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Discipleship Lesson 1

Man and His Need

Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they sewed fig leaves together and made

covering for themselves.

God created Man in His image and likeness. He created to have dominion and most importantly to have fellowship with God. Man was already dependent on God for his life. The entry of sin into the human experience left man with a greater need for God. But after the fall, man was left without any ability to save himself and be restored to fellowship with his Creator. In this lesson we will explore the effects of the events leading up to the fall and the profound implications the fall had on mankind. The events leading up to the fall of man provide a vivid contrast to what happened after the fall.

God creates man in His own image and likeness - Genesis 1:27

God gives Adam dominion over the earth - Genesis 1:28-30

God let Adam name the animals of the earth - Genesis 2:19

God gives Adam the perfect wife - Genesis 2:21-24

Adam had fellowship with God - Genesis 3:8-9

The Temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1-5) Satan begins the temptation with a question, "Hath God not said,Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"This is the way of Satan to bring into question what God has plainly stated. It is actually bringing God Himself into question. Eve's response should have been to correct satan's question by stating that she and Adam could eat of all the trees of the garden except the one tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.It should be noted that she further stated they could not eat or "touch" it lest they die. God had said in Genesis 2:17, that they should not eat it. God did not say anything about touching it. This addition to what God had said seems to indicate that Eve resented the fact of God prohibition not to eat of that particular tree. Eve’s Succumbs to Temptation (Genesis 3:6)

Satan's attack was outward which appealed to the inward heart of man. God's appeal is first an inward one that when accepted changes the outward character of man. Eve then allowed herself to be deceived in three areas.

First, Eve saw the fruit was good for food, appealing to the flesh and bodily senses.

Second, she saw it was pretty, appealing to the emotions.

Third, it appealed to her mind and intellect, in that she wanted to be wise.

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DiscipleshipLesson2

TheGospel

1Corinthians15:1–4Now,brothersandsisters,IwanttoremindyouofthegospelIpreachedtoyou,

whichyoureceivedandonwhichyouhavetakenyourstand.Bythisgospelyouaresaved,ifyouholdfirmlytothewordIpreachedtoyou.Otherwise,youhavebelievedinvain.ForwhatIreceivedI

passedontoyouasoffirstimportance:thatChristdiedforoursinsaccordingtotheScriptures,thathewasburied,thathewasraisedonthethirddayaccordingtotheScriptures

WhatistheGospel?Thewordgospelsimplymeans“goodnews.”ThecentralmessageoftheBibleisthegospel,orgoodnews,aboutthepersonandworkofJesusChrist.In1

Corinthians15:1–4,Paulprovidesthemostconcisesummaryofthegospel:themanJesusisalsoGod,orChrist,anddiedonacrossinour

place,payingthepenaltyforoursins;threedayslaterHerosetoconquersinanddeathandgivethegiftofsalvationtoallwhobelieve

inHimaloneforeternallife.Forustotrulyvaluethegospel,wemustfirststartwiththeHoliness,

theRighteousness,andthecharacterofGod.

TheHolinessofGodIsaiah59:2ButyouriniquitieshaveseparatedyoufromyourGod;

yoursinshavehiddenHisfacefromyou,SothatHewillnothear.TheRighteousnessofGod

Psalm11:7FortheLORDisrighteous,helovesjustice;theuprightwillseehisface.

Isaiah5:16ButtheLORDAlmightywillbeexaltedbyhisjustice,and

theholyGodwillbeprovedholybyhisrighteousacts.TheJustJudgementofGod

Psalm7:11-12Godisajustjudge,AndGodisangrywiththewickedeveryday.Ifhedoesnotturnback,HewillsharpenHissword;HebendsHisbowandmakesitready.

TheDepravity&CondemnationofManRomans3:23ForallhavesinnedandfallshortofthegloryofGod.

Isaiah64:6Allofushavebecomelikeonewhoisunclean,andallourrighteousactsarelikefilthy

rags;weallshriveluplikealeaf,andlikethewindoursinssweepusaway.

Galatians3:10Forallwhorelyontheworksofthelawareunderacurse,asitiswritten:“CursediseveryonewhodoesnotcontinuetodoeverythingwrittenintheBookoftheLaw.”

“Gospel”

translatesfrom

“evangelion”in

Greek.Itoccurs77

timesintheNew

Testament.

Evangelionisalso

wherewegetthe

terms“evangelist”

and“evangelism”

inEnglish

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Discipleship Lesson 3 Jesus Christ the Savior

In this lesson we will look at the most important person in the history of the world – Jesus Christ. The Apostle John described Him this way in the Gospel of John 1:4--In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

We will look at three things in regards to Jesus Christ in this study:

Jesus Prophesied to Come into the World

The Virgin Birth

Jesus the Lamb of God

Jesus Prophesied to Come into the World Isaiah 9:6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Jesus Christ is the subject of more than 300 Old Testament prophecies. His birth over 2,000 years ago and events of His life had been foretold by many prophets during a period of 1,500 years. History confirms that even the smallest detail happened just as predicted. These fulfilled prophesies and historical facts confirm beyond a doubt that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Jesus was declared to be the Mighty God and Everlasting Father long before he was ever conceived in the womb of Mary. The Everlasting Father became the child and son born in the manger. Therefore, Jesus truly is Immanuel, God with us. Jesus is Mighty God.Therefore, His every word, His every teaching should be obeyed – His very life should be closely observed. When we see the world and our lives more through His eyes and less through ours, we mature in our Christian faith. The Virgin Birth Luke 1:31-35 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

The importance of the virgin birth makes possible the true humanity of Christ without inherited sin. As we noted, all human beings have inherited legal guilt and a corrupt moral nature from their first father, Adam (this is sometimes called “inherited sin” or “original sin”). But the fact that

The meaning of Messiah is "the anointed one."Messiah comes from

the Hebrew word 'Meshiach' (transliteration) and means "to smear or anoint". In its original usage, it is

strictly a mark of designation of leadership, kingship.

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Jesus did not have a human father means that the line of descent from Adam is partially interrupted. Jesus did not descend from Adam in exactly the same way in which every other human being has descended from Adam. And this helps us to understand why the legal guilt and moral corruption that belongs to all other human beings did not belong to Christ. This truth is indicated in the statement of the angel Gabriel to Mary: Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Grudem, W. A. (1994). Systematic theology: An introduction to biblical doctrine (529).Leicester, England;Grand Rapids, Mich.

Think about it: Out of all the religions, prophets, idols and false gods in the world, only one man after Adam’s fall was sinless – Jesus Christ. His uniqueness makes His sacrificial death on the cross effectual.

Jesus The Lamb of God The Prospect of a Lamb for Redemption begins as an idea in Genesis 4:3-5 and grows through the remainder of the Bible. The concept of a required lamb is planted in the account of the first act of worship.Abel evidently brought a lamb because of previously given divine instruction. Genesis 4:3-5And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The New Testament commentary on Abel is found in: Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. True, Cain had an attitude problem, but it may have included his ideas on worship and way of approaching God apart from His revelation. When we worship God, we always come by the Lamb of God slain as propitiation. The provision of the Lamb for Redemption is clearly seen in Genesis 22:6–8. God provided a substitute lamb for Isaac. Genesis 22:6-8 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. The dominant idea in the whole experience is summed up in the words, "God will provide Himself the lamb." After seeing God provides the required lamb, Abraham named the place Yahweh–Jireh, "Yahweh will provide." The protection provided by the Redeeming Lamb is evident in the Passover lamb. The lamb had to be appropriated by faith. It had to be slain and the blood applied to each home. The father of each household was required to take an unblemished one-year-old lamb and kill it.

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Exodus 12:7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. Moses explains the reason for the sacrifice. Exodus 12:12-13 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. With the application of the blood of the lamb to the lintel and doorposts, the household was protected. Exodus 12:23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. In order to receive the protection the lamb had to be slain and appropriated by faith. God still comes our way and says in effect, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (v 13). The lamb had to be slain, and man had to trust in God's provision of that lamb. The Perfect Lamb for Redemption is emphasized throughout the book of Leviticus. The lamb must always be a lamb "without blemish." It must be perfect in its character to remove sin and guilt. The priestly handbook made it clear, "it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it" (Leviticus 22:21b). All sacrifices were mere shadows of the sacrifice of Christ and looked forward to it. These Old Testament sacrifices were worthless in their own right, but were accepted for the time as tokens of the future sacrifice of the Lamb of God (Hebrews 10:10–14). Once that sacrifice was offeredall other sacrifices lost their meaning and ceased to be. The infinite value of the Savior's death was enough to pay the penalty for the sins of all men for all time. The Perfect Redeeming Lamb God provided is a Person who was "wounded for our transgressions . . . Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter." Isaiah 52:13–53:12 tells us the lamb will be a person of God's choosing who will die a substitutionary death for our sins. You can find almost all of Isaiah 53 quoted somewhere in the New Testament. The Lamb of God is identified as the Person of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. All of the Old Testament lambs typified the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. John saw Jesus and declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The next day John saw Him again and declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" (v 36). Our sins are removed only by the sacrifice of the Lamb. The LORD God did just that at Calvary. Conclusion God desires for me to grow in my understanding of Him. From birth until I received Christ as my Savior, I formed habits of worldly understanding. Now He wants to gradually transform my understanding of Him so that I increasingly view life from His perspective. A godly perspective produces godly behavior. It does not please God if I

His perspective of life should

increasingly become my perspective of

life as I get to know Him.

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simply attempt to change my outward behavior without allowing Him to transform my inward thinking (Romans 12:1, 2). If I want my relationship with God to grow, I need to make conscious choices to seek Him wholeheartedly, in much the same way that a marriage relationship needs to be nurtured. Since He alone really knows me, my role is to willingly allow Him to make the appropriate changes in my understanding. Jesus is the visible picture of God’s character, and the One in whose image God will mold me, as I allow Him. God desires for me to know Him intimately, in a way that goes beyond mere knowledge “about” Him.

Questions for Discussion

1. Why was Jesus a better sacrifice than animals? 2. Why did the world need a Savior? 3. Why was Abel’s sacrifice better than Cain?

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Memory Verse

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,

but to save the world through him.

LIFE

Jesus

ME

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DiscipleshipLesson4

JesusChristtheLord

2Corinthians4:5aForwhatwepreachisnotourselves,butJesusChristasLord…

Inlesson3,wetalkedaboutJesusbeingtheLambofGod.Inthislesson,wewilldiscusstwodifferent

responsesandtruthsasitrelatestotheLordshipofChrist.Inaddition,wewilllookatthelivesoftwomenofthebibletoseetheimportanceofsubmittingtotheLordshipofChrist.

IntheNewTestament,“Lord”istheEnglishtranslationoftheGreek“Kyrios,”meaninglord,master.AsLord,Jesusgovernsthesweepofhistoryandguardseachpersonsstep.Jesusdiedandroseagainthat

HemightactuallybeLordinthelifeofeachpersonwhotrustsinHim.ItisaftertheResurrection,andintheEpistles,thatwediscoverthesignificanceofKyriosasappliedtoJesus.

Philippians2:9-11ThereforeGodexaltedhimtothehighestplaceandgavehimthenamethatisaboveeveryname,thatatthenameofJesuseverykneeshouldbow,inheavenandonearthandunderthe

earth,andeverytongueacknowledgethatJesusChristisLord,tothegloryofGodtheFather.

JesusChristasLordoverourlivesisaconsciencedailydecisionforeveryfollowerofChrist.

Romans12:1-2Therefore,Iurgeyou,brothersandsisters,inviewofGod’smercy,toofferyourbodies

asalivingsacrifice,holyandpleasingtoGod—thisisyourtrueandproperworship.2Donotconformtothepatternofthisworld,butbetransformedbytherenewingofyourmind.Thenyouwillbeable

totestandapprovewhatGod’swillis—hisgood,pleasingandperfectwill.

Thisscriptureisacalltoaction;itisdirectedtowardapplication.ThesewordschallengetheChristiantomakeadecisivecommitment—totakeaction.Pauliscallingforaspecificdecisionandcommitment,

leadingtoalifeofservice.Theexhortationto“presentourbodiesasalivingsacrifice”isexpressedinawaythatcallsforadecision,aspecificcommitmenttotheLordshipofChrist.Divinerevelationrequires

ourresponse!

TheChristian’slifeisthatlifewhichGodhasgivenbyHisgrace.OurresponseofgratitudemustbetogiveourlifebacktoGodasasacrificeofpraise.Wedosonotbylayingonanaltarasadeadsacrifice,butbylivingoutourlivesselflesslyforGod.Itisalivingsacrificeexpressedinservice.Decisivelybeing

undertheLordshipofChristisseenhereasaworshiplifestyle.

1Peter3:15aButinyourheartsrevereChristasLord.

Inthelightofitssetting,thismeans,firstofall,tolettheaweoftheLordshipofChristpossessyourhearts.DwellconstantlyonthetruththatChristisLord.BecauseHeisLord,allpowerinheavenandearthisHis;therefore,HeisMasterofeverysituation,sufficientforeveryemergency,abletosupply

everyneed.

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Discipleship Lesson 5 Holy Ghost

John 14: 16, 17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. The Holy Spirit was promised as a gift to believers (Luke 24:49; John 14:16; Acts 1:5). His presence in the believer’s life is the final evidence, both to him/her and to others, of the truth of what he/she has believed. Further, He is the down payment, providing both a foretaste of the believers spiritual inheritance and a legal claim to the fullness of that inheritance in the future (2 Cor. 1:22). The words translated "Holy Spirit" convey theconcept of power. "Holy Spirit" in Hebrew is ruachhakodesh.In the original Greek the phrase for "Holy Spirit" is hagiospneuma,literally meaning “holy wind."Pneuma also means breath, as in "the breath [pneuma] of life." The Scriptures portray the Spirit of God as the manifestation of His divine power within His creation, especially in His called and converted people—the saints. Through the "power of the Highest," He can instill attributes of His divine nature and character in us.These divine, spiritual attributes delivered to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit transform our weak human nature to the extent that we become "partakers of the divine nature." 2 Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

By positive choice we then have to be willing to walk obediently in newness of life—to use God's Spirit to overcome our own weak, fleshly nature (Galatians 5:25). In our introduction to the Holy Spirit – the best place to start is with the Trinity. This way we can lay the proper foundation for whothe Holy Spirit is and what is His purpose both in creation and in our lives. As we discover the Holy Spirit’s relationship within the Godhead, I believe we will appreciate more the subsequent teachings on the Holy Spirit. The word Trinity is never found in the bible, though the idea represented by the word is taught in many places. The word trinity means “tri-unity” or “three-oneness.” It is used to summarize the teaching of the scripture that God is three Persons yet one God. The Trinity is a revealed doctrine – not in sense that that it lies before us on the pages of Scripture as a “formulated definition.”The Trinity is presented as fact, three Persons whose divine manifestations were witnessed and recorded before and throughout human history, supremely presented in God’s Holy Word. This means that the Bible is not trying to convince the world that He exists in three persons through theological commentary. His best explanation was simply to show Himself as three yet one to mankind over thousands of years. The best way to learn of someone is for him to show himself in person – that is what God did in regards to the Trinity. Three statements summarize the biblical teaching of the Trinity

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God is Three Distinct Persons Each Person is Fully God There is One God

God is Three Distinct Persons The fact that God is three persons means that the Father is not the Son; they are distinct persons. It also means that the Father is not the Holy Spirit, but that they are distinct persons. And it means that the Son is not the Holy Spirit. These distinctions are seen in a number of Biblical passages. John 1:1–2 tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” The fact that the “Word” (who is seen to be Christ in vv. 9–18) is “with” God shows distinction from God the Father. Moreover, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Note that all three persons of the Godhead are presented in this verse. Also, the Holy Spirit is not just a force or power. He is a person.

Each Person is Fully God The Father is clearly God

This is evident from the first verse of the Bible, where God created the heaven and the earth. It is evident through the Old and New Testaments, where God the Father is clearly viewed as sovereign Lord over all and where Jesus prays to His Father in heaven.

The Son is clearly God In the Old Testament, Isaiah 9:6 prophecies, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.’” As this prophecy is applied to Christ, it refers to him as “Mighty God.”

The Holy Spirit is clearly God In Acts 5:3–4, Peter asks Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...? You have not lied to men but to God.” According to Peter’s words, to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God.

There is One God Deut. 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

One of the greatest and most glorious statements that can be found in scripture binding the Old Testament people of God and the New Testament people of God together is: Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Christianity is not church attendance, not the works of our hands, not our charity, not our holy living--all of which we should be doing. But what makes us Christians is “through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” All the persons of the Godhead are presented at one time in this scripture. All

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three persons of the Trinity are working on our behalf. They are all interested in us and working together for our total salvation.

