Man and Woman are to be fruitful and multiply - Gen 1:24-31
Man has the breath of life - Gen 2:4-7
It is not good for the man to be alone - Gen 2:15-25
Your life group doesn't have to be perfect - just available.
Remember - the apostles had issues of their own.
Gospel Age
God has regenerated us
God still wants us to be fruitful and multiply
Make disciples - Mat 28:18-20;
Preach the good news to all creation - Mark 16:14-20
Preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations - Luke 24:45-53
Those who have faith in Jesus will do what he did - John 14:5-14
As the Father sent me I am sending you - John 20:19-23
God wants to use you in 2006
He wants to use you inside the body (i.e. the local congregation)
He wants to use you outside the body (i.e. evangelism and discipleship)
You can't multiply by yourself
Take stock of 2005
Did you expand the Kingdom in 2005?
If not, what will you do differently in 2006?
Following Jesus
The Son is in charge - Psalm 2; Acts 4:23-30; Acts 13:29-37
Why do the nations rage? - Acts 4:23-30
You are my Son, today I have become your Father - Acts 13:29-37; Heb 1:5; Heb 5:5
Kiss the Son
Jesus launches his ministry
Baptism - Mat 3:13-17
This is my Son, whom I love . . .
Temptation - Mat 4:1 - 11; Heb 2:18; Heb 4:15
Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life - Gen 3:1-8; 1John 2:15-17
Jesus used scripture
Jesus and worship
Worship the Lord your God and serve him only - Mat 4:10; Deut 6:13
Jesus accepted worship
Magi - Mat 2:2,11
Man born blind - John 9:38
Women at the tomb - Mat 28:9
Disciples - Mat 28:17
The Father has entrusted everything to the Son - John 5:16-47; John 6:44-47
By calling God his Father Jesus acknowledged his equality with God
Honor the Son as you honor the Father
Trying to go around the Son dishonors the Father
Recruits Disciples - Mat 4:17-22
Jesus knew that he needed to extend himself through others
Who are you extending yourself through?
We have benefitted from those who extended themselves through us
Coutney McBath and Michael Harrison came alongside me to support me.
Karen Cummings helped to move me into ministry.
Ed Johnson, Purcell Dorsey, Pastor Andy, Chris Hill
Meets Needs - Mat 4:23-25
Jesus addressed the people's perceived needs.
Whose needs are you addressing?
Light of the world - Mat 5:14-16
Don't hide your light under a bowl
"Salt" from salt marshes could lose its saltiness.
Expose yourself to the unbelieving world
Cell ministry is an excellent way to do this
Light the world around you so that people can see it as it really is
Don't shine a spotlight in people's eyes to blind them
Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets - Mat 5:17-20
Do not murder / Do not be angry - Mat 5:21-26
The Law explicitly refers to external behaviors
Jesus identified the law's true intention and direction
Anger is a root issue that can take various forms
blatant: murder, violence, rage
verbal: cursing, yelling, sarcasm, cynicism
internal: bitterness, resentment, depression
Anger is a dangerous emotion
In your anger do not sin - Psalm 4:4, Eph 4:26
Don't let the sun go down on your anger - Eph 4:26
acts of the flesh can keep you out of the Kingdom - Gal 5:16-21
Examples
Columbine
The time I hit Amelia in 6th grade
urban violence
The World's way
Anger is often feared
Anger is often celebrated
in movies, on television and in other media
especially where young men are concerned
in some movements
social: Black nationalism, environmentalism, feminism
religious: Islamic fundamentalism
Christian: persecution of gays; bombing abortion clinics
Anger has various causes
behavior of others - threats, abuse, abandonment, rejection
impersonal events
ourselves - failures, inadequacies, our personal attributes
Resentments and quarrels - James 3:13 - 4:12
Trade in old fantasies for fresh vision from the Lord
Anger has a solution
Don't use the world as your model
Do not love the world - 1John 2:15-17
Don't gain the world and lose yourself - Luke 9:23-25
Don't conform to the world's pattern - Rom 12:1-2
Give it to God
Give your burdens to Jesus - Mat 11:28
Do not be anxious about anything - Isa 26:3; Phil 4:6-7
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood - Eph 6:12
If you're not praying you are defenseless against anger
Discipline yourself
You must master sin - Gen 4:1-12; Rom 6:12-13; Rom 8:5-6
Your actions
Your words
Watch what you say - James 3:2-12
Complaining
Israel complained - Num 11:1; Num 14:27
Don't complain - Phil 2:14
Your associations
Avoid "brothers" or "sisters" who slander - 1Cor 5:11
Seek deliverance
Jesus cast out demons and expected his disciples to do the same
Initial commissioning - Mat 10:1; Mat 10:8; Luke 10:19
greater works - John 14:12
If repeated attempts at discipline fail, you may need deliverance
Deliverance is not a panacea
it often changes the fight from impossible to difficult
it is not a substitute for walking in the Spirit
it is not a substitute for discipline
Practice a lifestyle of reconciliation
Be reconciled to God - 2Cor 5:14-20
A brother/sister who is angry with you is in spiritual danger - vs 24
Anger
The day the lawnmower died
Doing Something With God's Word
Your natural hearing is delicate. So is your ability to hear from God.
