to be
convicted of judgment?
- realization of the
judgment of the ruler of this world.
- the process should move
us from friendship with this world and its ruler, to relationship
with God.
Nov. 20 -
FORGIVENESS
Eph.1:7 “...In Him
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of His grace...”
Context:
- every spiritual
blessing is ours in Christ.
- saints “are chosen
before the foundation of the world”
- chosen to be holy and
blameless.
- predestined for
adoption according to His purposes.
What is the ‘pleasant
view’ of forgiveness? [God is kind and loving, so he accepts us]
What does this view
devalue? [the extreme cost of forgiveness]
How does human
forgiveness usually differ from God’s forgiveness?
- does God ever say
“that’s okay, we’ll just pretend it never happened”?
- are there consequences
for actions that are mandated by God’s holiness?
- did Christ have to take
these consequences for forgiveness to become available?
Do we tend to undervalue,
or trivialize forgiveness?
How can a proper
understanding of the atonement capture our allegiance and propel us
through the salvation process?
Nov. 21 - FINISHED
WORK
John 17:4 “...I
glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work
which You have given Me to do...”
Context:
Chapter 16 - Jesus warned
His disciples about their upcoming persecution, He promised them the
Holy Spirit was coming, and He assured them that He had overcome the
world.
Chapter 17 - Jesus’
high priestly prayer.
Eternal life is knowing
God, and Jesus Christ.
What is a martyr?
- martyrs willingly die
rather than deny that for which they stand.
- martyrs lives are
taken from them.
Was Jesus a martyr?
- Jesus gave His
life, it wasn’t taken.
Did Jesus accomplish the
work that God gave Him to do?
- He came to die for
mankind.
- His death was the
historical plan of God.
What is our part in
accomplishing God’s intentions?
- the Holy Spirit
convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
- we repent and are
crucified with Christ.
- Christ lives in us and
we become coworkers.
Was Christ serious about
fulfilling His purpose?
Are we part of God’s
historical plan?
Nov. 22 - ORDINARY
1 Corinthians 10:31
“...Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God...”
Context:
v33 clarifies the
position we are to take.
- we are not to seek our
own advantage.
- we are to seek other’s
advantage, that many may be saved.
Life exists in two
different categories.
- Profound (big) things.
- Ordinary (little)
things.
Which type are important?
[both]
Which are ordained by
God? [both]
Which make you feel more
important?
Which feels more God
ordained?
What is a prig? [a person
who is bold, impudent, conceited]
What is a spiritual prig?
[a person who is proud of his profound importance]
Did God create us for the
‘ordinary’ things of life?
Why are the ordinary
things usually a great place to reveal the glory of God to others?
- it’s where we spend
most of our life.
- it’s God ordained
reality and we can easily reveal His reality in the ordinary.
Nov. 23 - GRACE
and MERCY
Psalms 123:3 “...Be
gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us, For we are greatly filled
with contempt...”
Context:
- Looking to the Lord for
mercy.
- The world offers plenty
of scorn and contempt.
What is the difference
between belief in God and faith in God.
- there are a lot more
people who say they believe in God than there are people who truly
have faith in God.
- faith in God is
demonstrated in every day responses to every day situations.
Are we more confident in
our human ingenuity or in our God?
How can the cares of the
world shift our focus and our attitudes?
- political, job, family
situations?
How can the ‘need to be
right’ shift our focus and our attitudes?
How do we typically react
to the world’s scorn and contempt? [cynical, critical, judgment]
How does a life of faith
change these reactions? [mercy and grace]
Why does God give us
discernment?
- not so we can
criticize.
- so we can intercede.
- so we can care.
Nov. 24 - LEAKAGE
Psalms 123:2 “...Behold,
as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes
of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to
the Lord our God, Until He is gracious to us...”
When do you become aware
of a leak?
- usually not until
there’s a big problem.
- even a small leak
eventually results in a big problem.
What happens to a balloon
that has a slow leak?
- loses volume.
- loses firmness.
- eventually becomes
worthless and dangerous.
What is spiritual
leakage?
- less walking in the
Spirit, more walking in the flesh.
What happens to a
Christian with a slow leak?
- stands for less.
- loses firmness.
- eventually becomes
worthless and dangerous.
How can leakage be
prevented?
- maintain a consistent,
healthy relationship with the Almighty.
- quickly repair any
areas that lack holiness.
- when the Holy Spirit
convicts in a problem areas, repent and strengthen that which
remains.