Through Him (Jesus) One Spirit (The Holy Spirit) The Father

Some Characteristics and Functions of the Holy Spirit 1. The Holy Spirit was active in creation.

Genesis 1:1,2In the beginning God created the heavensand the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

2. The Holy Spirit is active in re-creation, the new birth.

John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

3. The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father.

In the story of a type of the Holy Spirit, the unnamed servant, we see several characteristics and functions of the Holy Spirit that are made clear by the words of Jesus in the New Testament. Genesis 24:1-4 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.2 He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.3 I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

4. The Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself.

The Holy Spirit will testify of the Lord Jesus, and He will declare the riches of the Father which have been given to the Son. Genesis 24:34-37 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. He declares the riches of the Father which have been given to the Son.

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John 16:12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

5. The Holy Spirit is our Helper.

Jesus describes God's Spirit as "the Spirit of truth" and "the Helper" that "proceeds from the Father." John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me: The Greek word translated "Helper" is parakletos. When translated "Helper" or "Comforter," it refers to the Holy Spirit. Parakletos means literally one "called to one's side" or "to one's aid". In other words, God actively and directly empowers us through His Spirit. It is His mighty power acting within us, assisting us in living righteously.

6. The Holy Spirit is our Seal

Ephesians 1:13,14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Since God does all things for the praise of his glory, and since believing his Word magnifies that glory, therefore God takes decisive steps to secure for himself the magnification of his glory forever: He seals the believer with the Holy Spirit, and guarantees that we will come to our inheritance praising his glory. God is so passionately committed to having a people for his own possession who live forever for the praise of His glory that He is not about to let our eternal destiny depend on our powers of self will or doing. He commissions his Holy Spirit to enter our lives and to make us secure forever. The word “sealed” brings a message of safety and security in God’s love and power. God sends the Holy Spirit as a preserving seal to lock in our faith, as an authenticating seal to validate our sonship, and as a protecting seal to keep out destructive forces. The point is that God wants us to be secure and safe in His love and power.

Conclusion Acts 19:2 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” When Paul asks, ”Did you receive the spirit when you believed,” he expects that a person who has received the Holy Spirit knows it because it is an experience from his faith in Christ!

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Questions for Discussion 1. Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? 2. How do “you” know that you have the Holy Spirit of God?

Memory Verse Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness of your sins.And you will receive thegiftofthe Holy Spirit.

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Discipleship Lesson 6

The Body of Christ

Psalm 133:1-3 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

God’s blessing involves unity among the members in His family. David illustrated the sweet spirit of unity with the fragrant oil used to anoint the priests and the life-giving dew of Mount Herman. Such harmony within the family of God renews our energies as we share life with Him and with one another.Moses, the assumed author of Genesis, revealed God’s proclamation that “nothing is impossible” for people when they are unified.(Gen 11:6) The Importance of Unity Jesus’ great desire for His followers is that we become one. He wants us unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. Unfortunately, today, there is little agreement among Christians about the nature of that unity or about the way unity is best expressed. Living in harmony does not mean we will agree on everything; there will be many opinions. But we must agree on our purpose in life—to work together for God. Our outward expression of unity will reflect our inward unity of purpose. The unity of the Christian church is like a great orchestra. The instruments gather together, yet express their own individuality. But under the baton of a great conductor, the orchestra is capable of blending different sounds to produce the greatest, most beautiful music. It is not found in mere uniformity or in organizations. It is found wherever believers focus together on the Lord, expressing their common commitment in prayer and worship.It is in and through our union with Jesus that Christian unity exists, and it is in our common commitment to Jesus that He shapes us to live in harmony with others in the community of faith. John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in Me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one –-I in them and You in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Than the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. John 17:9-10I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given Me, for they are Yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. The Function of Unity Christ’s “headship” emphasizes His role as sustainer, protector, organizing principle, and source of the church’s life. It further emphasizes Jesus’ exalted position so that we may have complete confidence in Him. We respond to Him because He is Lord and the only one with wisdom and motive to direct us into God’s perfect will.

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Ephesians 1:22-23And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. Colossians 1:18, 19And He is the Head of the body, the Church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him. Diversity Romans 12 call on believers to look at life from God’s perspective. Individuals are to see themselves as members of a body—parts of a living organism, within which each person has a distinct function. God has endowed each believer with a gift, an enablement that makes him or her able to contribute to others in the body. There are different gifts sovereignly distributed by God. Each believer is given at least one gift to be used for the common good. Romans 12:4-8Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 1 Corinthians 12:12-20The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we are all given the one Spirit to drink.Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The Ultimate Purpose of Unity The ultimate purpose of our being unified in Christ is to bring glory to God through Christ. God has chosen us to be Christ’s representatives on earth in light of His truth.Unity does not just happen; we have to work at it. No one is ever going to be perfect here on earth, so we must accept and love other Christians in spite of their faults. Unity is one of the Holy Spirit’s important roles. He leads, but we must be willing to be led. We do that by focusing on God, not on ourselves. We are called to help build God’s kingdom by leading others to Christ, living a Christian lifestyle that demonstrates the embodiment of God in us. Ephesians 4:1-6As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope, when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; on God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

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1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built upuntil we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. I Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. Conclusion There is no doubt about the mission of the Church. Scripture has made it quite clear. One of the main goals is sharing the gospel with all nations. Others include caring for those in need, worshipping together, admonishing, encouraging, and loving one another. None of these is fully possible if the church is divided. Ephesians 4:3 states that believers should “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”. So, if Christians base their beliefs on the Bible, they would and should make every effort to settle every argument according to its truth. Our conduct as Christians impacts the church’s unity. Our unity is essential if we are to accomplish His purpose. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion

1. Why is unity so important for Christians? 2. Are you living your life worthy of the calling? 3. Are your actions and words strengthening your fellow Christians?

Memory Verses

Psalm 133:1,3b How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! For there the Lord bestows his blessing,even life forevermore.

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Discipleship Lesson 7 I Am Because of the Great I AM

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. This new birth changes us from the inside out, rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents’ family. Being reborn makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God’s family. The aim of this lesson is to guide you into understanding that who you are is because of whom HE IS—an offspring of God through Jesus Christ. Everything you are and have has been given to you by God through Jesus Christ. We will look at three things in regard to Christians in this lesson:

We were created in His own image and likeness He made us who we are because of who HE is (we were chosen) He gives us value

We were created in His own image and likeness. Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them;male and female He created them. Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. “Who am I?” This is the question that must be answered by every person. Our answer, whether we realize it or not, has enormous influence upon our thinking, our actions, our outlook, and our living. Never was it more important for a Christian to understand what the Bible says about man. Genesis 1:26 tells us that the creation of man is about to occur. In verse 27, man is already in God’s image. It is not future. It is past tense. God’s goal was to make man in His own image. By using both image and likeness, God created man to resemble Him. It is here God creates a creature that is higher than animals – a being which possesses a special likeness to Him. God has developed a being that is capable of developing a personal and spiritual relationship with Him. Man is unique among all God’s creations, having both a material body and an immaterial soul/spirit. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God having flesh and blood. Scripture says that “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore exists without a body. However, Adam’s body did mirror the life of God because it was created in perfect health and was not subject to death. Scripture consistently teaches that neither the universe nor man himself is the product of blind chance. Man especially is the result of careful and purposeful deliberation on the part of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. It sets him apart from the animal world enabling him to subdue it and have dominion over it (Genesis 1:28).It enables him to commune with his Maker. His self-consciousness, his capacity for intelligent reasoning, and above all, his moral and spiritual

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sense, set him completely apart from all other creatures. Man has a spiritual capacity which animals do not have. Man has the spiritual ability to understand His nature and learn to conform to it. Man, like his Creator, was holy in his original state in the garden. After the Fall, man is still said to be in God’s image (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7) and likeness (James 3:9). However, this image was defiled by man’s rebellion at the Fall, and all aspects of God’s image were tainted. After Adam sinned, the same nature of sin was passed on to his offspring (mankind). Nevertheless, these aspects of God’s image were perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was and is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), and the “express image” of God (Hebrews 1:3), both in His life on earth and in Heaven. The Good News is that when God redeems an individual, He restores the original image of God, creating a “new self”, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10) This is not something that the natural man can bring about by his own efforts, but is the result of our receiving Christ in faith and repentance (John 1:12; Galatians 2:20). When we experience the new birth, the nature of holiness is returned to us. We Were Chosen By God (Elected) James 1:18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created. Genesis 12:1The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 1 Peter 1:2aWho have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled withHis blood: Ephesians 1:4-6 For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoptionto sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. Election has to do with God’s choice of certain groups and people to receive His grace. This choice is based on His sovereign pleasure and not on the value, goodness, or disposition of those chosen. In the Old Testament, God’s election is illustrated in His choice of Abraham with whom He made an everlasting covenant. Election in the New Testamenthas to do with God’s choice of particular individuals for salvation.

He Gives Us Value Galatians5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. The two verses hold the secret to becoming exactly what God desires. The “fruit of the Spirit” are not works that believers must accomplish so they can check them off as they “grow” them. Instead, these fruits grow naturally as the produce of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in a person’s life. As we grow in the Christian faith, these characteristics should increasingly be manifested in our lives. The key is for us to submit our lives to Christ daily, allowing Him to work in and through us. That results in our gaining the highest value in His eyes. When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living. Christ alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life. He is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything else than what Christ has provided.

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2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. In verse 4, Peter tells us that Jesus made great and precious promises (John 6:35; 8:12; 11:25) to us to share in His moral goodness during this life and in His glory in the afterlife. We can be partakers in the divine nature. Peter is not teaching that we become “gods”, but that to repent and believe is to enter into a family relationship with God in which the children are to show forth the characteristics of their heavenly Father (Roman 8:9; Gal. 2:20). We must turn God’s own moral values revealed in His Word into our own personal values. Virtuous character (value) begins with the idea of personal freedom. The Bible makes it clear that the freedom given in Christ Jesus is for a purpose. Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. John 8:31-32 …Jesus said,“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The power to grow spiritually—gain value in God’s sight—doesn’t come from us, but from God Himself. He makes us “participants in the divine nature” to keep us from sin and help us live for Him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own moral goodness.

“We are because of who He is! Conclusion What a grand concept – God’s creation of mankind in His image – patterned after Him, mirroring a family resemblance of His (2 Cor. 3:18). This doesn’t pertain to the physical nature, but rather the spiritually and moral nature. Even though the original relationship between God and man was severed by the Fall (Gen. 3:5-7), God has pursued His children down through the ages, sending His Son that we might be reconciled to Him and become His sons and daughters, His heirs (Rom. 8:14-17). His image can be reflected is us. Through Christ the image is brought back into focus so that His glory shines from the reflection. The Life of Christ is manifested by the fruit of the Spirit. Followers of Christ not only receive the blessings of God but also reflect His character to all whom they encounter.

Questions for Discussion 1. As we grow as Christians, what attributes of God should we resemble? 2. Discuss the purpose of freedom. 3. What is meant by being a partaker of His divine nature?

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Memory Verses

I John 4:17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of

judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

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Discipleship Lesson 8 Saved by Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Definition of Grace The biblical concept of grace is much greater than is suggested in the common definition of “unmerited favor.” Grace is a word that expresses a radical view of life and of relationship with God. • Grace teaches that God’s attitude toward us is one of acceptance and love. • Grace is a dramatic statement about the human condition. Each person is helpless, trapped in sin and incapable of pleasing God or winning His favor. • Grace is a proclamation that God in Christ has acted and has come to the aid of all who trust Him for their eternal salvation. • Grace is a way of life in which we experience God’s own unlimited power, vitalizing us and enabling us to live truly good lives. Grace is a part of the character of God. Grace is most frequently spoken of as a commodity that is distributed, and such it is. But first and foremost, grace is a description of the character of God, which is displayed by His gifts to men. God is the God of grace, and He desires to make this known not only to men, but also to the angelic hosts. Ephesians 1:5-12 Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 2:1-10 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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This attribute of grace has always been a part of God’s character since God is immutable or changeless (James 1:17). Some have supposed that the God of the Old Testament is someone other than the God of the New Testament. But we know that the grace of God is frequently evidenced in the Old Testament Scriptures. The men of Old knew Him as the God of grace.

Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on an altar (Genesis 22). It was an enactment of the plan of salvation, God showing the world His method of dealing with sin. As Abraham was about to kill his beloved son, God supplied the sacrificial animal Himself. It was God’s grace that provided a substitute for Isaac.

David sinned by numbering the Israelites, contrary to the advice of Joab (1 Chronicles 21:1). God rebuked David through the prophet Gad, giving him a choice of one of three calamities: three years of famine; three months of defeat by the hand of their enemies; or three days at the hand of the Lord (verses 11-12). David’s response reveals his grasp of the grace of God:

“I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But

do not let me fall into the hand of man” (verse 13).

It was the grace of God that angered Jonah because this time grace was granted to the enemies of Israel. To Jonah, patriotism was more important than preaching or piety. Ironically, it was grace which kept God from dealing with Jonah as severely as his sin would require. How gently God asked Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4).

Understanding the nature of grace, we decisively reject any confidence in ourselves, and we entrust ourselves totally to Jesus, who alone is able not only to declare us truly righteous men and women of God but also to make us so. We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. God’s intention is that our salvation will result in works of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Him and to build up the body of Christ.

Grace is Epitomized on the Cross of Calvary While the grace of God is described in the Old Testament, it is not defined until the New Testament. We cannot grasp the grace of God except in the light of Calvary. Grace is not merely a part of the plan of redemption, but it is the cord that runs through every facet of the work of redemption. Election, the sovereign choice made in eternity past of those who would be saved (Ephesians 1:4), is called a “choice of grace.” The entire work of Christ in coming to earth, dying for sinners, and being crowned with glory, is said by the writer to the Hebrews to be “by the grace of God” (Hebrews 2:9). In no way was this prompted by man (Romans 10:6-8). Our redemption is “according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Our calling (Romans 8:28, 30), the sovereign act of God by which we are drawn irresistibly to Him, is said to be “through His grace” (Galatians 1:15). Justification, that judicial pronouncement that we are innocent of any guilt and whereby we are declared righteous through the work of Christ, is a gift of His grace(Romans 3:24, Titus 3:7). When all is said and done, every element of the work of salvation is the work of God through grace and not of our own making.

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While grace has always existed as a part of the character of God and was epitomized on the cross of Christ, it is expressed in a wide variety of forms. Grace takes many forms in the Bible, and it is well to define it so that the diversity of these forms is taken into account. Common grace is that benevolence which is poured out upon all men, regardless of their spiritual condition. Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you; in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. Saving grace is that generous provision of salvation on the cross of Calvary and the securing of it by divine intervention, as we have already outlined above. Acts 15:11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are”. Securing grace is that manifestation of God’s benevolence by which Christians are kept secure in spite of sin. Romans 5:1-2 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Just as a lost man cannot obtain salvation through any good work of his own, neither can the Christian maintain his salvation by doing good works. Salvation is obtained and maintained by grace alone. Sanctifying grace is that grace which works within the true believer in such a way as to bring growth, maturity, and progress in the process of becoming Christ-like: 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Serving grace is the enablement to minister in such a way as to manifest the life of our Lord through the saints as members of His body. It refers to acts of generosity and giving (Acts 4:33, 2 Corinthians 8:1). It specifically refers to spiritual gifts (the term “gift” is a derivative of the word “grace”). Sustaining grace is grace given at special times of need, especially during adversity or suffering. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Grace is manifested in a variety of ways. Grace seeks us and saves us; grace keeps us secure; grace enables us to serve and to endure the tests and trials of life. Grace will bring about our sanctification in this life and will ultimately bring us to glory. From beginning to end we are the object of divine grace.