Use your ears to hear what God is saying.
God told the Israelites how to treat his Word - Deut 6:4-9; Deut 11:19
These commandments are to be upon your hearts
Impress them on your children
Talk about them when you sit at home,
when you walk along the road,
when you lie down,
when you get up
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads
Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates
How will we obey this word?
We must structure ourselves to obey
Most churches don't structure themselves to do this
Our life group meetings are structured for obedience in this area
"Welcome" - reconnect with one another
"Worship" - reconnect with God
"Word" - talk about:
What God is showing you about yourself
What God wants to say to others through you
"Works" - plan Kingdom work
If you're not committed to this are you committed to the Lord?
It's all about Jesus
Jesus and the Glory Of God
The LORD doesn't share his glory with another - Isa 42:8
Jesus had glory with the Father before the world began - John 17:5
Defining Spirituality
The world values vague spirituality
celebration of the word "faith" without an object
celebration of "faith-based" efforts
celebration of diversity
The church must make it clear to others who it is that we worship
Jesus is the object of our faith
Surrender to God's Control
Life Church retreat
Our initial lack of enthusiasm about our agenda
We needed God to take control
The Holy Spirit moved in the revising of our vision and mission
The Holy Spirit moved in the reworking of our agenda
Covenant Faithfulness - Mat 5:27-37
Adultery
Marriage
Marriage is a covenant to provide companionship
Marriage authorizes sexual relations but is not created by them
Marriage is not dissolved by adultery
Divorce dissolves a marriage
Introduction of Eva as a tempting "other woman"
"I've been in situations where I've trying to do God's will and a beautiful woman . . ."
Eva enters in a provocative outfit
Dangerous thinking errors
Minimization - "It's no big deal"; "One time won't hurt."
Rationalization - "I'm just being friendly"
Denial - "I'm not really being unfaithful - I'm a good husband."
Relabeling - telling it like it wasn't
Justification - "I couldn't help it"
Spiritual rationalization - "God must be OK with it."
Distorted Thinking -
"It will turn out OK - I won't get caught."
"No one will get hurt."
"They weren't really upset with me."
"They will get over it."
"Nothing harmful will come of this."
Entitlement
"I'm entitled to a little fun."
"I deserve it."
"I deserve a break today."
"No one appreciates me."
"I've been so good."
"I'm not as bad as most husbands are."
"I've done so much for God."
"My wife really doesn't like sex much."
"I've led such a sheltered life."
"I've been pure all these years."
"I need something to lift my spirits."
"God intended that we enjoy life."
Fantasy
Divorce
OT Reference - Deut 24:1-4
God hates divorce (among other things) - Mal 2:16
God divorced Israel - Jer 3:8
God forgives us if we repent
If you're divorced
Acknowledge your contribution, if any and apologize
Don't break up a new marriage to renew an old one
If reconciliation is possible pray and seek pastoral counsel about your situation
Oaths / Swearing - Just be truthful
The Foolishness Of The Cross
1Cor 1:10 - 2:16
Covenant Faithfulness (continued) - Mat 5:27-37
Oaths / Swearing - Just be truthful
Don't manipulate
Dealing with bad people - Mat 5:38-48
"Eye for eye" is not revenge - Ex 21:18-27; Lev 24:17-21; Lev 19:18; Deut 19:21
Turn the other cheek
Love your enemies
Love the unlovely
Promiscuous, Homosexuals, Addicts, Thugs, Corny People
Greeting only your brothers is not acceptable
Going against the grain gets people's attention
Powerful people don't need to show off their power
Story from "The Speeder's Guide To Avoiding Tickets"
Hypocrisy - Mat 6:1-18
Don't do righteous acts for show
Don't pray for show
Your Kingdom come - ask for the needs of the ministry
What resources would enable you to serve more effectively?
What obstacles hinder you from serving more effectively?
