Life Church Message 2008-02-10 - The Standard (Part 5)

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.

Christmas

Jesus' Birth - Luke 2:1-20

Jesus growing - Luke 2:39-52

Let little baby Jesus grow up in your life.

Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God - Heb 1:1-4

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; James 1:12-18

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.

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

Suffering -> Perseverance -> Character -> Hope - Rom 5:1-5

Our present sufferings - Rom 8:18-39

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.

Walk In The Light - 1John 1:5 - 2:6

God reveals himself - 1John 1:1-4

This revelation is the foundation for everything else.

Complete joy is a major goal.

God is light - 1John 1:5

Walk in the light and live by the truth - 1John 1:6-7

Let God's light (i.e. his Word and his Spirit) illuminate your life.

Live in such a way that the saints can see what's going on in your life.

God's light exposes sin - acknowledge it. - 1John 1:8-10

Judge yourself - 1Cor 11:28-32; Rev 3:19

Confess without demanding forgiveness.

God can deal with our sin - 1John 2:1-2

Knowing God means obeying him - 1John 2:3-6

Obedience implies repentance.

Strength in Weakness

Don't mistake kindness for weakness - 2Cor 10

Don't measure strength by carnal standards - 2Cor 11

Don't boast about your strengths - 2Cor 12:1-6

When you're weak you are strong - 2Cor 12:7-10

"Thorns in your sides" - Num 33:50-56

Don't use your authority for selfish purposes - 2Cor 12:11-21

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!

The Standard - Mat 5 - 7

New Rules - Mat 5:1-12

Context - addressed (and applicable) to disciples only

The Poor In Spirit - Dependent on God

Those Who Mourn - sorrowful over the state of things

The Meek - not self-promoting

New Roles - Mat 5:13-16

New Responsibilities - Mat 5:17-20

Surpass the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees - break out of your comfort zone

Your Anger - Mat 5:21-26

Spoken to disciples

Price inflation = currency deflation

Words can deflate (e.g. "believer")

The Bible evaluates belief by actions - James 2:14-26

Anger is dangerous - Mat 5:21-22; James 1:19-21

Anger is the source of murder

Angry speech is a warning sign

Raca (emptyhead)

Fool

Speech - Eph 4:25-32; James 3:1-12

Get rid of anger - Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Tim 2:8; Tit 1:7

Prioritize reconciliation over religious activity - Mat 5:23-24

A brother/sister who sins against you - Mat 18:15-20

Stage 1 - Confront one on one - Luke 17:3

Stage 2 - Add two or three witnesses

Stage 3 - Tell the church

For our purposes: life group, or life group leaders

Invite him/her to meet with a representative body.

Elders who sin are rebuked publicly - 1Tim 5:19-20

Stage 4 - Excommunication

Withdrawing fellowship

Hand over to Satan- 1Cor 5; 1Tim 1:18-20

Don't associate with immoral "believers". - 1Cor 5:9-13

Wheat and Weeds - Mat 13:24-43

When someone tells you something confidential:

about themselves - confidentiality unless a life is in danger

about someone else

Beware gossip - Prov 18:8; Prov 26:22; 2Cor 12:20

Follow Eph 4:22-32

Shut it down - tell the victim

Repentance

The wrong way - Nick Leeson: "I'm sorry".

From 1992, Leeson made unauthorized speculative trades that at first made large profits for his employer, £10 million which accounted for 10% of Barings' annual income. He earned a bonus of £130,000 on his salary of £50,000.

Luck went sour, used a Barings error account to hide his losses.

Barings Management also allowed Leeson to remain Chief Trader while being responsible for settling his trades, jobs that are usually done by two different people. This made it much simpler for him to hide his losses from his superiors.

By the end of 1992, the account's losses exceeded £2 million.

By the end of 1994 the losses had ballooned to £208 million.

On January 16, 1995 Leeson placed a short straddle (an options trading strategy) in the Singapore and Tokyo stock exchanges, essentially betting that the Japanese stock market would not move significantly overnight.