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The Parable of the Two Sons – Grace at Work Luke 15:11-31 This story sounds remarkably familiar and hits close to home. To demand and react (negatively) to a person or situation is sin because we have within us the ability to respond peacefully and in love. Sometimes a person’s reaction is not about what is happening in the moment, but is a result of piles of emotion that haven’t been dealt with. In this case, we don’t know what the emotional trigger was: it could have been a sudden argument or months of unresolved conflict. We do know that the angry reaction caused the son to disrespect his father, forsake his family, and offend the values of the day. In this story, the father watched and waited. He was dealing with a human being with a will of his own, but the father was ready to greet his son if he returned. In the same way, God’s love is constant and waiting. Grace in Action When the son finally came to his senses, he went home to seek his father’s forgiveness. This patient father was responsible and compassionate. While the son was still a great way off, the father met the son with love and forgiveness instead of anger and judgment. Reacting is about me and produces more anger. Responding is about the situation and how to improve it. Anger robs us of a clear view of life, but we are called to see things differently and to believe there is hope in any conflict. It was hard for the elder brother to accept his younger brother when he returned. Even today, people who repent after leading notoriously sinful lives are often held in suspicion. In this story, the father’s response is contrasted with the older brother’s reaction. The father forgave because he was joyful. The older son refused to forgive because he was bitter about the injustice he felt had been done to him. His resentment rendered him just as lost to the father’s love as the younger brother had been.When Jesus told this story, the older brother represented the Pharisees, who were angry and resentful that sinners were being welcomed into God’s kingdom. When our own self-righteousness gets in the way of rejoicing at others coming to Jesus, we are no better than the Pharisees. Transformation by Grace Grace is not simply a basic orientation to relationship with God. It is also a practical approach to living the Christian life. Any attempt by believers to struggle toward a life of goodness by works of the law means a return to the futile way of religion. It involves reliance on ourselves and an abandonment of reliance of Christ, who alone can enable us to live righteous lives. Conclusion

J. I. Packer describes grace this way: What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God

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Questions for Discussion 1. Discuss ways in which God displays grace. 2. How is grace at work in your life? 3. Discuss the different forms of grace. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the

gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

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Discipleship Lesson 9 Eternal Life

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. The doctrine of eternal security is the scriptural teaching that once a person becomes a believer in Christ, that person is secure in Christ forever. There is sound doctrinal reasoning for knowing that a believer is secure forever. The most important fact to note is that eternal security depends upon God’s faithfulness, not man’s faithfulness. It is the life of God (eternal life) that He imputes (credits) to every believer that assures us of an eternal relationship with Him. The Bible says that believers are guarded in the “hand of God.”We are also given a guarantee in the Person of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in every believer(John 14:16-17). This massive curtain was torn asunder in a dramatic testimony to the access we now have to God's throne. The Holy Spirit Himself is the seal that secures forever our eternal life. Since salvation is a grace function, and has nothing whatsoever to do with human effort or human merit, losing your salvation through sin would negate God’s grace (John10:28-29). If you merely have “eternal life” until you sin again, then you do not have eternal life. A lack of understanding or believing in the eternal security of the believer results in lack of confidence in God and His Word and a false confidence in ourselves. Assurance of salvation should be dealt with in spiritual childhood and cease to be an issue once a believer has begun to learn and apply the Word of God. Assurance and confidence in God is obtained by the consistent study and application of Bible Truths. Eternal Life Eternal life is everlasting life as well as a particular quality of life. Eternal and everlasting means a state of being that never has an end. If we could lose our salvation, then we would not have eternal life.The lfe would be called intermittent, possible, periodic, partial…perhaps anything but eternal (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:51). If eternal security is not true, then we never will have eternal life. Let me put it another way. If we have eternal life, then we have eternal security. Here is another thing to chew on. If you can lose your salvation in this life, what will keep you from losing it in the next life? Eternal security is true! Romans 8:30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

He Provides Eternal Security Obviously, it is God the Father who has done these things. That’s why we believe that salvation is from God. We don’t save ourselves. God saves us. This verse declares that God performs each stage of our salvation. It started before the foundation of the world (predestined) and ends at the Second Coming (glorified). Our glorification is so assured that it is written in the past tense. Glorification is not earned but is an act of divine grace to those who believe. And it is assured because our life (the new creation) is hidden with Christ in God and is revealed when He comes in glory. Do you really think a true believer can lose his salvation when God has done all this to make it safe?

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Romans 8:33-34 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. For a moment, let’s say you can lose your salvation. If this were true, then obviously God would be the only one who could pass that decree. He is the judge of mankind. He is the one who declared you to be righteous in His sight. Therefore,He is the only one who could now declare you to be ‘lost’ again. Now do you really think that God is going to bring a charge against His elect? Of course not! He justified them knowing everything they would ever do. Verse 33 states that God the Father will not do this. Will Jesus Christ bring a charge against a believer? Of course not! He died for them and now lives to intercede for them. Their salvation is secure because it is in God’s hand, not man’s hand. Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the climax of Paul’s doctrine of salvation. It comes at the end of Romans 8 where he is summing up his message, the Good News of salvation for those who believe.Paul lists the things that cannot separate you from God once you are reconciled to Him by grace through faith. There is nothing in this life that can separate us from God. There is nothing in the future that can cause us to be separated from God. Our current life cannot, our death cannot, and angels and demons cannot. There are no powers that can even come close because God is the Author and Perfecter of our salvation. John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. This whole discussion about eternal security is only directed towards those that have been born again. In this passage, Jesus calls them his ‘sheep’. He states that He knows them, and they in turn follow Him. Question: When do you receive eternal life and how long does it last? John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Eternal life is God’s life, whose nature is eternal. That’s why the Bible declares that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (I John 5:11-12). Question: Even though no one can snatch a true believer out of God’s hand, can they choose to walk away? John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. No. In terms of your salvation, you are not holding onto Him, He is holding onto you. He holds you likeyou would hold someone hanging off a cliff. If their strength gives way and they can no longer hold, you still have them firmly in your grasp. He would hold you like this even while you go through your period of insanity, wanting to walk away from Him.

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Is Eternal Security a “License” to Sin? Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Does eternal security mean that a Christian can live any way he wants to and still be saved? This is essentially a hypothetical question, because the Bible makes it clear that a true Christian will not live “any way he wants to.” Christians are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5: 19-21). 1 John 3: 6-9 clearly states that a true Christian cannot live in continual sin. In response to the accusation that grace promotes sin, the apostle Paul declared, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means.We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Eternal security is not a license to sin. Rather, it is the security of knowing that God’s love is guaranteed for those who trust in Christ. Knowing and understanding God’s tremendous gift of salvation accomplishes the opposite of giving a license to sin. How could anyone, knowing the price Jesus Christ paid for us, go on to live a life of sin (Romans 6: 15-23). How could anyone who understands God’s unconditional and guaranteed love for those who believe, take that love and throw it back in God’s face? Such a person is demonstrating not that eternal security has given him a license to sin, but rather that he or she has not truly experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. I John 3:6 No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Although no sin can ever deprive a believer of the eternal life which was freely bestowed upon him once and for all, sin nevertheless has grave consequences both in this life and in the life to come. First, there are natural consequences of sin. A person who drinks to excess may kill himself or an innocent victim in an automobile accident. One who engages in immoral activity may contract HIV and consequently die of AIDS. Knowing Christ as Savior will save one from hell, but it will not save one from the natural consequences of sinful or foolish living (Galatians 6: 7-8). Secondly, there are eternal consequences for sin (1 Corinthians 9:25). You Have Eternal Security Because of Christ’s Covenant The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant God made with Abraham that required nothing of Abraham. The actual covenant is found in Genesis 12:1-3 but the ceremony is recorded in Genesis 15:6-21 which indicates the actual unconditional nature of the covenant. The term in Hebrew for making a covenant is ‘to cut a covenant’. The corpse of an animal is cut in half and both parties making a covenant would pass through the two halves of the carcass. In the Abrahamic covenant, God put Abraham into a deep sleep and passed through the pieces alone signifying that the fulfillment of the covenant rested entirely with Him. The Abrahamic Covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in connection with the return of the Messiah to rescue and bless His people Israel. It is through the nation Israel that God promised to bless the nations of the world. The New Covenant is first spoken of in the book of Jeremiah… “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,“when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people”(Jeremiah 31: 31, 33). Jesus came to fulfill thelaw of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new

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covenant between God and His people. The new covenant is written on the hearts of men which is made possible only through faith in Christ, who shed His own blood to atone for the sins of the world. Luke 22:20 says, After supper, Jesus took another cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you”(New Living Translation-NLT). Again, man becomes a recipient and beneficiary of the covenant, but not a participant. Hebrews 9:15 states, For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Conclusion We have learned in this lesson the blessedness of eternal security. What should our reaction be? Three times in Ephesians (1:6, 12, 14), Paul says these blessings are “to the praise of His glory”! Thus our reaction should be the same as Paul as stated in Ephesians 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”. In other words, praise God from whom all blessings flow. Are you praising God for His wonderful grace and mercy for your eternal security? Later on, Paul will tell us one of the ways we can do this in Ephesians 4:1,“live a lifeworthy of the calling you have received.” He also tells us what our action should be inRomans 12:1, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion 1. According to John 3:16, what must we do to receive salvation? 2. According to Ephesians 2: 8, 9, what is our salvation considered? How is it described? 3. What can you do to earn or work for a gift? 4. According to Hebrews 10:10-14, how many sins did Christ die for? 5. What does the doctrine of eternal security mean to you? 6. What stands out to you the most in this study of eternal security? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse

1 John 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Further Study Reference scriptures to the Consequences of Carnality: Loss of fellowship with the Lord (1 John 1:5-7). Sin grieves and quenches the Spirit (Eph. 4:30, 1 Thess. 5:19). Sin affects our prayer life (Ps. 66:18), our witness (Acts 1:8, 1 Timothy 6:12), Bible Study (1 Cor.2:10-16, Eph. 3:16) Loss of joy (Ps. 32:3-4) Divine discipline (Hebrews 12:6-10, Ps. 39:10-11) Broken relationships (Gal. 5:15) Loss of testimony (1 Peter 3:15-17, 1 Peter 2:12, Phil 2:15, Tit 2:7,8) Loss of rewards (1 Cor. 3:12-15)

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Discipleship Lesson 10 Covered by the Blood of Jesus

I Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. The New Testament often states that our justification and salvation is with the blood of Jesus (Rom 5:9, 1John 1:7, Rev 5:9, 12:11).To appreciate the significance of the blood of Christ, we must understand that it is a Biblical principle that "the life of every creature is its blood" (Lev 17:14).Without blood a body cannot live; it is therefore symbolic of life. This explains the aptness of the words o Jesus, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). Sin results in death (Roman 6:23) which represents a pouring out of the blood. Blood is the carrier of life. For this reason the Israelites were expected to pour out blood each time they sinned, to remind them that sin resulted in death. "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb9:22). Because of this, Adam and Eve's covering of themselves with fig leaves was unacceptable; instead, God killed a lamb to provide skins to cover their sin (Gen.3:7,21). Similarly, Abel's sacrifice of animals was accepted rather than Cain's offering of vegetables because he appreciated this principle that without shedding blood there could be no forgiveness and acceptable approach to God (Gen 4:3-5). Leviticus 17:11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Medical science understands a partial significance of blood. They can take blood samples and if they conduct all the necessary tests, they can presume to know "everything" about the physical health of the owner of that blood. The blood supplies nutrients to empower the body, oxygen to make those nutrients work, and facilitates the removal of impurities. The blood is the pathway for pathogens, which make a person sick. It is also the pathway for medicines, which often makes the body well again. Life, actual LIFE, is in the blood. Blood is not merely the pathway of nutrients to keep the body alive, but the blood itself is and contains LIFE. This is a mystery in which science has yet to fully discover and explain. Sin Requires Shedding of Blood

Under the Old Testament law, the penalty for the men’s sins (that were not punishable by death) was the sacrifice of an animal’s life. The shedding of blood was required to atone for their sin. We might wonder why such a terrible thing was required by God. Why were innocent little lambs and doves slain and their blood sprinkled on the altar? Perhaps we can understand this if we place ourselves in the situation of being instructed to kill an animal for telling a lie or committing some other sin. When one must kill an innocent animal because of his sin, it illustrates the awfulness of sin. God wanted man to understand that when he sinned, it meant death for something or someone. Leviticus 16:7-10,22Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making

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atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. Both the goats for the Lord and the scapegoat to carry away sins foreshadowed Jesus Christ's perfect sacrifice for our sins and our being made one with God(Note: The high priest was only allowed in the Most Holy Place once a year). The Old Testament Day of Atonement foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice for sin. The book of Hebrews makes this symbolism of the Old Testament Day of Atonement clear. Hebrews 9:11-12 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we enjoy direct access to the true mercy seat —the throne of our merciful, loving God (Heb 4:16). This was dramatically and miraculously demonstrated at the moment of Christ's death, when "the veil of the temple," covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place, "was torn in two from top to bottom". This massive curtain was torn asunder in a dramatic testimony to the access we now have to God's throne (Matt 27:51). Jesus' Blood Sacrifice Once for All Hebrews 9:24-26For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. The Blood of Christ Brings Redemption 1 Peter 1:18,19For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. We see the inspired Apostle Peter speaking to (1) persecuted, (2) predestined, (3) purified, and (4) obedient people of God. What would cause a Christian to suffer wrong for doing right? What would cause a Christian to search out from the scriptures the terms of election, accept the terms of pardon, and follow the terms of Christian living? Simply, it is an understanding of redemption with the blood of Christ. The Blood of Christ Cleanses Hebrews 9:14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

The Hebrew writer explains to his readers the effect of the blood of Christ upon the conscience of one to whom that blood is applied. The original word translated “purge” (cleanse) means “free from the guilt of sin” (The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, 312). Mankind needed an agent to remove the guilt of sin (acts that lead to death) from their lives. The blood of Christ was that agent.

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Jesus Christ’s Blood gives us Access to God His blood (His death) has provided us an access to God that mankind never had before. Ephesians 2:12-13 Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… Before Christ's death, Gentiles had no hope of access to God. The Jews did have access only by and through their high priest. And he could enter into the Holy of Holies in the temple only once a year, and then with the blood of animals for the remission of sins for himself and the people. Now, by the blood of Jesus, that is, after His death, we all, both Jews and Gentiles, can have direct access to God. Overcoming Satan Through The Blood We can overcome Satan in our lives and the lives of our loved ones by claiming the atoning work of Christ and His blood shed for the people of the world. Rev. 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Our faith in what the blood of Jesus does for us will bring us the victory. We are never to walk in condemnation, but in the righteousness of Christ. When we are "born again," we put on Christ's righteousness--Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1). We can boldly come before the Lord washed clean in the blood of Jesus. We can have not only sweet fellowship, but also access to the power and authority of Christ. We can now agree with and speak God’s Word and it will come to pass because we ask in the name of Jesus. Revelation 12:11 says, And they overcame him (the devil)...by the word of their testimony. This does not mean our individual testimonies of what the Lord has done for us, but rather our testimony of the Word of God. As we speak the words of the Old and New Testaments, we overcome the devil. God's Word will overcome any situation. We must allow the Word of the Lord to abide in us so that we can speak it forth and overcome. John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Conclusion One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son.

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The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this: "My fiancée’s past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the Blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus... _____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion

1. What does the blood of Jesus Christ mean to you? 2. What is the meaning of the "word of their testimony" referred to in Revelation 12:11? 3. What are some of the things the blood of Jesus accomplishes for us?

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Memory Verse

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

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Discipleship Lesson 11 Clean Before the Father

When we declare that we are “clean before the Father”, we are affirming the doctrine of sanctification. It is not a small thing to declare that we are “clean before the Father”. When we come into the presence of God, feeling clean is not the normal reaction. Let’s look at Isaiah when he encountered God in a personal way. Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two wings they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory,” At the sound of their voices the doorpost and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. The death of King Uzziah must have been a traumatic and painful event for Isaiah. King Uzziah was one of the good kings of Judah. From what we know, Isaiah may have been close to the King. Now the King is dead. It is exactly at this time that God chooses to reveal Himself to Isaiah. God wants to show Isaiah that things are not as good as he supposes. Internally, the nation of Judah is corrupt, and God is going to bring judgment on Judah. Suddenly Isaiah is confronted in his vision with God Almighty in the temple. The angels (seraphim) are calling out to one another about the holiness of God. Holiness is an attribute of God which speaks of his separateness from the world. He is the separate One, beyond or above the world, true light, spotless purity, the perfect One. To make the encounter even more dramatic, the voice of the angels caused the doorposts to shake, and smoke filled the Temple. Note Isaiah’s response to the manifestation of the majesty and holiness of God: Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah’s reaction is not one of feeling “clean before the Father”; rather just the opposite. He literally says: “I am falling apart!” He keenly felt fear in the presence of God as the light of God’s glory exposed his sins. It is interesting that in the midst of this great fear that Isaiah did not flee, but remained in God’s presence. He felt both a dreadful fear of God, but at the same time he felt drawn to God. This is the normal human reaction when we come into God’s presence: “a fearful and captivating mystery: a sense of encounter with an overwhelming presence that cannot and may not be approached in a profane manner, but that nonetheless demands and expects approach”.1 Isaiah 6:6-7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

1 Muller, R.A. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B Eerdman’s Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI,

1988, vol. 4, page 321.