Give us our daily bread - Ask for your needs
Get the "morning manna" - Ex 16:14-31
Give God your best time
Prayer - Morning sacrifice and Evening sacrifice
No plan no prayer; not prayer no progress
Religion vs. Kingdom Life
Old Covenant - God demands what's external to get what's internal
New Covenant - God demands what's internal and the external follows
Are we doing the work of the Kingdom?
Are we just being religious?
Rules taught by men - Isa 29:13; Mat 15:1-9
Religion focuses on familiar and comforting rituals
comforting rituals often mask our weaknesses
Religion offers status and the approval of other people whether God is pleased or not
Kingdom life focuses on hearing from God and obeying
If you love me you will obey what I command - John 14:15
Maturity
How mature are you really? Maturity means taking responsibility
How strong are you really? - Inside Out - core/functional training
Comforting rituals are not allowed to mask your weaknesses
Until 1983 I ritually took the T because I couldn't drive
Religion - Don't be addicted to things that make you feel good. Put in the work to "be good".
Confronting People
If your brother has something against you confront him - Mat 18:15-22
Other ideas
Be God's "help desk" or "customer support" staff
Which areas of your life are off limits to God? Your marriage?
Practice forgetting about yourself and focusing on others - Phil 2:3-4
Which life group member will I be a blessing to this week?
Who is the next person that I will connect to the Kingdom?
Why don't we obey?
We don't want to
We don't know how
We think that we don't have the resources
We think that we're not capable
We tell ourselves: "I'm not ready yet"
You need help to live this way
You need the Holy Spirit
You need your brothers and sisters
Emphasize LOVE rather than INTIMACY
Give people permission to tell you when you're "tripping"
What if I risk opening myself to real friendship?
Seize windows of opportunity for discipleship
Emphasize befriending new believers rather than follow-up
God is waiting on us!!!
Greed - Mat 6:19-24
Store up treasure in heaven, not on earth
"eyes are good (single)" - be generous
You can't serve two masters
Use worldly wealth to gain heavenly friends - Luke 16:1-13
Don't give God "hand me downs". - Ex 23:19
God wants to bless you - will you let him? - Luke 6:38
Brokenness and the Release Of The Spirit
Misc
The Way of The Spirit
What's the big deal?
Traditional Public Understanding of Christianity - "Churchianity"
Be a good citizen
Be a respectable member of society
Be a good family man / homemaker
Churches are interchangeable
Biblical Christianity
God wants everything - Luke 14:25-35
God wants to enroll you in his army!
God has a specific mission for you
You have a specific role to play in a specific ministry
What's the Problem?
We love ourselves - Phil 3:17-19
The Flesh
The flesh does bad things - Rom 7
The flesh does "good" things - 1Cor 2:1-5; Phil 3:1-11
Place no confidence in the flesh - Phil 3:1-21
God's Solution
Take up the cross - Luke 9:18-26
Don't shrink back
from persecution - Gal 6:12-14
from death - Rev 12:11
The message of the cross
foolishness to those who are perishing - 1Cor 1:18-31
We bring nothing to the table
Altar of earth or undressed stone - Ex 20:22-26
We can boast about this - Gal 6:14
New Material
Brokenness and the Release Of The Spirit
The world is in tremendous need - Mat 9:35 - 10:1
People in despair
Communities in chaos and turmoil
Yearning for a charismatic leader
Believers struggling to find their purpose
City-wide Sacred Assembly
Bishop's remarks - the church is viewed as a joke by the world
Boston Ten Point Coalition Neighborhood Walks
"You're not miracle workers"
What are you going to do about it?
God's Solution is Jesus
A great light - Mat 4:12-17
An amazing mission - Phil 2:1-11
Be unified - vs. 1-2
Help your brothers and sisters in their mission
Spur one another towards love and good works - Heb 10:24-25
Look to the interests of others - vs. 4
Some of us are stuck on ourselves
stuck on our ideas, plans, and preferences
stuck on our failings, inadequacies, fears
stuck on how everything affects us personally
Get over yourself - it's not about you!