January 17, 1995 - the Kobe earthquake hit early in the morning on January 17, sending Asian markets, and Leeson's investments, into a tailspin.

Leeson attempted to recoup his losses by making a series of increasingly risky new investments, this time betting that the Nikkei Stock Average would make a rapid recovery - it didn't.

February 23, 1995 - Realizing the gravity of the situation, Leeson left a note reading "I'm Sorry" and fled. Losses eventually reached £827 million (US$1.4 billion), twice the bank's available trading capital.

February 26, 1995 - After a failed bailout attempt, Barings was declared insolvent.

March 2, 1995 - Leeson was arrested and extradited back to Singapore after fleeing to Malaysia, Thailand and finally Germany,

Sentenced to six and a half years in Changi Prison in Singapore.

1996 - published autobiography, "Rogue Trader" while in prison.

1999 - released from prison, having been diagnosed with colon cancer, which he has survived despite grim forecasts at the time.

1999 - the book was made into a film of the same name starring Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel.

The right way

State what you did that was wrong.

State why it was wrong.

Take responsibility for it.

Make restitution if possible.

Don't demand forgiveness from anyone.

Unequally Yoked - 2Cor 6; Deut 22:9-11

Obedience better than sacrifice - 1Sam 15:22-23

Settle Disputes - Mat 5:25-26

Reject the pride that often accompanies anger.

Harmony - Rom 12:16-21; 1Pet 2:11-25 (note 1Cor 7:21); 1Pet 4:12-19

How will we apply this?

Encourage one another to follow Jesus' reconciliation process.

Don't gossip!

Forgive

Restore!

Restoration - Gal 6:1-2

Forgiving people who've sinned against you

Seven times - Luke 17:3-4

Unmerciful servant - Mat 18:21-35

Extending God's forgiveness to penitent brothers and sisters

Confession

To the Lord - Psalm 32; Psalm 51

Greek - omologew - homologeo - "to say the same thing"

In the ministry of John the Baptist

Confession was an essential part of John's Baptism - Mat 3:6

Note Jesus had nothing to confess - Mat 3:13-15

History

Catholic Church

Martin Luther

Protestantism

To each other - James 5:13-16;

For forgiveness - 1John 1:8 - 2:2

Extending forgiveness - John 20:19-23

Spiritual Recovery Team

Restore each other!

In your life groups

Practice confession

Extend God's forgiveness to one another

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.

The Standard - Mat 5 - 7

Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount was addressed to disciples of Jesus

God is in the character-building business - Rom 5:1-5

Character is developed by struggle

Muscles are built by struggling against resistance.

Character is built by resisting temptation - Heb 5:7; Heb 12:7

We break the marriage covenant because we're too selfish and/or lazy to take appropriate action at the right time.

Adultery & Sexual Sin - Mat 5:27-30

Marriage

Marriage is a covenant to provide companionship

Marriage authorizes sexual relations but is not created by them

God created sex for marriage - Gen 1:26-31; Gen 2:18-25

Marriage is the place for sex - 1Cor 7:1-9

Marriage is not dissolved by adultery

Only divorce or death dissolve a marriage

Adultery begins with lust - Mat 5:27-28

Exegetical Question:

Where does the danger of adultery begin?

Desiring to commit the act.

Looking with lustful intent is a danger sign on the way to sexual sin.

Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart.

Ladder of Deception - Things I think I can get away with

I can have more than one spouse

I can have a sexual relationship outside of marriage

I can have a fantasy sexual relationship outside of marriage

I can relate to people without proper boundaries in place

Get rid of anything that causes you to sin so that you don't end up in hell. - Mat 5:29-30

Exegetical Question:

Why should you get rid of whatever causes you to sin?

Because your sins can lead you to hell. - 1Cor 6:9-20

Right eye - What are you looking at?

Right hand - What are you touching?

Homiletical Idea

Sexual sin lies at the end of a chain of events. Avoid it by doing whatever it takes to break the chain.