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God provided the way for Isaiah’s sins to be taken away. He is healed in the exact place where he felt his sin most keenly: his mouth. God Himself cleansed Isaiah from his sin, so that he is made holy as well. This is a picture of the process of sanctification. Sanctification is related to the biblical concept of holiness. It is the process by which believers are purged of their sins so that they take on the holiness of God, and can approach Him without fear. Just like with Isaiah, it is only because of a gracious initiative on the part of God that we are able to be “clean before the Father.” Sanctification in the Old Testament The word behind “sanctify” is the Hebrew word qadash; the word for “holy” is the related word qadosh. To be sanctified literally means to become holy. Leviticus 20: 7-8 Sanctify [qadash] yourselves therefore, and be ye holy [qadosh], for I am the LORD, your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD which sanctify [qadash] you. (KJV)

From this Scripture, note the following points:

“Sanctify yourselves, therefore,” – sanctification requires an action on our part; “and be ye holy” – to be sanctified means to become holy; “for I am the LORD your God” – we are commanded to become holy by the Lord God

Himself. “And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them” – we outwardly demonstrate that we are

being made holy, or sanctified, by keeping God’s commands; “I am the LORD which sanctify you” – our sanctification is dependent first and foremost on

the sovereign act of God on our behalf, and not our own effort.

Sanctification in the New Testament The word for “sanctification” is the Greek word hagiasmos; the word for “holy” is the related word hagios. 1 Peter 1:15-16 But as He who called you is holy [hagios], you also must be holy [hagios] in all your conduct, because as it is written, “Be holy [hagios], for I am holy [hagios].” (NKJV) From this Scripture, note the following points:

“But as He who called you is holy,” – because God is holy, holiness is required of us if we are going to be able to have a relationship with a holy God;

“you also must be holy” – holiness, or sanctification, is not primarily what we do, but it is a state of being;

“in all your conduct” – after we become holy, then we behave holy;

2 Thessalonians 2: 13-15 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren [and sisters] beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification [hagiasmos] by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you

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by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren [and sisters], stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. (NKJV) From this Scripture, note the following points:

“God from the beginning chose you for salvation” – salvation was a sovereign and gracious act of God by which He chose us;

“through sanctification” – sanctification is part of the process of salvation, and as such is also a part of God’s gracious action on our behalf;

“by the Spirit” – sanctification is dependent on the activity of the Holy Spirit; “and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel” – sanctification requires a

belief in the gospel message, and therefore also depends on our conscious choice; “for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” – sanctification is a process by

which we become more like Christ, even taking on His glory or holiness; “Therefore, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or

our epistle” – sanctification requires the participation of the person to actively conform his or her life to the word of God, which he or she is enabled to do only because of the gracious work of the Spirit in the person.

Sanctification is that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Spirit by which He purifies the sinner, renews his whole nature in the image of God, and enables him [or her] to perform good works.2 The Essentials of Sanctification 1. Sanctification is a work of God in us that impacts our whole being.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

2. We cooperate in sanctification. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed –not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

2Berkhof, Louis. Summary of Christian Doctrine. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1938, p. 143.

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We should be careful in thinking that sanctification is half God’s job and half our job. Just as with the rest of the salvation process, it is first and foremost a gracious work of God in our lives. It depends totally on God working in our lives internally for us to be able to be sanctified, or made holy. However, we can, by our choices, assist in the living out of that sanctification process by the choices we make. Just as our lifestyle choices can affect our internal physical growth, our choices can also impact our internal spiritual growth.

3. Sanctification is never complete in this life. New Horizon Church is reformed in its theology. From a reformed theological perspective, we believe that Scripture clearly teaches that sanctification is never complete in this life. Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (NKJV) Paul is talking about himself as a believer. He laments the fact that he continues to do what he does not want to do. Scripture contains numerous examples of the people of God in both the Old and New Testament who continue to sin even though they are among God’s chosen people – Job, David, Solomon, Daniel, Jeremiah, Peter, and Paul among others. There are some Christians who believe that it is possible to achieve total sanctification in this life so that we achieve a state where we no longer sin. They would point to 1 John 3:6,9No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. The problem with this viewpoint is that in the beginning of 1 John, the Apostle John says: 1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. We believe that Scripture, as well as our own experience, clearly teaches that we will struggle with sin in our lives as long as we live. We will not achieve complete sanctification in this life. This does not mean that we should grow comfortable with sin or stop striving for greater sanctification. In the words of the Apostle Paul: Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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4. Sanctification leads to a life of good works, which is the outward behavior of what God is doing in us. Colossians 3:12-13, 17 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Good works can be thought of as the fruit of sanctification. Note the similarity in the list of qualities listed above and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. These good works are choices that we make, prompted and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and these behaviors result in glory to God. As we experience more of the healing that God is doing in us, the natural response to this is thankfulness which results in good works. In the story of Isaiah with which we began this lesson, after he had experienced the purging of his sin by the angel, God asks for a volunteer to become his messenger: Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? That should be the affect sanctification has on us. We are spurred on to do good works that will bring glory to God because of what He has done for us.

Conclusion We are to be clean before the Father because God is a holy and awesome God. Therefore He demands that whoever approaches Him must be holy and righteous as well. Yet He also knows the fear that we will experience in His presence because of our sin and His holiness. He, therefore, has provided a way for us to have our sins removed, and for us to become holy. That is the process of sanctification. Sanctification is the result of the gracious act of God on our behalf, whereby He gives us the Holy Spirit to be more conformed into the image of God, as fully revealed in Jesus. It is not dependent on us, but we are commanded to participate through the choices we make to obey the word of God.

Questions for Discussion 1. What is sanctification? 2. How does it relate to, and differ from, regeneration and justification? 3. What evidence can you give from Scripture, and your personal experience, that indicates

sanctification is not fully achieved in this life?

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4. How do good works relate to sanctification? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Memory verse

Lev 20:7-8 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy, for I am the LORD, your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD which sanctify you. (KJV)

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Discipleship Lesson 12 Kingdom Citizenship

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household;

We have come to the part of our Creed that says “I am a citizen of heaven, and an heir of the promises of God”. A citizen is defined as a member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its privileges. When we say that we are citizens of heaven, we are not claiming that we are citizens of a place called heaven. Rather, we are affirming that we are under the order and rule of the same authority that rules in heaven. Jesus instructed us to pray in Matthew 6: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus states clearly that the kingdom of heaven is ruled by God the Father. So when we recite in the Creed that we are citizens of heaven, we are confessing that we are citizens first and foremost of the Kingdom of God. This lesson will discuss what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God, or Kingdom Citizenship.

The Old Testament and the Kingdom of God

The term “Kingdom of God” does not occur in the Old Testament. However, the idea that God rules His creation as its King is very definitely an Old Testament concept.

Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all. Psalm 145:11, 13 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,…Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

One of the things that distinguished the people of God in the Old Testament from the other nations around them was the relationship of human kings to God the King. In the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are on the east side of the Jordan getting ready to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. God is anticipates that someday the Israelites will want a king to be like the other nations around them. Here is the instruction that God gives to them:

Deuteronomy 17: 14-15, 18-19 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite….When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees.

God makes it clear to the Israelites that when they choose a king, he must submit himself to the Law of God just like everyone else. That is, the human king is subject to God who is the ultimate king.

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The story of Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard: I Kings 21:1-3 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

What is important in this story is that the field in question is called a “vineyard” by Ahab; to Naboth it is an “inheritance”. That is, Naboth understands that when the Israelites entered into the land of Canaan that God distributed the land to the tribes as He determined, and this ownership was perpetual, passing from generation to generation. Therefore, even the king did not have the authority to ask Naboth to transfer ownership of his inheritance: “The LORD forbid that I should give you my inheritance!” To Ahab it was just a vineyard; to Naboth it was his God-given inheritance, ruled by the Law of God.

So Ahab goes into the palace to pout. Now Ahab had married Jezebel, who was the daughter of the Sidonian king (1 Kings 16:31). She had a different understanding of kingship. I Kings 21:5-7 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?” He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreeite.” Notice that once again Ahab refers to it as just a vineyard. In Jezebel’s world view, when a king wants something, he takes it. To her it seems simple: Exercise your authority over this man. This is a clear snapshot of the clash of two understandings of kingship. One is from the perspective of God as the King; the other with a human king. In the end, Ahab and Jezebel have Naboth assassinated and take-over his vineyard. God gives them the most severe of penalties.

I Kings 21:21, 23 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free’…And also concerning Jezebel the the Lord Says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ (vs. 21,23) The point of this story is that God is the King. He makes the rules. All human authority is subject to the rule of God. Jesus and the Kingdom of God It is recorded in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, that when Jesus began His earthly ministry He was very clear about the main theme of His teaching:

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Matthew 4:17, 23 From that time Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”... Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Mark 1:14-15 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Not only did Jesus announce the importance of the kingdom of God at the beginning of his ministry, but it threads throughout His teaching as recorded in the Gospels. The kingdom of God occurs fourteen times in Mark, and thirty-two times in Luke. “Kingdom of God” occurs only four times in Matthew, but the term “kingdom of heaven” occurs instead. This is because Matthew is a Jewish writer, writing to Jewish readers. Jews were reluctant to even utter the name of God, and so it was a Jewish custom to use “heaven” or some other term in place of the holy name. Thus, kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven refer to the same idea and are interchangeable. The centrality of the Kingdom in Jesus’ teaching is one of the things on which scholars agree.

In the Luke’s gospel, the opening message of Christ as he begins his earthly ministry is different than either Matthew or Mark. This difference is illuminating:

Luke 4: 16-19 He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue as was his custom. And he stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Notice that Jesus’ words in Luke are similar to Matthew and Mark in that He states to bring “good news” or the Gospel as the NKJV says. He also says that He has been “anointed” to bring this good news. Anointing is the means by which a person is made a king. In Lesson Three of our study we learned that Messiah means “anointed one” and refers to designating one a king. So in Luke, Jesus is referring to His kingship and so to the Kingdom of God. But the content of the message in Luke is different. Matthew and Mark records that Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God has come with His birth; Luke records the nature of Jesus’ kingship. Matthew and Mark proclaim that the Kingdom of God is good news; Luke tells us that this good news is first and foremost given to the poor and oppressed. He has been anointed King to preach good news to the poor. In the Old Testament God portrays Himself as a King with a particular emphasis: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. (Psalm 89:14). The kingdom of which King Jesus has come to proclaim is one that brings justice to the poor and oppressed.

The Kingdom of God and the Church

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The Apostle Paul tells us that as members of the Church our citizenship in the Kingdom of God is the defining concept in our relationship with each other. Ephesians 2:19-22 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God? When we talk about citizenship, it implies at least five things:

1. There has to be a process by which one becomes a citizen.

In the United States, one can become a citizen by being born in the country or by becoming a naturalized citizen according to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the Kingdom of God, one can only become a citizen by being born into the Kingdom through rebirth. John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Thus Kingdom Citizenship is related to regeneration and justification that we have already studied. As we are made alive in Christ, we are born again, and with this birth come the birthright of citizenship.

2. We have responsibilities as citizens.

In his inaugural speech on January 20th, 1961, newly elected President of the United States John F. Kennedy urged the citizens of the United States to “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for our country.” In so doing, he cemented into the consciousness of a nation that we have a responsibility as citizens. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we have been given the responsibility of being Ambassadors for the King. 2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. An ambassador is one who goes forth with the full authority of a ruler. As such, an ambassador is concerned to reflect the priorities of his regent in a way that reflects the best of what his realm stands for. In our last lesson, we talked about sanctification. Sanctification is that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Spirit by which He purifies the sinner, renews his whole nature in the image of God, and enables him or her to perform good works. As we progress in our sanctification, we are being enabled to better reflect the very nature of God the King as His ambassadors.

3. I agree to agree to be governed by the laws of the country of which I am a citizen.

Jesus makes it clear that he has come to be king.

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John 18:37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” As the King, he has every right to expect us to obey His word. Jesus says that we cannot on the one hand call him Lord and then on the other hand not do what He says (Luke 6:46). Matthews 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

4. We owe our ultimate loyalty to the country of our citizenship no matter where we

might be living at the time.

Scripture makes it clear that we are not ultimately citizens of an earthly kingdom. Besides Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 2 quoted above, Jesus says about His kingdom: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were of this world, my servants would fight, to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”(John 18:36) Even though we are documented aliens in this earthly kingdom called the United States, our ultimate loyalty and concern is the Kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well. What happens when the law of the place we are living demands us to do something that is contrary to the law of our home country? In Acts 4, the members of First Church are brought before the governing authorities of Jerusalem for healing a beggar and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

Acts 4:18-20 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” A good citizen will firmly refuse to obey the law of where he or she may be living and remain true to the Law of his or her place of citizenship. 5. We can expect to enjoy the benefits of being a citizen in the Kingdom.

We don’t have time to list all of the promises of God to which we become heir as citizens of the Kingdom. Suffice it to say that the most common picture of life in the Kingdom of God is that of a feast or table fellowship. Jesus will drink new wine again with His disciples in the Kingdom of God (Mark 14:25). We will eat and drink at Jesus’ table in the Kingdom (Luke 22:30).

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The kingdom is likened to a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-4), and a banquet (Luke 14:16-17). All these metaphors picture the restoration of communion between God and mankind that had been broken by sin.

Conclusion

Jesus said He came into the world to be a king. Jesus established a kingdom in the world, yet radically different from the world. He spoke of a kingdom that was good news to the poor and oppressed. He changed the definition of who we usually consider blessed. He said that if you want to be first in the kingdom of heaven, you should be servant of all. In short, the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus shook up the world, even as it continues to shake up the world today. In his book The Upside Down Kingdom, Donald Kraybill describes it this way: Jesus does not portray the kingdom on the margins of society. He doesn’t plead for social avoidance or withdrawal. Nor does he assume that the kingdom and the world split neatly into separate realms… Kingdom values challenge the taken-for-granted social ruts and sometimes run against the dominant cultural grain. But don’t misunderstand. Kingdom people are not sectarians protesting the larger society just for the sake of being different. Kingdom values, rooted in the deep Love and abiding Grace of God, seed new ways of thinking and living.

Questions for Discussion 1. What is the relationship of political leaders to God the King? 2. What are some of the qualities of Jesus’ kingship? 3. What are some of the promises of the Kingdom of God to which we are heirs? 4. What are some ways that the leaders of today may be asking us to violate the laws of the Kingdom of God?

Memory Verse Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

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Discipleship Lesson 13 I am Supernatural

Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Being supernatural is the result of being born-again or in theological terms experiencing ‘Regeneration.” Regeneration is from a compound Greek word meaning, "birth" and "again," and is used of spiritual regeneration. It is a miracle of God by which the principle of new spiritual life is implanted in man and the ruling nature of his soul is made holy. This is the new birth, being born again (cf. John 3:3–8; Eph. 2:5–6; 1 Pet. 1:23; cf. Ezek. 36:25–27).

The Scriptures are quite clear that the new birth or regeneration does not take place by way of spiritual processes, but immediately takes us from spiritual death to spiritual life. "You were dead in your trespasses and sins"… (God) made us alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:1, 5). The word "regeneration" stresses the beginning of a new state of affairs in contrast with the old. Robert Haldane gives one of the best summaries of this essential doctrine: "Grace--the operation of the favor of God in the heart--is communicated, and the sinner becomes a new creature. Regeneration is not a work which is accomplished gradually; it is effected instantaneously. At first, indeed, faith is often weak; but as the new-born infant is as much in possession of life as the full-grown man, so the spiritual life is possessed as completely in the moment of regeneration as ever it is afterwards, and previous to that moment it had no existence. There is no medium between life and death: a man is either dead in sin, or quickened by receiving the Holy Spirit; he is either in Christ, or out of Christ; God has either begun a good work in him, or he is in a state of spiritual death and corruption . . . . Thus the same grace that operates in the election of the saints is exercised in their calling and regeneration, without which they would remain dead in trespasses and sins". In John 3:3 the Jewish religious leader Nicodemus understood Jesus to speak of a repetition of a birth, or a second or repeated birth. However, regeneration is not a second physical birth but the act of God imparting spiritual life.

You must be born again to see the Kingdom of God John 3:1-8 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Verily truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Looking at John 3:1-8 will help us understand the new birth and its necessity.

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"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." Whether we refer the water of this verse to the bag of waters which breaks at a person's first birth, or to baptism, or to spiritual cleansing, the main point of the verse is the same. Being born once or being baptized is no guarantee of salvation; you must be born of the Spirit, you must experience a spiritual cleansing and re-creation.

Then verse 6 gives the reason for why a second spiritual birth is necessary: "Flesh gives birth to

flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit." "Flesh" in John's gospel simply means human. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). "The Father has given the Son power over all flesh" (John 17:2 NKJV). So Jesus is saying here, your human birth makes you merely human. But when you are born of the Spirit, then a new dimension of supernatural life enters in. This is your spiritual life. You have new loves, new inclinations, new allegiance. A new person is born. Paul's terms for the person before and after new birth are "natural man" and "spiritual man." The spiritual man is a supernatural man/woman.

