Bible Reading 2/24 - 3/1: Lev 15:1 - 25:46; Mark 7:1 - 10:31; Psalm 40:11 - 44:26; Prov 10:13-21
Review
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.
Gator Purify: "I like getting high - I'm a crackhead!"
I think I can handle marijuana, but I don't smoke it.
Strategies For Victory
The way of sanctification - Rom 8
Don't set your mind on the things of the flesh
Youtube, raunchy humor, etc. keep your flesh active!
Set your mind on the things of the Spirit
Find alternative activities
Learning
Exercise
Socializing in groups
Ministry - serving others
We must take this seriously because God does
The Sermon on the Mount was addressed to disciples of Jesus
The Kingdom of God has wheat and weeds. - Mat 13:24-30, 36-43
Not everyone at church is a Christian.
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
Summary
Get rid of anything that causes you to sin so that you don't end up in hell. - Mat 5:29-30
If you keep on sinning you're a sinner - 1Cor 6:9-20
Strategies For Victory
Find alternative activities
Learning
Exercise
Socializing in groups
Ministry - serving others
The way of sanctification
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
Don't set your mind on the things of the flesh - Rom 8
Youtube, raunchy humor, etc. keep your flesh active!
Set your mind on the things of the Spirit
You can do it!
God is at war with our individualism and consumer Christianity.
Take up your mat and walk - Mat 9:1-8; John 5:1-15
Restoration - Gal 6:1-2
Repentance
The wrong way - Nick Leeson: "I'm sorry".
Nick Leeson gambled a £2 million loss into a £827 million (US$1.4 billion) loss which bankrupted Barings Bank. When he realized that the situation was hopeless he wrote a note that read "I'm sorry" and left town.
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.
Spiritual Recovery Team
Restore each other!
In your life groups
Practice confession
Extend God's forgiveness to one another
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.
Unity
Putting Others First - Philip 2:1-18
Jesus gave up his divine prerogatives - we should follow his example
The Dedication Of The Ancients - Heb 11:1-10; Heb 11:32-40
We exercise faith in things we can't see
You expect to get a paycheck after you've worked for someone.
You expect to be able to withdraw money from you bank account.
God rewards earnest seekers.
The world wasn't worthy of the ancients who walked by faith. Can this be said of us too?
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer - John 17
Jesus prayed for his apostles to be one.
Jesus prayed for all the rest of his followers to be one.
We have to pursue unity in practical ways.
Unity Of The Spirit - Eph 4:1-16
Paul - a prisoner fo the Lord
Maintain the unity of the Spirit.
Requires humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another
Peace is the glue
Jesus gave gifts to the church to unite us with him.
Leaders are coaches.
The congregation does the ministry.
Our unity is not just mystical it's practical.
Our unity is illustrated in the bread and juice of communion.
Many grains form one loaf.
Many grapes form one cup.
Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)
Group A: John 17:20-23; Eph 4:1-6; Philip 2:1-8
How do these passages affect the way you view unity at Life Church?
Describe how our unity was affected by the things you said, the way you served, and the sacrifices you made this past week.
What have you done recently to promote unity at Life Church?
Describe some ways that you could put Philippians 2:3-4 into practice in your life group or at Life Church this coming week.
Do you promote the bond of peace by speaking your mind or by keeping quiet? How do you handle conflict with other believers?
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.
