Bible Reading 9/10 -9/16: Isa 6-24; 2Cor 11:16 - Gal 3:9; Psalm 54-60; Prov 23:1-16
Review
A Life Of Power
Strength in Weakness
Paul - 2Cor 12:2-10
Gideon
Incomparably great power towards us who believe - Eph 1:15-22
his power that is at work within us - Eph 3:14-21
Mat 13:24-52
Power Defined
The ability to get things done
Know what you're supposed to do
business idea
Know how you're supposed to do it
business plan
Know who you're supposed to work with
Work faithfully
God's creation and man's stewardship - Gen 1:26-29; Gen 2:4-15
Rely on God's power - Philip 2:12-16; Philip 4:13; 2Pet 1:3-4
Prelude - Eph 1:1 - 3:13
Incomparably great power towards us who believe - Eph 1:15-22
Paul is writing as a prisoner
imprisoned in Rome c. 60 A.D.
a seemingly powerless situation
He writes about God's goals and God's power while in prison
Paul understood something that we also need to understand
The prison that held his body did not hold his ministry
He learned a lesson 5 years earlier - 2Cor 12:2-10
God's power is made perfect in weakness
God doesn't view hardships the way we do
God's manifold wisdom is being demonstrated to the universe
manifold (polupoikilos) - like a good movie weaves together plot points
my sufferings for you, which are your glory - Eph 3:13
prisoner of "Christ Jesus" for the sake of you gentiles
Who are you in prison for?
Who are you writing to?
Who are you visiting?
Who are you praying for?
Who have you been unable to escape?
God has established some serious goals for the Church
He redeemed us
He reconciled us to himself
He reconciled us to each other
He has formed us into the Church
This is why Paul is a prisoner for the sake of the gentiles - Eph 3:1
Paul's Prayer - Eph 3:14-21
Kneels before the Father
The Father is the source of our power - vs. 14
If you don't pray you don't have real power.
We spend time on things that we believe will benefit us
Kaplan preparation for SAT and other exams
Lamaze child birth classes
We miss out because we have a secular view of power
like naive people in a system run on bribery
The Father's family is named after him - vs. 15
we are all part of one family
our oneness is an essential part of God's plan for the universe
The Father calls the shots
Are we aligned with God's purposes?
Are we growing in obedience?
for our strengthening
glorious riches - this is just one of many things he could ask for
power comes from God through his Spirit who live within us
for Christ to be "at home" in our hearts - vs. 17
this happens by faith
for us to grasp the enormity of Christ's love - vs. 18
our salvation was a result of Christ's love
we need the ability to comprehend just how far that same love goes
it extends to our brothers and sisters
it extends to our neighbors
it extends to our enemies
it extends to people around the world
for us to know Christ's love
Alan Vincent - "He loves me!"
If you don't know Christ's love you can't operate in his power.
God's power is manifested when Christ's love flows through us
Speaking the truth in love to our brothers and sisters - Eph 4:15
Getting our minds off of ourselves and focusing on others
Forgiving
for us to be filled with all of God's fullness
To God be the glory!
He can do far more than we can ask or imagine
What he can do corresponds to our openness to his power
Glory in the church
We bring God glory by completing our assignments - John 17:4
Glory in Christ Jesus
Forever
Gideon - Judges 6-8
Background - Judges 6:1-10
Israel's unfaithfulness
Midianite oppression
Gideon's Encounter - Judges 6:11-24
Laboring in fear
Where are the miracles God did in the past?
Weakest member of the weakest clan
Struggling to believe
Get out of the boat like Peter - Mat 14:22-33
Getting out of the boat - Mat 14:22-33
If you're not willing to be a vessel of God's power you're useless to him.
Are you a display flashlight or a working one?
The only way to walk in God's power is to try! Get out of the boat!
Internal dialog
"Lord If it's you, tell me to come to you on the water"
Something inside of us wants to
connect with God
walk with "Daddy" doing "grown up" things
"Uh-oh - I can't believe I said that!"
"Well, he's doing it and he did say 'come'".
"I can't believe I'm about to try this!"
"Hey - I'm walking on water! This is great!"
"Uh-oh - I'm walking on water! Help!"
Story of my first prophecy from David Ireland
Holy dissatisfaction
Holy dissatisfaction - it's from God!
Was Gideon yearning for God's intervention?
Why has all this happened to us?
Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said "Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?"
The LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.
Gideon was dissatisfied
Faith works with passion!
Do you want more?
What desire is hiding in your heart?
I won't let you go unless you bless me! - Gen 32:26
If they had been thinking of the country they left - Heb 11:13-16
Born again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable - 1Pet 1:23
Don't complain - Philip 2:12-16
Pray!