Consequences of the Fall

Men and women

are both vulnerable to lust

often process sex differently

Men vulnerable to preoccupation with tasks (non-relational)

Men need relational commitment but often don't value it.

Women are vulnerable to domination by men (relational)

"Female Insecurity - The Gift That Keeps On Giving"

Women desire relational commitment.

Men and women often deal with sex differently.

Both need relational commitment.

Men are often less aware of their need for relational commitment.

Men and women are vulnerable to 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

The chain of events

Arousal - eyes, ears, touch

Who controls your pleasure - you or God? - Luke 9:23-25

We can limit our exposure to erotic stimulation - 1Pet 2:11

Stop lying to yourself and tell it like it is.

Access

We have access to opportunities for sin and people to sin with.

Action

We cross the line and engage in sexual activity

Appearances

People suspect what we might be doing.

The behaviors

Seducing

Hooking Up

Being Seduced

Breaking the chain

Avoid arousal outside of legitimate settings (i.e. with your spouse)

Limit access

Establish and maintain boundaries

No more booty calls.

No more dating on the DL.

No more hanging out in someone else's apartment.

Personal experiences

No more giving rides to strange women.

The time Sharon left me alone with one of her friends.

Action

Stop taking the wrong action - 1Thes 4:1-8

Take the right action - Get Married!!!

Avoid Appearances - Eph 5:3; Rom 14:1 - 15:3; 1Cor 8:1-13;

Your Spouse - Mat 5:31-32

Your Word - Mat 5:33-37

Your Rights - Mat 5:38-42

Your Enemies - Mat 5:43-48

Your Reputation

Alms (Giving) - Mat 6:1-4

Prayer - Mat 6:5-15

Fasting - Mat 6:16-18

Your Property

Accumulating - Mat 6:19-21

Stinginess - Mat 6:22-23

Lifestyle - Mat 6:24-25

Kingdom First - Mat 6:26-34

Your Observations - Mat 7:1-6

Final Points

Look to the Father for whatever you need - Mat 7:7-11

Treat others the way you want to be treated - Mat 7:12

Embrace the restriction of the Kingdom life - Mat 7:13-14

Be careful whom you follow - Mat 7:15-23

Practice what Jesus preaches - Mat 7:24-27

Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)

Group A: Sexual Activity

For the purposes of these discussion questions and topics it is important to have a common understanding of what we mean by sexual activity. Here is a reasonable working definition:

Touching someone's body (directly, through clothing, or with an object) with the intention of arousing or gratifying sexual desire (theirs, yours, or someone else's).

Group B: Mat 3:1-6; James 5:13-16; Rom 5:1-5; Heb 5:7; Heb 12:7

Is there any sin in your life that you haven't confessed to someone?

Are you open to having your character built up in the area of sexuality?

How have you resisted temptation lately?

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

Group C: Mat 5:27-30; 1Cor 6:9-20

Have you engaged in sexual activity with someone you're not married to this past week? This past month? This past year?

Are you aware of anyone who wants to be sexually involved you?

Is there someone that you want to be sexually involved with?

Do you regularly struggle with sexual fantasy?

What boundaries have you established to protect yourself from inappropriate sexual activity?

Is God telling you to cut something off today? If so, what?

Group D: 1John 1:5-10; Eph 5:3; 1Thes 4:1-8; 1Pet 2:11

Are you in a sexual relationship on the "down low"?

Are you in a romantic relationship on the "down low"?

Are you "walking in the light" sexually and romantically?

Who confronts you about your sexual and romantic choices?

Do you spend time alone with people who are a temptation for you?

What is God saying to you right now?

Group E: Gen 1:26-31; Gen 2:18-25; 1Cor 7:1-9

Are you burning with passion? Do you need to be married?

How do you feel about the idea of marriage commitment?

If you want to be married, what are you doing about it?

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.

The Standard (Part 5)

Pastors Rocklyn & Eva Clarke - Sunday February 10, 2008