Adopt Jesus' attitude - vs. 5
Jesus voluntarily gave up his divine privileges - vs. 6-7
Theophanies - Abram, Jacob at Peniel, Gideon, Manoah
Contrast Ex 19:1-25; Ex 23:20-21; Ex 24:1-18; Ex 33:1 - 34:9; Ex 34:28-35;
became a servant - "locked" himself in by becoming human
Jesus didn't just look human (ref - Messenger of the Lord)
Jesus was fully human
He ate, drank, got tired, experienced temptation (Heb 2:18)
Jesus demonstrated God's compassion
Mat 9:35 - 10:1; Mat 14:13-21; Mat 15:29-38; Mat 20:29-34; Mark 1:39-45
Submitted to the cross - vs. 8
Is now greatly exalted - vs. 9-11
Live accordingly
We need to be broken and given away - Mat 14:13-21
Work out your salvation - vs. 12
God is working in you - vs. 13
Don't complain - vs. 14
Hold forth the Word of Life - vs. 16
Applying God's Solution
Human Structure
Tabernacle (outer court, holy place, most holy place) - Heb 9:1-8
We have three parts too - 1Thes 5:23; Heb 4:12-13
Body
Soul (will, intellect, emotions)
Spirit - where God lives
God lives in the believer's spirit
You are God's temple - 1Cor 3:16
The Ark must be carried by the priests - 1Chron 13, 15
We are priests - 1Pet 2:4-5; Rev 1:4-6
The spirit can only express itself through the soul
The Holy Spirit instructs you through your spirit
Your spirit passes God's commands to your soul for processing
Your soul commands your body to obey
Sanctification
Meaning - being set apart
Your job - consecrate - Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; Col 3:1-10
This is no big deal for traditional "churchianity"!
This is a very big deal for biblical believers!
We are to be living sacrifices on the altar allowing God's Word to slice and probe us - Rom 12:1-2; Heb 4:12-13
God's job - sanctify
Breaking
Kernel of wheat - John 12:20-33
Gethsemane - Mat 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53
Jesus refused drugged wine on the cross - Mat 27:27-37
Spirit Baptism
Crisis experience
You consecrate by asking and yielding.
God responds by filling you.
Infilling - Rom 5:15-21
Alabaster jar of pure nard - Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
Poured on Jesus' head (Mark) and feet (John)
Expensive - a year's wages
Prepared him for burial
God pours his Holy Spirit on our heads and feet
Purpose
Power to witness - Acts 1:8
Power to serve - Acts 6:1-6
Compliance with the Lord's discipline - Rom 8:1-39
The Lord's Discipline
Ongoing experience
You consecrate by asking, yielding, fasting
God responds with trials, and pruning
Trials of the faithful - Heb 11:1 - 12:13
Pruning - John 15:1-7
Trials - James 1:2-4; 1Pet 1:6-7
God takes you through experiences that eat away at your ability to lean on some aspect of your flesh.
Abraham had to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael
Abraham had to prepare to sacrifice Isaac
Job had to trust God despite the lack of an explanation
Purpose
God's Spirit takes up residence in your Spirit at regeneration
Your spirit submits to God's Spirit
God's Spirit must express itself through your soul (will, intellect, and emotions)
God's discipline makes your will, intellect, and emotions, pliable and usable by God.
You can't make this happen on your own - but you can cooperate with it.
Fasting
For consecration
As spiritual warfare
The Release of the Spirit
Jars of clay - 2Cor 4:7-12
We regard no one from a carnal point of view - 2Cor 5:16-21
We do whatever God requires - 2Cor 6:1-10
God is going to call some of us to do some hard things!
Contemporary Illustrations
Add references to mirror neurons (Nova ScienceNow January 2005)
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings
Keep sharing your testimonies
List the people in your oikos on a 3 x 5 card (one person per card)
Discussion Questions
Reflect on Mat 9:35 - 10:1
Considering vs. 36, have you ever been harassed and helpless and without a shepherd? Do you know anyone else in this situation?
Can you point to any situations in your life where you see a harvest (i.e. a group of people who could be won to the Lord)?
If so, who is available to reap this particular harvest? Are you available?
Reflect on Mat 4:12-17
Have you encountered any environments where there are people living in darkness, or in the land of the shadow of death?
Is anyone available to be a light to them? Are you available?
Are you and your life group praying for any of these people?
Reflect on Phil 2:1-18
Considering vs. 1-2, are there any particular believers with whom you are "like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose"? If so, who are they?
Describe a situation in which you lived up to vs. 3-4.
Considering vs. 5-6, describe a situation in which you could have given up your rights in order to accomplish what God wanted. Did you?
Considering vs. 7-8, describe a situation in which you've had to obey God by submitting to something difficult.
Reflect on Mat 14:13-21
Considering vs. 16, have you ever felt that the Lord was telling you to serve a group of people for whom you didn't have enough resources? How did you deal with this?
In what ways have you been a spiritual resource for others?
What would it mean in your life to be "broken bread"?
What would it mean in your life to be given out to others?
