Obedience Through Suffering (Part 3)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday December 16, 2007

© 2007 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

Note: This message was not given on Sunday December 16, 2007!!!

These are the notes for the message that was planned for December 16, 2007. Unfortunately, due to a major snow storm in the Boston area on that date, we were forced to cancel our Sunday church service.

These notes have been incorporated into the notes for the December 23, 2007 message.

Introduction

Bible Reading 12/9 - 12/15: Joel 1 - Mic 4; Rev 1 - 6; Psalm 128 - 134; Prov 29:18 - 30:4

Review

The Resurrection Blues

The Trial

The Sanhedrin Convicts Jesus - Luke 22:66-71

Pilate finds no basis for Jesus to die

Pilate Sentences Jesus

The Crucifixion - Luke 23:26-49

The Burial - Luke 23:50-56

The Resurrection - Luke 24:1-12

The Road To Emmaus - Luke 24:13-53

The Setting

The disciples are deeply disappointed - "It's over - I'm out of here"

They were withdrawing.

Jesus Enters the Picture - Luke 24:15

Jesus is not absent during your times of disappointment.

Jesus is relational - he engages you "where you're at".

God wants to relate to you

"But we had hoped . . ." - Luke 24:21

Many of you are experiencing disappointment but were hoping for something else.

"How foolish you are . . ." - Luke 24:25

Jesus directed them to the scriptures.

You are responsible for interpreting your life and your experiences based on God's Word.

The Word explains what's taking place in the world around you.

"Then their eyes were opened" - Luke 24:31

Once they recognized Jesus they returned to Jerusalem.

Stop focusing on yourself and relying on yourself.

Allow Jesus into your situation.

They rejoin the disciples in Jerusalem - Luke 24:36-53

Jesus enabled them to understand the scriptures.

God wants to speak to your situation through his Word.

Jesus coached the disciples back to faith so that they could see him.

Once you recognize Jesus you need to stop withdrawing and return to the fellowship and your ministry.

Resurrection Revolution

Introduction Eph 1:1-14

Revolution Power - Eph 1:15-23

Revolution Promise - Wait for the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:1-14

Revolution Pattern: People, Power, Proclamation, Persecution, Persistence

The Revolution - Round 1

People - Acts 2:1

Power - Acts 2:2-4

God's power can reach anyone.

Proclamation - Acts 2:5-12

Persecution - Acts 2:13

Persistence - Acts 2:14-41

Peter spoke in spite of the persecution.

Questions

Where will you be the next time the Holy Spirit shows up?

What do you do when the Holy Spirit simply shows up?

The Revolution - Round 2

People - Acts 2:42-47

Power - Acts 3:1-8

Proclamation - Acts 3:9-26

Persecution - Acts 4:1-22

Persistence - Acts 4:23-31

Principles

Prayer increases our capacity to be a channel for God's power.

People provide opportunities for us to be channels of God's power.

"Who touched me?" - Luke 8:40-56

Preparation increases our ability to benefit from God's power.

Elisha and the Widow's Oil - 2Kings 4:1-7

Position is critical for maximizing the effectiveness of God's power.

Jesus sends out the 12 - Mat 10:1-16

Jesus sends out the 72 - Luke 10:1-12

Questions:

What are you devoting yourself to?

What are you sharing with your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Have you asked God to make you bold?

How's your prayer life? Are you praying for God to use you?

What needs are you encountering in the people around you? Are you asking God to enable you to meet them?

How are you preparing for God to use you?

The Revolution - Round 3

People - Acts 4:32 - 5:11

Vision - You need a vision!

Jesus' Vision - Heb 12:1-3

Early Church - Transforming the way Judaism was done - one household at a time!

Life Church Vision

Mission

Directed by Jesus - Mat 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-18; Acts 1:8

Bringing God's river of life to others - Rev 22:1-2 (Ez 47:1-12)

Prayer - increases our capacity

Preparation

None of them had done this before. When they were with Jesus, the crowds would come and go - now the crowds were staying.

Radical sharing; pouring into their brothers and sisters

Contrast with Hag 1:1-11

What's my role in making the vision happen?

Power - Acts 5:12-16

People provide opportunities for God's power to be demonstrated

Position - Solomon's Colonnade

Proclamation - Acts 5:17-25

Persecution - Acts 5:26-40

Persistence - Acts 5:41-42

Principles

Plant Kingdom Outposts

Kingdom Outpost

A geographical or virtual network of people

Centered on a man or woman of peace

Infiltrated by mature believers

Where outbreaks of God's power happen regularly

The Church is like a "Green Lantern power battery for local Kingdom Outposts.

The apostles proclaimed Jesus in the temple courts and from house to house.

Questions:

What are you doing to meet the needs of other believers?

Can you rejoice at suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus?

The Revolution - Round 4

People - Acts 6:1-7

Serving (diakonew)

Chosen by the people

Confirmed by the apostles

Taking responsibility

"FAT"

Faithful

Available

Teachable

Full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom

Surrender

Obedience

Deny yourself; take up your cross - Luke 9:23-25

Let God choose the time and manner in which you "have fun"!