Complaining drains spiritual power
Gideon - Judges 6-8 (continued)
Gideon's Commitment - Judges 6:25-32
Make your possessions available to the Lord
Take a stand against idolatry
The Altar
No dressed stones - Ex 20:24-25
Sacrifice
The Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost - Luke 19:10
the guilty people who "did it on purpose"
Gideon Gets Started - Judges 6:33-40
Holy Spirit empowerment - Judges 6:34
Trumpet - calling God's people to take up the fight
The Fleece - checking in with God
Contrast God's initial encounter with Moses: Ex 3:1 - 4:26
Zechariah - Luke 1:1-20
Mary - Luke 1:26-38
Gideon's Army - Judges 7:1-22
God reveals his intentions in stages
Downsizing for God's glory - releasing the excessively fearful
Rules of war: Deut 20:1-20
Downsizing for God's glory - releasing the careless
Gideon - Judges 6-8 (continued)
Gideon's Army - Judges 7:1-22
God sends encouragement in the night - Midianite dream
Victory
Broken jars
earthen vessels - we must be broken - 2Cor 4
Torches in their left hands (weak hands)
Revelation comes out of our brokenness
Trumpets (shofars) in their right hands (sword hands)
announce God's presence
Ex 19:16 - 20:20; Num 10:9; Joshua 6:1-20
Abijah vs. Jeroboam - 2Chron 13:1-20
Jehoshaphat vs. Amon, Moab, Mt. Seir - 2Chron 20:20-30
Nehemiah - Neh 4:6-22; agreement, building the wall, prayer
Shout
Sword of the Spirit - Word (spoken) of God - Eph 6:17
When God sends you on a mission - say so!
Align your words with God's
Word of faith - Psalm 116:10; 2Cor 4:13
Enemy defeated at the sound of the 300 trumpets
agreement
boldness
Ensuing Battle - Judges 7:23 - 8:21
The rest of Israel got involved after things were looking good
Succoth and Peniel hold back and receive punishment
Peniel to Succoth: Gen 32:22 - 33:17
Aftermath - Judges 8:22 -
Gideon refuses to rule
Gideon builds an ephod
Midian defeated forever
Forty years of peace
Gideon very fruitful
Israel returns to unfaithfulness
Treasure In Jars Of Clay
Treasure
The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure buried in a field.
2Cor 4:6-7 - Our treasure is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Power - Rebuilding the Wall
Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem - Neh 2:11-20
Inspecting the Walls
Proposing the Rebuilding
Rebuilding the walls - Neh 3:1-32
section by section
each family responsible for a section
Withstanding Opposition - Neh 4:1-22
Relying on God
Weapons
Building Tools
Take The Land; Speak The Word
God has called you to take territory
Enter God's Rest - Heb 3-4
Promise: Ex 3:1-10; Ex 23:20-33;
Exploring the land: Num 13-14
Wipe out the Canaanites: Num 33:50-56
Wipe out the people of the land; Don't enslave them - kill them
Israel's failure: Josh 13:13; Judges 1:8 - 2:5
Conquering the territory around you
Wipe out your old way of thinking and living
Wipe out everything that stands in the way of obeying God
Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:14; 2Cor 10:4-5; Col 3:1-10
Take no prisoners!
Leave no wound unhealed
No excuses!
Rebreak the leg and reset it if necessary
Internal bleeding results in anemia which saps energy
Tapeworm consumes your food leaving you undernourished
Heart defects can inhibit the oxygenation of the blood
Sickle Cell can inhibit the oxygenation of the blood
Bring the circumstances around you into alignment with God's Word
Don't be timid - 2Kings 13:13-19;
Twelve Step programs are doing the work of John the Baptist
Key Questions:
Why do we want to operate in the promised land?
Sabbath rest for God's people - Heb 4:1-11
We rest from our own labor
We are not limited by our own ability and resources
What does it take to operate in the promised land?
Learn from the examples in God's Word - 1Cor 10:1-11
Crossing the Jordan - Josh 4:1-24
Hurry into the promised land: Josh 4:10-11
Windows of opportunity (kairos)
Those who want to settle have to fight too: Josh 4:12
Application
See the vision - where is God trying to take you?