Verse 7-8, You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows

wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where is comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

What are the above verses teaching us? I believe Jesus was trying to drive home the freedom and sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the act of regeneration. "The wind, that is, the Spirit, blows wherever it wills." The will of man is impotent at this point. We cannot start the wind blowing, and we cannot change the direction of the wind and make it blow when we want it to. The Spirit blows where he wills and, therefore, everyone born of the Spirit has been acted upon by the free Spirit and has been born anew, as John 1:13 says, "not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." The new birth is not a result of our decision or our act of will. It precedes and enables the heart's decision to trust Christ. God the Father, by the agency of his Holy Spirit, regenerates freely whomever He pleases and by this draws a person to the Son enabling him to believe in the Son and be saved. This is "prevenient grace"—the gracious work of God preceding and enabling the act of faith. It is "irresistible grace." There are divine influences which can be resisted, but there are also those which cannot be. The new birth is one of those that is irresistible, because it operates beneath a person's consciousness transforming the root of his affections and thus removing his hostility to God. And finally, this is God's "effectual calling"—not the general call that goes out to all, but the creative call of God that brings into being something new by its own power (1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

Deeper Life – What Makes Us Supernatural Our Lord Jesus so often uses natural facts in order to teach the deepest spiritual truths. He first teaches us about our natural, Adamic life before we can understand and appreciate our new spiritual, Christ-life. This involves the vital source principle: "after its kind." Every believer first learns that he is complete in Adam -- he sprang from him: he is like him. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (Romans 5:19a). "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18a). When, through our failures and struggles, He has taught us about the natural, we will be ready to learn of our spiritual Source. "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him" (Colossians 2:9-10a). Our part is not production, but reception of our life in Christ. This entails Bible-based fact finding; explicit faith in Him and His purpose for us in Christ; and patient trust while He takes us through the necessary processing

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involved. No believer ever fell into maturity, even though he is complete in Christ. Spiritual growth necessitates heart-hunger for the Lord Jesus; determination, based upon assurance, to have that which is ours in Him, plus meditation and thought. We will never come into the knowledge of our spiritual possessions through a superficial understanding of the Word. How can we ever expect to have intimate fellowship with One we know little of? The following truth by J. T. Beck may be a good opportunity to exercise and develop some of that meditation and thought. "What is needed is a meditation, in which God concentrates His own peculiar Spirit and Life as a principle in a human individual to be personally appropriated. In a revelation, which is really to translate the Divine into man's individual personal life, in truth, to form men of God, the Divine as such -- that is, as a personal life -- must first be embodied in a personal center in humanity. For this reason; as soon as something strictly new is concerned, something that in its peculiarity has not yet existed, every new type of life, before it can multiply itself to a number of specimens, must first have its full contents combined in perfect unity, in an adequate new principle. And so, for the making personal of the Divine among men, the first thing needed is one in whom the principle of the Divine life has become personal. "Christianity concentrates the whole fulness of revelation in the one human personality of Jesus Christ as Mediator -- that is, as the mediating central principle of the new Divine organism, in its fulness of Spirit and Life, in and for the human personal life. With the entrance of Christ into the human individual, the Divine life becomes imminent in us, not in its universal world-relation, but as a personal principle, so that man is not only a being made of God, but a being begotten of God. And with the growing transformation of the individual into the life-type of Christ there is perfected the development of the personal life out of God, in God, and to God -- the development not only of a moral or theocratic communion, but a communion of nature!" A seed embodies in full the reproduction of the life from which it came. That much is complete, and can never be added to. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible" (1_Peter 1:23a). "Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed" (Leviticus 19:19). It is to be "not I, but Christ." The Seed has been implanted -- now the entire question is one of growth and maturity. This alone will bring forth fruit that abides. "The development of the divine life in the Christian is like the natural growth in the vegetable world. We do not need to make any special effort, only place ourselves under the conditions favorable to such growth." *Miles Sandford. The Complete Green Letters – page 24 (The writer of this lesson highlyrecommends this book but rejects the teachings on gifts of the spirit) Conclusion Finally, I am supernatural because I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). That means I have right standing with Him, I have fellowship with Him, I have communion with Him, I have union with Him, and I have oneness with Him. I have the gift of righteousness; I possess the presence of the Holy Spirit therefore, I can stand in the presence of the devil and reign. I can rule over opposition, persecution, tests, trials, circumstances, poverty, sickness, demons, or anything else that would cause me to be a failure. Greater is He that’s in me than he that’s in the world. I AM super in Him!

Luke 10:19-21 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

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Questions for Discussion

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1. What changed when you were regenerated? What qualifies you to be “super?” 2. What’s the purpose of being “super[natural]”? 3. What does it mean to be operating in the power of God? Living in the power of God? Who are your

role models?

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Memory Verses

Philippians 4: 12, 13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether

living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

For Further Study

Reference scriptures on how to operate in the Supernatural (The Power of the Holy Spirit)

1) Faith John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NKJV)

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (NKJV)

2) Prayer John 15:7-8 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (NKJV))

3) Consecrated lifestyle Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJV)

4) Dependence on the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)

5) Unity Psalms 133:1, 3b Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (KJV)

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6) Action Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (NKJV) Acts 8:4-7 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

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Discipleship Lesson 14 Establishing the Kingdom Where I Am

Galatians 5:13-14 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “ Love your neighbor as yourself.” Christian servanthood is given to us by example throughout the entire Bible revealing a wonderful lifestyle filled with blessings and opportunities to see lives changed as never seen before. Living out our perception of how Christ lived, as a servant to others, is the ultimate example after which we ought to fashion our lives. When we figure out what it means to lead by serving, this is when we truly understand what servanthood was meant to be. The Bible teaching about Christian service dominates Christianity. The original mandate was to Adam and Eve. Genesis 1:27-28 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” The privilege of serving is deeply grounded in the Great Commandment. Mark 12:29-31 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this, ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” It is also detailed in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Christ's Example of Servanthood (John 13:1-17)

1It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

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6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Let’s look closer at Christ’s example of service.

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father (v 1a).

Principle #1: No matter how bad things are going for us, we have no excuse for not serving others.

Notice first that it says in 13:1 “Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world.” If you were to read the first twelve chapters, you would continually see that John says, “His hour had not yet come” (2:4; 7:30; 8:20). But here we are on the eve of the crucifixion. Christ was about to be crucified and He knew it. That is a very important point because this whole event needs to be seen with that in mind. We see that Christ was not having a pity party and upset about what was going to happen to him.

Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (v 1b).

Principle #2: We serve because He first loves us. As He loves us we love others with the same love.

It also says in verse 1, “having loved them to the end.” This could mean he loved them until the end, but the Greek word for “end” could also mean “completely” and so this probably should be better translated, “He loved them completely. “What Christ is about to do is the result of His love. And this shows us that love is one motivation for service.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus (v 2).

Principle #3: The presence of evil did not hinder love. In serving, He lived and served above his circumstances.

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What we see is that Judas already planned to betray Christ. Christ knew it but it did not stop Him from serving them.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (v3-5).

Principle #4: Serving will require you to lay aside your title and status.

He knew “that the Father had put all things under his power.” (cf. Eph 1:22, Heb 2:8) He knew He had to live on earth and face tough times for a little while longer. But even though circumstances weren’t exactly in His favor, He acted like they were. When I use the word “acted,” I don’t mean He pretended like they were. I mean His actions showed He believed they were. He knew what the Father had said and He wasn’t worried.

He knew “that He had come forth from God and was going back to God.” Christ had no identity crisis. He was not dependent on the opinions of others for His self-identity. This gave Him the freedom to serve others. That is why the disciples wouldn’t wash each other’s feet. They were afraid of what others would think. Their self-image was formed by others’ opinions.

In contrast to the disciples, we have Jesus’ attitude. He laid aside His garments and that is symbolic of Him laying aside His position. What is the ultimate thing that Christ laid aside? Nowhere is it stated better than in Phil. 2:5-8 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance a man, humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

He continues with the clothing symbolism. The imagery in the phrase, “wrapped a towel around his wrist” is that of putting on the servant’s apron, adopting a servant’s role and performing a servant’s task. Although He was superior to them, He laid aside His rightful position and took up the servant’s position.

So, we see that Jesus has given them an example of service and now He must teach them some things that are necessary to know and do before they can follow His example and serve others.

Christ then sits down and explains what He has just done (read verses 12-17).

How does this relate to us? The most obvious application is that we are to serve others… 13:15 plainly says that Christ did it as an example for us to follow.

This also shows us how we are to relate to our world. In spite of our personal problems, in spite of the evil around us and the evil that has been done to us, we still have the responsibility to act correctly and minister to others. Too often we react wrongly—we have anger or bitterness at those who have wronged us. We try to manipulate those around us so that we don’t get hurt again. We need to confess our wrong reactions, and then take the right course of action.

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Conclusion

Seeking to promote servant living, the apostle reminds us in Philippians 2:1 that there is encouragement in Christ, a comfort provided by love, fellowship in the Spirit, and affection and mercy. I believe that the first three, encouragement in Christ, a comfort provided by love, and fellowship in the Spirit are what come to us through our walk with the Savior—they are the products of fellowship. The last two, affection and mercy, may refer to the results of Christ in us as it is to be expressed to others in selfless concern. In other words, as the God of peace and the God of all comfort, He wants us to have His peace and He wants to comfort us, but He is more concerned about our character as expressed in servant living than our comfort. His ultimate goal is not to pamper us physically or emotionally, but to perfect us spiritually, conforming us into the character of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus gave Himself redemptively for us to restore us to God and create a people who would live as servants of God in the service of others proclaiming the good news and loving others for Him. Thus, as Christ gave Himself, so God wants us to give ourselves for others.

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Questions for Discussion

1. How does Jesus model servanthood in John 13:1-5 and 12-17 2. In what areas are you serving the Body of Christ? 3. What happens if we do not find our significance in Christ? 4. How does servanthood play a role in your position as:

o Spouse o Parent o Child o Leader o Employee/employer:

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Memory verse

John 13: 16, 17 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

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Discipleship Lesson 15 Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and is his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

As believers we are under constant spiritual attack. There is not a day that goes by that our enemy is not looking for a way to invade our life and to gain a foothold. In the Christian life we battle against powerful evil forces. However, God does not leave us to fend for ourselves. He wants us to understand His supernatural and unlimited ability to help us. The Holy Spirit who indwells in us has supernatural power which enables us to stand firm against our enemy. The same divine power that created the heavens and earth, calmed the ocean, and raised the dead is available to every believer through the Lord Jesus Christ and is absolutely essential during spiritual attacks. Who is our enemy and how does he attack us?

Our Enemy is Satan

The name ‘Satan’ actually means someone who is an adversary or someone who opposes. We learn from Isaiah 14 (see Lesson 16) that Satan was once an archangel who was created to bring God glory. But somewhere along the way this archangel named Lucifer decided that he no longer wanted to give glory; he now wanted to receive glory, and therefore he led an angelic rebellion against God. Therefore, from that first moment of his rebellion until that day when he is finally cast into a lake of fire, Satan has, is, and will be in opposition to God and all that God desires. Unfortunately we’re right in the middle of this. We learn from the life of Job, Simon Peter, David and many others found in the Bible that Satan attacks God’s people with the intent to overthrow God’s purpose. What is God’s purpose? God’s purpose is to redeem us through His Son and thus bring glory to Himself. Satan cannot take away our salvation so he tries to oppose it.

Romans 8:38, 39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the great Christian classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, Satan’s attack upon the believer is described in this way. Pilgrim, as you know, is the main character who symbolizes the believer as he is making his journey towards the Celestial City. During one point of this journey it says -

“Now before he had gone far, he entered a very narrow passage … and as he went, he saw two lions in the way… The lions were chained but he saw not the chains. Then he was afraid, and thought to go back, for he thought that nothing but death was before him. But the Porter at the lodge… cried unto him said, “Is thy strength so small? Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed there for a trial of faith… and for discovery of those who have none. Keep in the midst of the road, and no hurt shall come unto thee.”

The lions were chained, yet Pilgrim did not see the chains. He saw only the fierceness of their appearance and the sound of their roar and it frightened him. Yet the Porter reassured him that the lions could not hurt him as long as he kept in the midst of the road. Concerning Satan the Bible says –

1 Peter 5:8, 9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith, …

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Many of us have experienced Satan’s roar and it can be very intimidating. Yet the Bible says that we can resist him ‘in the faith.’ If we stay in the middle of our faith, Satan can roar but he cannot harm us. Let’s not give Satan any glory because all the glory belongs to God. But let’s recognize that he is superior in intellect and strength to mankind, yet he is inferior to God in every way. Believers have the power of the indwelling resurrected Christ over them and protecting them.

1 John 4:4 You dear children are from God and have overcome them, because greater is the one who is in you than the one who is in the world. In addition, believers have been given the whole armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Through the power of God, we can resist and stand against Satan’s attacks. Paul refers to this power as our ‘Spiritual Armor.’ What is this armor?

Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

The Belt of Truth

v. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around you waist…

The Belt of a Roman Soldier The tunic of a Roman soldier is pulled up and tucked into is belt so that he could fight or work unhindered.

The Belt of a Christian Jesus said that Satan is a liar. He is a deceiver who works through lies and half-truths. Therefore it is imperative that we continually reinforce our lives with God’s truth. Where do we find God’s truth? Jesus said – “Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17) The power to resist Satan’s lies and schemes comes from actively studying and applying God’s Word. Believers must hold a commitment to truth regardless of the repercussions. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:33)

The Breastplate of Righteousness

v.14… with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

The Breastplate of a Roman Soldier As Paul was writing this, he had in mind the armor of a Roman soldier. A major part of that armor was a protective vest that covered the soldier’s body from his neck down to his waist. It goes without saying why this part of his armor was so important. The breastplate protected the soldier’s most vital body parts and organs.

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The Breastplate of the Christian Soldier What is the Breastplate of Righteousness? It is our confidence that we are right with God. ‘Righteousness’ refers to a condition that is right or acceptable with God. Such confidence is not self-confidence that is based upon self-righteousness, but Christ-confidence that is based upon Christ’s righteousness.

The heart must be kept pure and righteous because sin gives a foothold to the enemy. Confession and forgiveness on the basis of the blood of Christ cleanse the heart.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

v.15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Shoes of a Roman Soldier The soldier wore sandals with cleats made of sharp nails designed to give firm footing on even the most rugged terrain.

Shoes of a Christian Soldier Proper shoes enable the feet to go from place to place. The believer is to be about his/her Father’s business, which is to spread the gospel of peace and reconciliation. “Preparation” may have the sense of readiness to share the gospel to others at a moment’s notice. An undaunted sense of this mission keeps the believer headed in the right direction.

Matthew 28:19, 20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.

The Shield of Faith

v. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The Shield of a Roman Soldier This lone, oblong, or oval shield was crafted from two layers of wood covered with linen or animal hides, bound together with iron. When fighting side by side, soldiers could hold these shields together to form a long wall. Soaked in water, they served as adequate defense against the enemy’s “fiery darts” – arrows that had been dipped in pitch and ignited.

The Shield of a Christian The shield of faith offers God’s unlimited resources of power and wisdom (Eph. 3:16-21) to resist the fiery darts of distressing circumstances and temptations to evil (1 Cor. 10:13). Satan will send fiery darts to instill doubt, fear, and guilt. Faith acts as an invisible shield that deflects such false evidence.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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The Helmet of Salvation

v. 17 Take the helmet of salvation…

The Helmet of a Roman Soldier Basically the helmet was to protect the head.

The Helmet of a Christian Assurance of salvation is a mighty defense against doubt and insecurity and the kinds of works bred by them noted in 1 John 5: 11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. Christians can experience protection from Satan’s attacks as they rest confidently in their position as members of God’s family (John 1:12, 13), set apart for His purposes (Roman 15:16: 1 Cor. 1:2)

The Sword of the Spirit

v. 17 …and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

The Sword of the Roman Soldier The short, two-edged sword enabled the heavily-armed soldier to skillfully attack and defeat his enemy at close range.

The Sword of the Christian The Word of God, the only offensive weapon in this armor was used by the Jesus against Satan (Luke 4: 1-13). The living Word is powerful, effective, and instructive.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper that any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16, 17 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Pray in the Spirit

v. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the Lord’s people.

Prayer is not listed as a separate weapon of warfare but is rather given an all-encompassing status. Prayer is to be constant (1 Thess. 5:17) as the Christian prepares for battle, engages in it, and rests from it. In the midst of battle, we as believers must keep in constant communication with our Leader for directions and encouragement. We will discuss prayer in more detail in the next lesson.