Vision - taking God's Word to others

Power - Acts 6:8

Things of the Spirit Rom 8:5-6

Stephen moves from waiting on tables to martyrdom

Assuming responsibility results in leadership - Mat 20:20-28

Proclamation - Acts 6:9-10

Persecution - Acts 6:11-15

Suffering - 1Pet 4:12-19

Obedience through suffering - Heb 5:1-7

Jesus' reverent submission

Jesus learned obedience

Persistence - Acts 7:1-60

Spirit-guided response - Acts 7:1-53

Stephen interpreted Jewish history in light of scripture

Abraham - Joseph - Acts 7:1-16

Moses - Acts 7:23-29; 35-43

The Jews are just like their fathers - Mat 23:29-32

Dying for the gospel - Acts 7:54-60

Deny yourself; take up your cross - Luke 9:23-25

Let God choose the time and manner in which you "have fun"!

Lovers of pleasure - 2Tim 3:1-14

Pleasure - 1Tim 5:6

Principles

You have to fight

Questions:

Can you be faithful to the point of death?

Can you forgive your persecutors?

Obedience Through Suffering

We have a great high priest - Jesus - Heb 4:12-16

God uses his Word to evaluate us. - Heb 4:12-13

Our high priest outranks everyone else. - Heb 4:14

Our high priest understands us. - Heb 4:15; Heb 2:5-18

We can come to him confidently. - Heb 4:16

Jesus learned obedience through suffering - Heb 5:1-14

Jesus confronted difficulties with prayer - Heb 5:7

His prayers were heard because of his reverent submission - Heb 5:7

Jesus learned obedience - Heb 5:8-10

innocence vs. virtue

Temptation - the source of Jesus' suffering - Heb 2:18

Learned obedience perfected Jesus' high priestly ministry.

Temptation and the believer - James 1:2-4; James 1:12-18

Suffering as a result of temptation.

Temptation makes us feel unclean.

Uncleanness keeps us out of "the temple".

Perseverance results in crown of life.

Process of temptation: desire --> sin --> death

Don't let desire drag you away.

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.

Obedience Through Suffering (continued)

Temptation and the believer - James 1:2-4; James 1:12-18 (continued)

Satan misrepresents God as wanting to keep good things from us.

He did this in the garden of Eden

He does this today largely through the media.

1Cor 10:13 - God provides a way out.

Infancy vs. Maturity - Heb 5:11-14

Infants don't understand righteousness.

Mature people practice (rehearse) obedience.

Definition: "trained themselves" - gumnazo - to exercise

Walk in the light by keeping your life open to scrutiny by your brothers and sisters. - 1John 1:5 - 2:6

Let's Go All The Way - Heb 12:1-13

Drop the baggage

Jesus is our example.

Have the right attitude about it - Prov 3:11-12; 1Cor 11:28-32; Rev 3:19

Endure hardship as discipline - Heb 12:7

Endure - Mark 13:13; Luke 8:4-15; Rom 5:1-4; 1Pet 2:20;

Luke 21:19; Rom 2:7; Rom 8:25; 2Thes 1:4; 2Tim 2:11-13

During hard times

We should learn to focus on priorities

Dr. Kelly Miller (1863 - 1939) - "The Black man buys what he wants and begs for what he needs".

Going to Home Depot during the snow storm (creativity vs. discipline).

Cite examples of prioritizing during times of lack.

We too must learn obedience through suffering temptation

Get the right perspective - God's!

It's not about you - the Kingdom doesn't revolve around your desires.

Suffering can help you perfect obedience.

Anchor yourself to the principles of God's Word.

Let God schedule your good times - Luke 9:23-25; Rom 13:14

Fasting - not manipulating God but breaking our self-addiction!

Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees!

Keep obeying.

Make level paths for your feet!

Get rid of the things that trip you up.

Get rid of the things that make others trip.

Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)

Group A: Heb 4:12-16 (from last week)

Has God's Word judged you recently? How so?

According to vs. 13, God knows about everything you did last week. How do you feel about that?

Are you holding firmly to what you say you believe?

Do you believe that Jesus was tempted like you were this past week?

Do you believe that Jesus lived a sin-free life?

Did you approach God's throne with confidence this past week?

What is God saying to you right now about this area of your life?

Group B: Heb 5:1-14 (from last week)

Did you turn to God for all of the difficulties you faced this past week?

Did you reverently submit to God this week?

Have you learned to obey as a result of suffering temptation? How so?

What is God saying to you right now about this area of your life?

Group C: 1Sam 21:10 - 22:2

Have you ever run to an enemy because your "friends" betrayed you?

Have you ever "acted a fool" because you didn't know what else to do?

What is God saying to you about the broken people in your life?

What is God saying to you about the brokenness in your own life?

Do you continue to trust God in the midst of awkward circumstances?

Group D: James 1:1-18

Do you consider it pure joy when you face trials?

Do you need wisdom for a current trial? How will you get it?

Have you ever felt that God was tempting you? If so, why?

When you're tempted is it easy or difficult to seek God's help?

When you're tempted are you able to get help from other Christians?

Who do you talk to about your most difficult temptations?

Are there temptations that you need help with this week? Is there someone in the group that you should talk to about this?

Witnessing Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings

Make sure everyone in your life group has a prayer partner.

Pick a base of operations as a focus for your group's outreach ministry.

Plan a social event for your group to which you can invite some of the unbelievers you've been praying for.