Speak what the Bible says
Speak what God has said to you personally
Caleb and Joshua vs. the other spies - Num 14:20-38; Josh 14:6-15
Acts - Lord give us boldness to speak your word: Acts 4:24-31
Speak words of life - Eph 4:29
Rely on God's power - 2Cor 12:2-10; Philip 2:12-16; Philip 4:13; 2Pet 1:3-4
Circumcision at Gilgal - Josh 5:1-12
Canaanites afraid of Israel - Josh 5:1
Report of the spies - Josh 2:1-24
Circumcision commanded - Josh 5:2-3
Origin of circumcision - Gen 17:10-14
Zipporah circumcises Moses' son - Ex 4:20-26
Flint knives
A new generation - Josh 5:4-7
Children of the disobedient generation that died out
Have no "Passover" experience? - Ex 12:43-51
Have no "Red Sea" experience
Have no circumcision experience
Needs to be consecrated
They stayed in the camp until they were healed - Josh 5:8
Reproach of Egypt rolled away - Josh 5:9
Only our complete consecration removes the reproach of the past
Passover celebration and local produce - Josh 5:10-12
Celebration of Passover
Origin of Passover - Ex 12:1-27
Circumcision required - Ex 12:43-51
Enjoying the fruit of the land
Manna stops
Application
Requirements for enjoying the fruit of the land
Commit - cross the Jordan
Consecrate - circumcision
Identify with God's people - Passover
Commit
Be obedient
Don't imitate the fearful
Accountability
Humility - Philip 2:3-5
Confess your sins to one another - James 5:16
Obey your leaders - Heb 13:17
Write down what God says to you about these areas of commitment
Push beyond your comfort zone and your personal convenience
Areas of Commitment
Personal Time with God
At Sunday Service
At Life Group Meeting
To Specific Brothers and Sisters
To Expanding God's Kingdom
Consecrate
Expose your most sensitive areas to God
Organ for procreation
Organ for elimination
Exposed underneath your clothes
Not exposed to the world
Circumcision ----> Baptism: Col 2:9-15
Forget about human rules: Col 2:16-23
Baptism
Identification with Jesus
Prayer of renunciation
Identify with God's people
Exposure precedes identification with God's people
Live this way: Col 3:1 - 4:6
Your congregation
Your life group
Intimate sharing
Answer questions personally
Don't hide behind giving advice
New Material
Preparation
Main Passage
NIV
Hebrew Study Bible
KJV
The Message
NASB
RSV
Exegetical Idea
Subject
Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why
Complement
Developmental Questions
Explain It: What does this mean?
Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
Homiletical Idea
Purpose of the Sermon
Make it plain
Use accessible language and modern parables
Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.
Take the Land; Speak the Word (cont)
The Good Shepherd - John 10:1-21
To take the land you must belong to the shepherd
Forshadowing Jesus heals
He heals the official's son by speaking the word - John 4:43-54
He heals the man at the pool by speaking the word - John 5:1-16
Do you want to get well?
You must be committed to health and wholeness.
You can't speak the Word effectively if you won't receive the Word
The Setup - Jesus heals a man born blind - John 9
The Pharisees faced two problems:
The healing fell outside their paradigm
The healing threatened to attract followers to Jesus
New paradigm
The miracle
The miracle fell outside their paradigm
The miracle demanded a new paradigm
The Pharisees resisted the paradigm
The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions
Paradigm Shifts
Sun-centered vs. earth centered planetary understanding
USSR / US cold war vs. Current status quo
Aircraft carrier-based navy vs. battleship-based navy
We resist change and complexity
We have a strong desire to fit new data into old paradigms
New paradigms are messy
Like new buildings not yet completed
Requirements for successful paradigm shift
pay attention
be open to the evidence
devote time to reflection
Why do people follow Jesus?
Because he is the true shepherd
Discussion Questions / Topics
Section 1: Reflect on Josh 5:1-16; Col 2:9-15; Col 3:12-17 (repeated from last week - skip this if you've already covered it)
How deeply have you exposed your inner self to others?
Who are the people in your life who know you intimately?
Are there any barriers that keep you from revealing yourself to your life group members?
What have you done to establish trusting relationships within your life group? What are you doing to maintain those relationships?
What is some of the "produce of the land" that you want to enjoy in the promised land?
Section 2: Reflect on 1Cor 10:1-11; Col 3:1-10 (repeated from last week - skip this if you've already covered it)
In what ways is God pleased or not pleased with you?
How have you dealt with any issues of idolatry in your life?
How have you dealt with any issues of sexual immorality in your life?
Have you ever "tested" the Lord (Num 21:4-9)?
Do you ever grumble against your life group leaders (Num 16:41-50)?
Do you ever grumble against your pastors (Num 16:41-50)?
Section 3: Reflect on John 4:43-54; John 5:1-16
Have you ever experienced physical healing in response to prayer or a spoken word?
Is there any area in your life in which you have been disabled (physically or emotionally)? If so, how long has it been? Do you want to be healed?
How would you serve the Lord differently if you were healed?
Is there anyone in your life group that you believe needs healing (emotional or physical)? Has God put anything on your heart to say to them or do for them?
Has the Holy Spirit ever led you to pronounce healing over someone?
Section 4: Reflect on John 5:14; John 9
How does John 5:14 speak to you about your own illnesses?
How does John 9:1-3 speak to you about your own illnesses?
Considering vs. 4-5: How does your agenda compare to Jesus' agenda?
Considering vs. 6-7: Is there something God wants you to do to complete your healing?
Considering vs. 8-12: Has the Lord ever done something for you that you couldn't explain?
Considering vs. 18-34: Have you ever spoken publicly about Jesus? What did you say? How did you feel?
Considering vs. 39-41: What do these verses say to you about yourself?
Compare Mat 4:8-10 with John 9:35-38
Was it hypocritical for Jesus to allow this man to worship him?
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings (repeated from last week)
Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.
Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.
These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.
If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.
Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.
Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.
Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.
Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.
Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?