Conclusion

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When a person becomes a child of God, he/she not only inherits God’s blessings but God’s enemies as well. The Lord's foremost enemy is Satan, whose purpose is to destroy His work (John 8:44), but Jesus came in order to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). To withstand the attacks headed by Satan we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of his armor. Paul is not only giving this counsel to the church, but to all individuals within the church. The whole body needs to be armed. As you battle against “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” fight in the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit.

Questions for Discussion

1. What are some key practices to victorious Christian living?

2. Explain the amour of God?

3. How can we be victorious over sin?

Memory Verse

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (NKJV)

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Discipleship Lesson 16 Prayer

Luke 18:1 The Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Prayer is powerful. It allows us to cast our burdens on the Lord and receive guidance and provision from Him. We can experience God’s power for daily living when we’re willing to seek Him earnestly and bow in reverence. If you and I approach prayer correctly, we can have confidence that He will respond to our requests

Prayer is a vital part of the disciple’s life. Jesus Christ is our great and ultimate example of how to pray. If Jesus prayed, how much more should we pray? Because we are believers in Jesus Christ we pray out of our relationship with Him. Based upon our relationship with Christ, our prayer life should grow and mature. We should not come to God in prayer when things are wrong only. We pray out of our delight in our relationship with God and not out of duty.

Prayer should demonstrate a total consciousness of our need, a sense of our complete inadequacy along with a sense of God’s complete adequacy and willingness.

Matthew 6:7-8 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Why Pray?

Throughout scripture, we are commanded, admonished and encouraged to pray. Why? Because there is purpose and benefits in prayer for the believer.

Prayer strengthens our relationship with Christ - James 4:8 Prayer transforms us to be more like Christ Prayer helps the believer discover the will of God Prayer is for repentance – Psalm 51 Prayer allows us to be naked and not ashamed – Psalm 109 Prayer expresses gladness and joy – Philippians 1:4 Prayer allows us to disclose our full emotional state Prayer provides direction Prayer provides comfort and relief Prayer provides covering

How should we pray?

A. Recognize that God is the Sovereign of the Universe. Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” Our heavenly Father never ceases to be the ruler and master of the universe.

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B. Recognize that God is holy. When Isaiah saw the Lord in His glory, he felt unclean, even though he had lived a faithful, righteous life (Isa. 6:1-6). The picture we see of God in the book of Revelation is similar in its majesty. As humans, we all fall short of His absolute holiness. We should approach Him with reverence and awe.

C. Confess sin. Scripture teaches that the Lord won’t hear our prayers if we’re holding onto unconfessed sin (Ps. 66:18). Purity of heart and the power of God are connected.

D. Recognize your inadequacy. When the Lord tells you to do something, He hasn’t made a mistake. He will never call you to do something that you can’t accomplish through His power and strength. In fact, God delights in using your weaknesses to teach you how to rely on Him.

E. Be available for God to use you. Some prayers will never be answered unless we take an active role in their fulfillment.

F. Experience the Holy Spirit’s enabling power. God wants you to look at yourself as He does—as someone with potential. In the power of the Spirit, you have the ability to do whatever He asks.

G. Acquire God’s vision and direction. What’s on your heart? Surrender every dream or goal to the heavenly Father, and watch what He will do in and through you.

BARRIERS TO PRAYER

Sin As Christians, we must take a look at known sin in our lives. Sin corrupts and separates us from God. We must begin to call it what it is “SIN”, not issues, not problems etc....

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Lack Of Faith Jesus is all powerful, but we can limit his power by our lack of expectation, by our wimpy faith! His work is hidden, sometimes even denied, to those who refuse to believe in Jesus’ power. So let’s be a people who not only pray, but pray with faith and expectation, anticipating Jesus’ mighty work.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Mark 11:23-24 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Outside The Will Of God

Again and again in the Bible the truth is emphasized that prayer must be according to God's will. Prayer is not a means for us to persuade a reluctant God to do something which is against His better judgment. Prayer, rather is coming to God for the fulfillment of His will, coming to a God who delights to answer prayer. Praying in the will of God means that the prayer must be in harmony with what God has revealed to be His plan for the world. Our petitions must be in harmony with God's holy and righteous character. What we desire from God must be to the best interest of ourselves and others, even though we may not always know what is ultimately best. If we pray in the will of God, we can be sure that God will answer. The Apostle John wrote, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us —whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15). These are great promises. In prayer we can approach God with complete assurance of His ability to answer us. There is no limit to what we can ask, if it is according to His will. John goes on to say that there are prayer requests that God cannot answer because they are not according to His will and not for our best interest (1 John 5:16). James expressed it, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Selfish prayers will not be honored by God. Prayer is God's appointed means to receive what is best for us and others and to realize what Paul called "what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom. 12:2b). But what infinite power and possibilities there are in prayer that is according to the will of God. (Study by John F. Walfoord) Consequences of a Prayerless Life When a believer does not pray, it puts him/her in direct conflict with the word of God. There are consequences when we live life on our own without direction from the Father. Some of those consequences are listed below:

Broken Fellowship Double-Mindedness – James 1:5-8 No Direction Lack Of Confidence That God Will Hear Us

Conclusion As a child of God, you have the awesome privilege of falling on your knees and talking to the Ruler of the universe. Don’t take this precious gift for granted. Humbly approach the throne of grace with your needs, confess your wrongdoing, and admit that life’s challenges are too much for you to handle. The Father will reveal His plans and equip you to succeed.

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of God’s ever present willingness. Prayer is not for emergency use only, when we get in a pinch and need someone to bail us out. Prayer is not an “Aladdin’s Lamp” or a trip to the wishing well for our wants.

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By contrast, prayer is a means of intimate communion, fellowship, and dependence upon God the Father who has promised to work in and through us through His Son, just as God worked through Him.

Prayer is for everyday living, moment by moment. Prayer is a means of claiming God’s promises and knowing and becoming abandoned to God’s will.

Questions for Discussion

4. What is the one thing each of these prayers above has in common? 5. Why Is Prayer important to you? 6. Does the believer take advantage of his/her opportunity to pray? Why or Why not? 7. (Self-Reflection) What is your prayer life like?

Memory Verse 1 John 5: 14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according

to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Reference Scriptures Prayers In Scripture: The Prophet’s Prayer – The prophet Habakkuk prays a prayer of worship and rejoicing to the Lord. Habakkuk 3:2-19 The Prayer of Ezra – Ezra intercedes to God for the guilt and sin of the people. Ezra 9:5-15 The Lord’s Prayer or Model Prayer – Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. Luke 11:2-4 The Tax Collector’s Prayer – The tax collector prays for mercy in a prayer of repentance. Luke 18:13 Hezekiah’s Prayer – On his deathbed, Hezekiah cries out in Prayer and God Extends his life. Isaiah 38:2-8 The Prayer of Jabez – Jabez prays for God to bless him. 1 Chronicles 4:10 Daniel’s Prayer – Daniel pleads for the Lord’s mercy in petition and fasting for the captive Jews. Daniel 9:4-19 David’s Prayer – After God makes a Covenant Promise to David, he prays this Prayer of Thanks. 2 Samuel 7:18-29 Priestly Prayer of Jesus – Christ Intercessory Prayer. John 17

TYPES OF PRAYERS

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Prayer of Adoration – We praise the greatness of God and we acknowledge our dependence on Him for all things.

Prayer of Thanksgiving – Thanksgiving should be a regular part of our talking to God. Giving God the thanks He deserves.

Prayer of Petition – We ask God for things we need, primarily spiritual, but physical ones as well. We bring our requests before God for ourselves, our family or our friends. Our prayer of petition should always include a statement of our willingness to accept God’s will.

Prayer of Intercession –To intercede means to plead on behalf of another person, government and church leaders.

Supplication In Prayer – How we make our request known to God is important. We cannot talk to God any kind of way and expect to get an answer. We must be humble.

1 Timothy 2: 1-6 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet

and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom

for all, to be testified in due time." (KJV)

Spiritual Warfare Prayer – The combat performed in the spirit against evil, dark forces to overcome Satan’s attacks, lies and deception through the reading of God’s word and Prayer. Ephesians 6:10-20

Clearly, prayer is an area where believers experience spiritual warfare. Our spiritual enemy is fully aware of the power and promises available to us in prayer. He knows that every major spiritual revival began with prayer. He knows we are all called to be “praying menaces” to his cause. Therefore, he fights us from every angle to keep us from praying effectively. The devil launches his weapons of mass distraction to keep us too preoccupied with other things to take time to really connect with God. He bombards us with his fiery darts of doubt to keep us from praying in faith to the One who is “a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Our enemy seeks to discourage us at every turn because he is threatened by believers and congregations that take prayer seriously and pursue Christ passionately. Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson

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Discipleship Lesson 17 God is Faithful

Psalms 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Faithful in its Greek origin means to prop, stay, or support. Faithful is an action verb and in the intransitive use it expresses a doable activity. It means to stay oneself or be supported. Faithful as applied to a person means someone that another can safely rely on or lean upon, and trustworthy. “But you promised!” How many times have we heard those words? Children crave promise keeping from significant adults in their lives. They want to trust that we will do what we say. Just as they crave, we as children of God crave the promises of God. God doesn’t forget His promises. He keeps His Word. When He makes a promise, He will deliver. Faithfulness, one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), is a biblical word describing those who keep their promises. Faithfulness says, “I will keep my word. I will not fail you. I won’t quit on you.” Faithfulness is the glue that keeps our actions adhering to our promises. The faithfulness of God is the foundation to our faith. Faithfulness As It Relates To God Faithfulness is God’s habitual truthfulness on display. When it comes to God we can see faithfulness at its best. With Him, faithfulness simply means that He will keep watch over, stand by, and forever be consistent to perform His word regarding His love for His people and the judgments of Sin and sins. (The Nature and Actions of the Fallen Nature). Every promise in the

Word of God will be performed to the greatest detail, readiness, and with optimum precision just as He spoke it, whether it is His “blessings” or “discipline.” The fact is simple….He cannot lie. Regardless of what man does or does not do…Jesus is and will forever be faithful to His Word and His creation. God has shown his faithfulness to His people throughout scripture even when His people are not always faithful to Him. Even when the circumstances dictate that God should act differently, He can still be seen as faithful and loving. Not exposing us as He could but loving us to a greater degree and giving us time and energy, helping us with our struggles and cares in life. We can see his faithfulness in Deuteronomy 7:7-9 where the scriptures states, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandment.” Nothing about Israel compelled the Lord to choose them. His choice was based solely on His divine love and His faithfulness to His oath.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

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Faithfulness – Why Is It Important to God?

Faithfulness is important to God because He cannot lie. Every promise given, He is willing and able to perform it. As our primary example, Jesus showed us that He is “faithful”, “trustworthy” and “truthful”. Are You?

He Is Faithful/Trustworthy

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

o In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he was concerned because the church was suffering great persecution for their faith. Under the temptation, Paul was afraid the church would fall or prove to be unfaithful but he was confident that the LORD would keep watch over them to keep them from the enemy’s grasp and not even Satan himself could hold them hostage or make them denounce their faith.

1 Corinthian10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

o In the above passage of scripture, Paul is telling the Corinthian Church of their forefather’s plight and the outcome of their yielding to temptation. No matter what the temptation is God is faithful to keep you.

He Is Truthful

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (NKJV)

o God should not be viewed as a mere man. He is Savior, Lord and our Creator. If you could surgically cut God open and allow His inward parts to be exposed, you would see Love, Faithfulness and Truth just to name a few. For man, truth is a character to be developed but for God, it is the very material He is made of.

God’s Faithfulness Shown To Us In Scripture:

In Time of Trouble – Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God - Psalm 91 In Time of Sickness – Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant - Luke 7:9-10 In Time of Lack – Elisha and the Widow’s Oil - 2 Kings 4:1-7

Do Our Faithlessness Matter?

God will always do his part but there is a part we as the believer must play. Are we willing to be selfless? Are we willing to stand by someone? Are we willing to be of Support to someone else? Can we be relied upon? Can we be found trustworthy?

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The root cause of faithlessness is unbelief. The key reason men turn away from God’s word is unbelief. Do we believe the word of God is for today? Do we believe the same way God made a way in scripture for the saints of old, He will make a way for us today? Your faith is tied to your belief.

If we do not believe, we cannot be faithful to anyone or anything. Our action denotes our belief and puts our faith on display. Many possess head knowledge of faith but not a heart of faithfulness. Our faithlessness does not change God’s faithfulness towards us.

2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains faithful (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), He cannot deny Himself. (NKJV)

Conclusion

While the Bible is clear that God’s faithfulness is the solid ground of our faith, it’s also clear that our faith gives God a way to display His faithfulness.

God would have remained faithful if Moses had remained in the desert, herding sheep. But because Moses had the faith to be God’s representative before Pharaoh, he had a front row seat to the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea – both huge demonstrations of God’s faithfulness.

God would have remained faithful if Daniel hadn’t had the courage to keep praying to God when he was told not to. But because Daniel had the faith to persist, he had a bird’s eye view to God’s faithfulness in the lions’ den.

God would have remained faithful if Peter hadn’t walked on water. But because Peter had the faith to step out of the boat, he got to see Jesus’ faithfulness in a way the other disciples didn’t.

Maybe we could sum it up like this: God has demonstrated His past faithfulness to give us a foundation for our faith. Now show God your faith. And He’ll show you His faithfulness.

Not because you would have earned it. But because you would have put yourself in a position to see it.

Pray big Dream big Take big steps of faith.

Because of how you’ve seen God’s faithfulness in the past. And because you want to see Him show His faithfulness in ways you haven’t seen yet in the future.

Pastor Steven Furtick

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Questions for Discussion

1. How has God shown His faithfulness to you? Discuss.

2. Has there been a time in your life where God has been faithful to you even in your disbelief?

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Memory Verse Psalm 89:8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness

surrounds you.

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Discipleship Lesson 18 I Am Faithful

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. Consider for a moment that everyone on earth has the same amount of time in every day. President or paper boy, housewife or executive, farmer or financier – they all have exactly 24 hours in each day, 168 hours in each week, 525,600 minutes in each year. Some people take that time and build relationships, dream dreams and make plans, cultivate their walk with God, develop new skills and live lives of adventure. Some people watch a lot of TV. What differentiates people isn’t the amount of time available to them, but the manner in which they exercise their gifts and talents within the available time. We can waste time; we can spend time; or we can invest our time wisely. That’s what stewardship is about: faithfully developing and using our gifts, talents and resources within the amount of time God has allotted to us. In every stewardship relationship there are two parties involved: the master who hands out the resources and will one day ask for an accounting; and the steward who is entrusted with the resources and must eventually answer for how they were invested. God is the Master; He distributes gifts at His discretion. We are stewards, accountable to Him for all that we do with all that we have. We didn’t give ourselves the personalities, talents, or longings we were born with. When we fulfill these gifts from beyond ourselves – it is like fulfilling something we were meant to do. Do not rush through this thought. Herein lays the fundamental principle of biblical stewardship – the fundamental principle of all Christianity, We own nothing. God owns everything; we are simply managers. The Bible says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). As humbling as this sound, we don’t bring anything to the table. It’s all God’s. This principle carries some heavy implications. First, since God owns it all, He holds the rights that come with ownership. Since we only have what we have been allowed to have, then we operate primarily in the realm of responsibilities. Hear that clearly: God has rights; we have responsibilities. God has entrusted us with certain resources, gifts and abilities. These things rightfully belong to Him. Our responsibility is to live by that trust by managing these things well, according to his design and desire. Another implication is that since God owns everything and expects us to manage things according to his plan and purpose, every decision is a spiritual decision. Whether it’s buying a new car or going to the movies, how we use our time and money matters a great deal to God. God demands to be in the loop on every investment, purchase and decision.

Stewardship in All Circumstances In Genesis 39:1-41:57, Joseph provides us with a classic example of stewardship. His life is the ultimate good news/bad news story. He is his father’s favorite son, but that makes his brothers jealous. His father gives him a beautiful coat, but his brothers tear it off and sell him into slavery because of it. He finds a job working for a wealthy man who puts him in charge of his household, but his boss’ wife tries to seduce him.

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Joseph resists, but this makes her angry enough to falsely accuse him and have him thrown into jail. In prison, Joseph meets a royal official, interprets a dream and receives a promise of parole, but the official forgets and Joseph languishes in prison for two more years. Joseph’s life has more plot twists than an Indiana Jones movie. We want to rush to the end, where Joseph is large and in charge, reconciled to his brothers, enjoying luxury, and they all live happily ever after. But Joseph models something more important for us. Stewardship happens in the meantime. Regardless of his circumstances, whether he was on an upswing or a downturn, Joseph utilized the resources available to him for great good. God was with Joseph, he was always put “in charge” (Genesis 39:4, 22; 41:41). From Potiphar’s house to the prison ward to Pharaoh’s Egypt, Joseph built others’ fortunes by managing their resources and managed situations well regardless of his own comfort. That’s what stewardship entails; and that, according to Matthew 25, is what leadership is all about as well. But of what, exactly are we stewards?

Stewardship of Spiritual Gifts 1 Peter 4:10-11 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV) Romans 12:3-8 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. The word “gift” is the Greek word, carisma, which means “a gift of grace, a free gift.” It is especially used of special spiritual abilities given by the Spirit for God to enable Christians to serve the body of Christ. They are grace gifts sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4, 11, 18). Spiritual gifts are those endowments of power which enable us to carry out the vital functions of our body life in Christ as members of His body. These endowments are a supernatural enablement so that supernatural results are produced. All believers have at least one spiritual gift. Regardless of what you may think, God’s Word teaches us that every Christian has a spiritual gift. The same truth is expressed by Paul in Romans 12:6 and 1 Corinthians 12:7. At the point of salvation, when we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, we become members of the body of Christ by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit who places us into union with Christ. According to the analogy portrayed in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, each believer becomes a gifted member, like an arm, or a foot, or an eye with ability and a function to perform. This is a matter of grace and the sovereign work and choice of the Spirit, never our merit or works (1 Cor. 12:4, 11, 18). Peter also teaches us gifts are given for “serving one another.” They are for the common good of the body of Christ as an expression of love (1 Cor. 13) and never for personal gain or selfish agendas (1 Cor. 12-14). The Apostle Paul defines the common good by such things as edification (building up the body of Christ),

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exhortation, consolation, and instruction, attaining unto a mature man in Christ, etc. (1 Cor. 12:7; 14:3-5, 17, 19, 26, 31; Ephesians 4:11-16). Stewardship of Time Ephesians 5:15-17 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (NKJV) The Apostle calls us to a guarded walk because the days in which we live in the present form of the world are evil. “Evil” is poneros in the Greek means, wicked, evil, bad, base, worthless, vicious, degenerate. Satan is called “the evil one” and certainly, the evil of these days is greatly magnified by Satan’s activity as the ruler of this age (John 12:31; 14:30; Eph. 2:2; 6:12). The days are undoubtedly described as evil because they are full of ideas, values, and uses that are destructive and contrary to the purposes of God, but they are also evil because of the many delusions and temptations designed by the evil one to draw men away from God and His will (2 Thess. 2:10; 2 Tim. 2:26; Rev. 12:9). What does Paul mean by “redeeming the time”? We must take advantage of every opportunity to act wisely and do good whenever we can. There is a sense of urgency because of evil’s pervasiveness. We need the same sense of urgency to do what God wants us to do. This would stress the benefits received by rescuing the time God has given on earth from the many evil uses promoted by the evil one. The former life of darkness as children of disobedience is now to become a life of light as children of God who seek to prove what is pleasing to the Lord (Eph. 5:1-14). With this comes the responsibility to make wise use of this time. The reason, remember, is that the days are evil. They are filled with deceptions and temptations designed to cause us to miss the will of God. Ephesians 5:15-18 challenges believers to a watchful and careful walk in wisdom and by the Spirit so that they can grasp God’s will and overcome the evil of these days. So, a further result of such a careful walk in wisdom is the capacity to rescue time from the bondage of unprofitable uses and activities while here on earth that displease the Lord and have no eternal value. Stewardship of the Tithe

The term tithe that is found in Scripture (maser / asar, in the Hebrew and dekate / dekavth, in the Greek), translates into the tenth; thus, the notion that one should give ten percent of one’s monies to the church comes from the meaning of these words. The Scriptures tell us that God does not want us to do whatever we want or what seems fit. He not only wants 10% of all of our income but it must be the first 10%. Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crop, then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new vine.” Every Christian should be giving. God has given us a method of giving which is completely fair and equal to all who will obey, no matter what you make. If a Christian cannot trust God with the first 10%, how can he go further to surrender his entire life to Christ. In Malachi 3 He tells us to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” He goes on to say, “Test me in this,… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out

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so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” God wants us to try him. Put Him to the test and see how His Word is truth. Christians do not own money. We only possess and manage it. The issue is not how much money will we give to God but how much of God’s money will we keep for ourselves. God is interested in what we will do with the money He has given us. The question is asked in Malachi 3:8, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “ In tithes and offerings.” As Christians we must cultivate the fact that all we are and all we have belong to God. Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; We cannot say that we have earned it, it’s mine, and we can do whatever we want with it. We cannot say the tithe belongs to God but the 90% is mine. It all belongs to God – the tithe and the rest of it. We must return to God what he has commanded and He has entrusted us with the rest of His money. Just because the tithe is returned doesn’t give us the right to do whatever we want to do with the rest. We must pray about every expenditure and be good stewards of ALL His money. We will one day be judged for what we do with what He has entrusted us with. Luke 19:22, 23 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ Conclusion The word, stewardship, simply means to manage someone else’s property. For the Christian, as Scripture proclaims everything belongs to God, we manage the property of our Lord. Since everything belongs to Christ, we need to have the attitude and view that our things are His things, our stuff is His stuff, that all we could have now, all we have lost, all we will have, is His, including our very bodies and spiritual gifts. We are mere lessees of the property, money, relationships, talents, time, and even our lives. That means all that we are and all that we have are not really ours to begin with. They belong to God. So, the duty of the Christian is to learn how to become responsible stewards of our Lord’s resources entrusted into our care. It means to manage everything to the best of our abilities for His glory (1 Cor. 4:2).

Questions for discussion

1. What about our time? Do you always live in a rush? If so, does that please God? Does it leave time for important things, such as relationships and ministry?

2. What are the gifts and abilities you have? How are you using them for the Body and the glory of Christ?

3. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15: What are the principles of giving cited here? 4. Read Ephesians 5:15-21. For introspective inspection, write a list of the priorities in your life. Then,

with the above verses in mind, ask yourself,” How do my priorities line up with God’s?” What can you do to line your up your priorities to be more like God’s?

Memory Verse 1 Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

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DISCIPLESHIP LESSON 19

EVERY CHRISTIAN A PROCLAIMER There is a doctrine in the United States Marine Corps that is known as "The Rifleman's Creed". It states that every enlisted Marine, regardless of their military specialization (MOS), is trained first and foremost to be a rifleman. And every Marine officer, regardless of MOS, is trained as an Infantry Platoon Commander. This doctrine is in place so that no matter what happens in combat, every Marine and officer is prepared to continue the mission to destroy the enemy. This way if a cook is in the kitchen and a fire fight breaks out, he or she can stop cooking, grab a rifle and help their fellow Marines deal with the adversary. The Christian should have a similar mentality in life. We should use "The Evangelist's Creed". That means that every Christian (whether a Pastor, Deacon, Elder, or Layperson) is first and foremost an Evangelist. We should all be able to communicate the plan for salvation to our peers, regardless of our age, position, or location in the church. Evangelism is not just the job of the Pastor. It is the job of every born again believer to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone that we run into. We should not only be prepared to witness to the world, we should desire to run into unsaved people so that we can share the good news with them. Notice that I did not say that we had to convert everyone. It is ultimately up to the individual whether or not they accept Christ. But we have to actively expose them to Jesus so that the word of God can penetrate into their heart. How can we make sure that we are prepared to do this? We need to know the truth for ourselves. We need to spend time with God ourselves. And we need to want the person to receive salvation

Evangelism Defined: Evangelism is joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God. It is calling people to

repentance, to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to active membership in the church, to being a disciple and to obedient service in the world by reaching others.

Why Evangelize?

It was the last command that Jesus gave us. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave us this command found in Mark 16:15, "...Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation."

There is a real hell to shun and a heaven to gain. In Revelation 20:15 it says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Life is but a vapor. This life we are living is not even a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. As Christians we need to help people become aware of this. Everyone needs to decide on this side of eternity how they are going to spend eternity. According to the Bible there are only two choices, heaven or hell. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

God has promised us an abundant life here on this earth. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10. Despite all appearances, people who do not have a relationship with God through Jesus do not have true peace or joy. Submitting to the Lordship of Christ is the most fulfilling thing a person can do.

The Agricultural Imagery of Evangelism in 1 Corinthians 3:5-8

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Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is

anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. I Cor. 3:5-8

1. Prepare the Soil. We are not living in a result-oriented society. We are living in an instant result-oriented society. Nearly every store carries instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instamatic cameras, and instant breakfasts. We use instant messenger, drive-up windows, automatic teller machines, credit cards, and fax machines. If we have to wait more than five minutes, it’s considered a travesty of justice! However, in the spiritual realm patience is a part of God’s program. Nowhere is this more evident than in the conversion of a man or woman. Although conversion is the miracle of a moment, the Bible uses agricultural imagery to portray the dynamic process of evangelism. Crops do not simply “happen”—reaping a harvest is the outcome of a lengthy series of events that cannot be bypassed or overlooked. Unless the ground is cleared and plowed it will not be ready to receive the seed. Likewise, in the spiritual realm, before people are ready to receive the seed of the Word their souls must be prepared. God often uses trials and tragedies to tear down any illusions of autonomy so people can begin to see their true condition of spiritual need. Divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, and a major move all prepare souls for Christ. These trials and transitions in life are often what God uses to draw people to Christ. Although God is the One who ultimately does the work of transforming a person’s soul, He invites each one of us to participate with Him. Notice, the key word is participate. In any area of life and ministry we should understand that we contribute nothing to the purposes of God. He has no lack or deficiency, and for us to make a contribution would mean that we bring something to the table that He does not already possess. However, God does invite us to participate in His purposes by being a part of what His Spirit is accomplishing in the lives of people. There are a number of ways that we can participate with God in His work of preparing the soil. First, we can and must pray. This is where the real work is found—preparing the soil through prayer. The Lord uses His servants in each phase of the process as people without Christ the lost are prayed. Prayer is part and parcel of seeing individuals believe in Christ. We must never forget or neglect this critical step. What to pray: Three Life-changing prayer segments based on Colossians 4:3-4:

Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to

speak. •“Lord, Open a door.”

•“Lord, open their heart.”

•“Lord, open my mouth.”

The second human element of preparing the soil is: we must have a presence. We must go to sinners if we expect sinners to come to the Savior. Many Christians assume that it is the job of the pastoral staff to save the lost when in reality, it is the job of the body to go out into the world and

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share Christ and then bring those that they have led to Christ to the church for growth and discipleship. This means we must love lost people enough to go after them. Loving the lost is the first step in leading the lost to Christ 2. Sow the Seed. After preparing the soil, it is imperative to sow the seed. This is simply putting the Word before people. It may be leaving a gospel of John booklet or tract at a restaurant. It may be giving a person a Christian book that has been especially meaningful to you. Often, it is simply sharing your personal testimony and the gospel. Is this easy? No, it is not. It can be downright scary, but the rewards of witnessing are worth the risks. 3. Cultivate the Soil. Cultivation is the lengthiest part of the agricultural process since it involves irrigation, fertilization, and weed control. The cultivation phase is illustrated in the fact that Jesus was called “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt 11:19) and in Paul’s desire to find areas of common ground in order to win Jews and Gentiles to Christ (1 Cor 9:19-23). Again, if we are to be faithful witnesses we must learn to love lost people. We must not see lost people as trophies to be won. If this is our mindset we will find ourselves quickly and easily discouraged. We have looked at three stages: preparing the soil, sowing the seed, and cultivating the soil. We have learned that we must pray for laborers and specific lost people. We have also learned that we must spread the Word through any available means. We have also been reminded that evangelism is a process that takes time. Yet we must be patient and persevere in each of these stages, for a fruitful harvest requires a faithful witness. We have considered three stages of gardening; we are now ready to undergo the brief fourth phase. 4. Reap the Harvest. Crops go through three stages: green, ripe, rotten. Harvest is effective only at one stage. If we prematurely harvest the fruit before it is ripe, we run the risk of ruining the fruit. However, if we wait too long to harvest the fruit it may be too late. The key is sensitivity to the Spirit and timely intervention. Many of us need to simply remove the pressure and guilt that we feel under. God expects for sharing our faith with others to be fun and natural. He also wants us to know that it is His work. I have yet to convert a single soul; the only conversion that takes place is through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. This is helping me to relax and not take so much personal responsibility. If I accept the blame when a person rejects Christ, quite naturally, I would need to accept some of the credit when a person believed Christ. The key concept to be gleaned from this process principle is the liberating truth that if we are involved in any one of these four phases, we are doing evangelism. Believers who prepare the soil, sow the seed, or cultivate the planted soil are as much a part of the evangelistic process as those who are given the privilege of reaping the harvest. In addition, when we are sensitive and responsive to the opportunities God places in our path, we will find ourselves participating in different phases of the process, depending on the individual and the purposes of God. With one person we may be given an opportunity to participate in the seed-planting phase by sharing truths from Scripture. In another case, we may have an

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opportunity to water or fertilize the spiritual truth that has already been sown. While our desire is to see our friends come to Christ (the harvest), we can be assured that whether we are involved in preparing, sowing, watering, or reaping, we are part of that process. So how do these four stages of gardening work in action? Jesus will show us in John 4. Jesus “prepared the soil” when He asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of well water (4:7-10). Even in speaking to her, Jesus overcame three barriers:

First, the racial barrier (Jews had no dealings with Samaritans),

Second, the gender barrier (Jewish rabbis would not address women as Jesus did),

Third, the social barrier (this woman had a poor reputation among her own people). Jesus sowed

the seed. Jesus knew everything she had done, and yet He gently and lovingly offered her the living

water of eternal life (4:10). Jesus cultivated the seed by getting intimately involved in this woman’s

personal circumstances and then answering her theological questions (4:16-26).

Finally, Jesus reaped the harvest. After telling this woman that He was the Christ (4:26), the woman left Him. The disciples then approached Jesus and urged Him to eat (4:31). Jesus responded with these powerful words in John 4:34-39:

“My food,” said Jesus, is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until the harvest’? I tell you open your eyes and look at the

fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying

‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

We are tools in the hand of the master Gardener. God is using many of us in remarkable ways, but God is anxious for a greater harvest because the fields are white unto harvest. He wants to use you and me to participate with Him in bringing about a bumper crop! 7 Tips for Effective Evangelism 1. Know your audience and tailor the message to them, don’t just do things the way you always do. Take the gospels as an example of this, there are 4 accounts each tailored to a specific audience, addressing the needs of each group. But the message remains consistent (i.e. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the World). 2. Be led (Acts 16:6, 9-10). Paul wanted to go to Asia but the Spirit forbade Him. He was led to Macedonia (Europe) and that’s where the ministry was effective. Likewise, Philip was led into the desert to the Ethiopian (Acts 8), it seemed crazy to leave a thriving Samaritan revival and go into a desert of Gaza, but that’s where he was led and as a result the gospel travelled down into Africa with the Ethiopian. 3. Be burdened. According to 1 Cor. 13 the gifts work by love. Without love and a burden for souls we won’t reach them.

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4. Preach Jesus. Be single minded in your message. It should be Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Don’t preach your pastor, your church rules, politics or anything else – focus on Jesus and esp. what He has done means to you. 5. Be empowered (Acts 1:8). Without the indwelling Holy Spirit you cannot be an effective witness for Christ. 6. Be in agreement. Imagine if Peter & John did not agree at the Gate Beautiful, imagine if Peter wanted to go to get some cash, while John wanted to pray for him. Thanks be to God they both said: silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we freely give, rise up and walk in Jesus Name. Make sure you are walking with people who agree on doctrine when you go out to share the faith. 7. Have faith (Mark 16:16-18). Believe that souls will respond to the call. There’s nothing worse than an unbelieving evangelist… why bother? The excuse that ‘we told them so they can’t say they didn’t hear the gospel on judgment day’ simply is not good enough. Everyone won’t respond positively to the call, but as good stewards we should be of the view that with God NOTHING shall be impossible. Questions for Discussion

1. Do I see myself as God’s “servant,” called to proclaim Jesus Christ? Why or why not? Is my first

priority to God or to others (e.g., my spouse, my children, my employer)? How can I preach Christ in

adverse circumstances? What is my responsibility in the midst of these situations?

2. Over the course of my Christian life, have I seen sharing Christ as a process or an event? If I have

seen it as an event, what can I do to correct my faulty thinking? What struggles have I experienced

in sharing my faith that stem from perceiving sharing Christ as an event?

3. Do I see the human harvest of souls as “white?” If so, will I change my attitude and perspective this

week so I become more optimistic and Holy Spirit dependent?

Memory Verse - Matthew 9:37-38

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

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Discipleship Lesson 20 The Christian Life

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ revealed at this coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

When we declare in our Creed that we are a model of holy living, we are making a very bold statement. A model is a standard or example for imitation or comparison. In this case, we are claiming that if people look at us they will be able to see what it means to live holy. It is the same statement that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 11:1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Are you really ready for people to say to you: “I want to live my life exactly like you live yours. I am going to watch how you live and live the same way.” We are to be models of holy living. Holiness means to be set aside for God’s special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. We are to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different for the sake of being different. What make us different are God qualities in our lives. In Mark 10, the disciples are arguing over who is the greatest. Jesus gets straight to the point with them when he says: You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever want to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10:42-44, emphasis added). “Not so with you” Jesus tells them. We are to be different. Finally, we are to be models of holy living. The emphasis on this part of our creed is on how we live out what we say we believe. In fact, we cannot claim that Jesus is our Lord unless we are living out what He says: Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46) Being “a model of holy living” brings us to consider what it means to live a Christian lifestyle. What does it mean to be a Christian? In our culture, it has become merely a label that says we are part of a particular religion that distinguishes us from a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist or some other faith perspective. The term “Christian” means literally “little Christ”. How did the term come into being? Acts 11 tells us that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. What prompted this designation to be given to the followers of Jesus Christ for the first time? Acts 11:19-26 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he

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arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the disciples who first earned the name “Christian” was that they refused to be held captive by the cultural norms of the day. Jews were not supposed to have anything to do with Gentiles, or Greeks as they are called in this passage. So intent were these Jewish Christians on telling the good news of Christ, that they took the risk of telling the message to the Gentiles. God blessed their efforts and a great number of people believed. The fact that Jews and Greeks were spending time together to learn about Jesus got the attention of those around them. What could possibly make these Jews and Gentiles get along? It must be that they are followers of Christ, or “little Christs”. The proof positive of being a “Christian” when the word first appears in Scripture is when people are brought together in the name of Christ who normally would not associate with one another in their culture. They are able to come together because of their common experience of believing and proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another glimpse into the life of the church at Antioch is given by Paul in Galatians: Galatians 2:11-14 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? Paul says that he confronted Peter because “he was clearly in the wrong” and was not “acting in line with the truth of the gospel”. What was it that caused Paul to give them such a strong rebuke? “He began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.” Peter gave in to the pressure to conform to the religious mandates not to associate with Gentiles. Once again, we see a clear testimony that the essence of being a Christian is to be so committed to following Christ that it destroys all manmade barriers. Being a Christian means that we ignore all manmade barriers in order to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and our lifestyles. The Major Issues of the Christian Lifestyle If being a Christian means proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and lifestyles, then we had better base it on the things that Jesus did and taught. What are some of the major issues in the teaching and life of Christ? For this we should look at those things Jesus emphasized.

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1. Christian lifestyle is a life lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus the Holy Spirit was involved. Luke 3:21-22 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Of course, this event does not mean that the Holy Spirit had never come up on Jesus before, since Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was with him even while he was in his mother’s womb. But the Holy Spirit lighted on Jesus in a visible, bodily form as a demonstration to the onlookers that his ministry was to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was getting ready to be crucified, he comforted his disciples by assuring them: And I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18) So closely is the Holy Spirit identified with Christ in this passage that Jesus says I am leaving, yet I am also coming to you in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will live in you, which is the same as Jesus living in you. After His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and promised them power when the Holy Spirit comes as recorded in the book of Acts: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, emphasis added) After the Holy Spirit came as promised in Acts 2, the disciples began to the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal the lame beggar, and afterward they take the opportunity to deliver a message in the power of the Holy Spirit that said: By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that completely healed him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:16) Having been warned previously not to testify any more about Jesus, they were arrested and thrown in jail. The next day they appear before the Sanhedrin, and once again testify about the Lord Jesus. In Acts 4, we read these revealing words: When they [the Sanhedrin] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, emphasis added) The early disciples based all their teaching, and all their actions, so fully on the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus, that everyone took note that they had been with Jesus. Thus the term “little Christs” was applied to them. In the beginning it was not meant to be a compliment, but rather an insult. To be a Christian was to be one who taught, lived and did the things that Jesus Christ did in the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Christian lifestyle is a life of love. Jesus gives us a clear statement of how He read all of Scripture:

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Matthew 22:35-40 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him [Jesus] with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” If we are going to presume to teach what Jesus taught and live as Jesus lived, our primary motivation has to be love for God and love for others. Furthermore, Jesus tells us exactly what this love will look like.

In the book of Luke, after Jesus had said a similar thing to another expert in the Law, this man asked Jesus a follow up question: And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29) It is at this point that Jesus tells the well known story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus illustrates through this story, that surely must have shocked His Jewish listeners, that true love for our fellow man will not stop at cultural taboos, a theme we have already noticed. You must love your neighbor, especially those whom our culture may tell us are unlovable. Powerful movements have begun by those who embraced this radical concept of loving even those who we would not normally love as part of their Christian lifestyle. Consider Frederick Douglass:

I was not more than thirteen years old, when I felt the need of God, as a father and protector. My religious nature was awakened by the preaching of a white Methodist minister, named Hanson. He thought that all men, great and small, bond and free, were sinners in the sight of God; that they were, by nature, rebels against His government; and that they must repent of their sins, and be reconciled to God, through Christ… I was, for weeks, a poor, brokenhearted mourner, traveling through the darkness and misery of doubts and fears. I finally found that change of heart which comes by "casting all one's care" upon God, and by having faith in Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer, Friend, and Savior of those who diligently seek Him. After this, I saw the world in a new light. I seemed to live in a new world, surrounded by new objects, and to be animated by new hopes and desires. I loved all mankind--slaveholders not excepted; though I abhorred slavery more than ever. My great concern was, now, to have the world converted.3

3. Christian lifestyle will be authenticated by service to the poor and oppressed. At the kick off of His earthly ministry as recorded in Luke, this is what we read: Luke 4: 16-21 He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

3 Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom.

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Ministry to the poor and oppressed should be at the center of our Christian lifestyle. Jesus said that he came to fulfill this particular scripture from Isaiah. We sometimes relegate service to the poor into a special category called “missions”. Jesus is saying that it should be at the center of all that we do if we are going to call ourselves Christian. From the earliest days of the Church this has been understood by those who called themselves Christian. In Galatians, Paul recounts the incident when he went to Jerusalem to privately put before the leaders of the Church the content of the gospel that he had been proclaiming among the Gentiles “I was not running or had not been running my race in vain”. He received the endorsement from the leaders at the “home church” of his ministry: They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised [Jews]. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. (Galatians 2:9b-10) Saint Augustine (354-430 AD), Bishop of North Africa, had a practice of ending his sermons with the words: Give to the poor. Augustine dared to dream of a time when there would be no poor: You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist.4

Those of us who are Protestants are part of a movement that holds a deep belief in the impetus of our faith in meeting the needs of others. Martin Luther said: Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God's grace… Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; he will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown him such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as burning and shining from fire.5 In 1540, city officials in Geneva, Switzerland invited John Calvin to that city to enact reforms. As soon as he arrived he set about revolutionizing Geneva society. His most important innovation was the incorporation of the church into city government. He developed a Deacon ministry modeled on Acts 6 to care for the sick, the elderly, the widowed and the poor.6 Calvin took great care to provide for the poor, because he believed that all the Church possesses rightfully belongs to the poor, and consequently how those resources are handled is of utmost seriousness: You will frequently find both in the decrees of synods and in ancient writers that all that the church possesses, either in lands or in money, is the patrimony7 of the poor. And so this song is often sung there to bishops and deacons, that they should remember that they are not handling their own goods but those appointed for the need of the poor; and if in bad faith they suppress or waste them, they shall be guilty of blood. Accordingly, they are admonished to distribute these goods to whom they are owed, with the greatest awe and reverence, as if in God’s presence, without partiality.8

4 Augustine. Tractate 1 John 8,8.

5 Luther, Martin. Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, 1545.

6 Hooker, Richard. Discovery and Reformation. http://www.wsu.edu/%7Edee/REFORM/CALVIN.HTM. .

7 “Patrimony” is an inheritance from one’s father.

8 Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 4, section 6.

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4. Christian Lifestyle is most fully articulated in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ first teaching recorded in the book of Matthew, and it is the longest teaching recorded by Jesus. Matthew gives the setting to the Sermon on the Mount: Now when he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying … (Matthew 5:1-2, NIV) Just at the time Jesus’ popularity was growing, he called aside his disciples to give them this special teaching. It was as if Jesus was saying: What I am about to say is just for you, and it is to set you apart from all of this multitude that is beginning to come to me. Herein Jesus gives his first disciples – and consequently to us, his modern day disciples – the essence of what it means to be a Christian that will distinguish us from the rest of the world. Christians have a different understanding of what is blessed than the rest of the world.

(5:3-10) The Christian sees the blessed as those who are poor, who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted. These are the opposite of the qualities valued by the unbelieving world. Ronald Kraybill has called this The Upside Down Kingdom.

Christians rejoice when they are persecuted, as opposed to taking revenge when they are persecuted. (5:11-12)

Christians see themselves as the salvation of the world, as they serve as salt and the light of the world to lead others to God. (5:13-16) Thus, Christians actively pray for and work for the salvation of the world. This means that no part of the lives we live in this world is outside the influence of Christ, but we are to bring Christ into everything we do.

Christians conform themselves to the Law of God because Jesus came to fulfill the Law. (5:17-20)

Christians go out of their way to keep from harming another, and indeed seek to be reconcilers. (5:21-26)

Christians do not commit adultery, neither by committing a sexual act outside of marriage, or even looking lustfully at another person not their spouse. (5:27-30)

Christians do not condone divorce like the world. (5:31-32) Christians are people of their word. (5:33-37) Christians do not take revenge, but turn the other cheek. (5:38-42) Christians love those who are their enemies and pray for them. (5:43-48) Christians give to the needy in secret as an act of worship of God. (6:1-4) Christians are people of prayer and fasting. (6:5-18) Christians have a different view of worldly wealth, as they are mainly concerned with

treasures in heaven. They keep a healthy skepticism about the wealth of the world so as not to get caught up serving two masters. (6:19-24)

Christians do not worry, because they trust that God will take care of their needs. (6:25-34)

Christians do not judge others, and they look at themselves first when they want to criticize someone. (7:1-6)

Christians are people of faith who are not afraid to ask, seek and knock, because they know they have a loving Father who is listening to them. (7:7-12)

Christians do not wonder why the multitudes are not following because they know that the way to life is narrow and only a relative few will find it. (7:13-14)

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Christians are wise when it comes to teachers or those who come in the name of the Lord, knowing that not everyone who says that Jesus is their Lord really knows him. (7:15-23)

Finally, Christians are those who not only hear the words of Jesus but actually practice them. (7:24-27)

Conclusion Proclaiming that we are a “model of holy living” is a huge statement. The God of Israel and of the Christian church is holy. He sets the standards and expects us to imitate him by following His standards. Our focus and priorities must be His. Thankfully, it is not up to us to live it out in our own power. Jesus said that he would be with us always, and that he would send the Holy Spirit to give us his power to be his witnesses.

Questions for Discussion 1. How would it make you feel if you knew someone was using you as a model of holy living? 2. Are there areas of your life that you would want to improve to be a better model of holy living? 3. What part(s) of the Sermon on the Mount do you think are the hardest to live out?

Memory Verse

Luke 6:46 Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?

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Discipleship Lesson 21 The Conquering Life

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. The creed is about declaring, confessing and coming in agreement with what God says about us. What is powerful is that GOD SAYS IT! He pronounces who we are in Him. That also means that His word (about us) will not return to Him void. So if God declares we are “more than conquerors” then that is who we are. Our responsibility is to live out what God declares. This can only come when we know who and whose we are. Why is it we can read Romans 8:37 and still walk in so much defeat? There are so many areas we could talk about from conquering sin and the flesh, financial issues, the devil, insecurities, etc. We could even go deeper into the matters of the heart and emotional things like bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, hurt, depression, lust, gossip, foul language, hatred, strife and etc. Most of these things plague the body of Christ and many Christians never walk in true victory or freedom from them. So how do we walk out Romans 8:37? First, is important to know what God says about us and who we are in Christ Jesus. We must not only read the Word but believe that God’s Word is truth. When we accept that truth, then we can walk in true victory, despite what comes at us, how we feel or what anybody says about us. Jesus sealed the victory at Calvary. Because of that, we have been given every spiritual blessing to stomp on the things that step up to us. Once we start realizing this and the Holy Spirit begins to illuminate more and more scriptures on this matter, it’s transforming! Did you know it’s our inherited right to walk in victory and freedom? It is! And that’s very good news for us! Eph. 2:6 says we have been seated in heavenly places in Christ. That’s far above all principalities and powers. We have been positioned to walk in victory and the newness of life. It comes down to continuing to grow in grace as 2 Peter 3:18 talks about. As we do that, we are not trying to get the victory in our own power or might, but God is doing it through us! Surrendering is Key to the Conquering Life Style

Does any of this sound familiar?

If I was just strong enough, I can beat this. If I try harder, I can overcome this fear. If I can find the right book (doctor, website, resource), then I can beat this. If I just had the willpower, I can be free.

The power to get free from fear, anxiety, and panic attacks will not come from more willpower, more knowledge, nor more effort. The power to get free comes from God and God alone through Christ. As you surrender your efforts and strength to God, he will move through the power of the Holy Spirit to set you free. Zechariah 4:6b “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Almighty.”

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II Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. The power of God happens when we surrender to it. If we convince ourselves that we must be strong and do this ourselves, then God graciously steps aside and lets us try. MORE than a “Conqueror” When we consider the phrase from scripture that we are “more than conquerors”, we automatically focus on the conquering aspect of the phrase. We pass over the fact that we are not conquerors – we are MORE than conquerors.

The Greek Word for conqueror here is hupernikao. Vines New Testament dictionary says that hupernikao is to gain a surpassing victory, lit., "we are hyper-conquerors," i.e., we are pre-eminently victorious.\ We are not just conquerors (nikao) we are much more, we are super conquerors (hupernikao).

To be more than a conqueror means that before you ever get a problem, you already know that whatever problem comes your way, you can overcome it through Christ. You live with confidence that God loves you no matter what and He will never leave you nor forsake you. And when you have this kind of relationship with Christ, you aren’t constantly afraid of bad news or of things that may happen that aren’t in your plan. When the unexpected happens or you’re disappointed, you won’t be devastated by it. See, when you get a revelation of who you are in Christ, you know that with Christ on the inside of you, there is nothing that can happen that’s more than you are because there’s nothing that’s too much for Him! First John 4:4 confirms it: “Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world” (AMP). We can find many illustrations in the Bible that show forth the acts of "more than conquerors"

Jesus on the cross for sinners Joseph forgiving his brothers for the greater good of the people Paul's shipwreck resulting in salvation of islanders

What are we “more than conquering”? The answer is anything that would make is doubt or separates us from the love of Christ.

"Tribulation" (KJV), "trouble" (NIV), "hardship" (NRSV) is thlipsis, "trouble that inflicts distress, oppression, affliction, tribulation.

"Hardship" (NIV), "distress" (NRSV, KJV), is stenochoria, literally, "narrowness of place, a narrow space," then figuratively, "a set of stressful circumstances, distress, difficulty, anguish, trouble."

"Persecution" is diōgmos, "a program or process designed to harass and oppress someone, persecution.

"Famine" is limos, "hunger" as well as "scarcity of harvest, famine." "Nakedness" is gumnotēs, literally, "nakedness," but here probably carries the idea of

"being without adequate clothing, with connotation of destitution." "Peril" (KJV), "danger" (NIV) is kindunos, "danger, risk. "Sword" is machaira. The word refers to a sword or dagger. But here the word is used to

convey the idea of violent death.

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The apostle Paul goes on to say with surety in verses 38 & 39 that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. None of these things are capable of severing or even damaging that relationship with God in Christ. Yes, in this life we suffer troubles, hardships, afflictions, even persecution and threat of death. But even in these things "we overwhelmingly conquer." As the Apostle John records the angelic declaration in Revelation, announcing the casting down of Satan: "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11) Satan's servants may even kill us, but they cannot separate us from loving our Jesus. How are we Conquerors? – Through the Absolute Love of God (Romans 8:31-39) Look at verses 31-32. "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" We must remember the nature of God's love for us. God gave us his one and only Son as a ransom sacrifice for our sins when we were ungodly, powerless and wretched. At the very worst period of our lives, God was willing to exchange Jesus for us. God's love is deeper than our sins. God's love is unconditional and unchanging. God's love will sustain us and guide us to the end. Nevertheless, the devil still tries to condemn us, working through the sinful nature. So Paul reminds us that it is God who justifies us (33b). God's word of justification is absolute. There was a common man who claimed to be a noble knight. But he could not prove it, so he was arrested and put in the stocks. The king wanted to rescue him. So the king declared that according to the royal historian, the man actually was a knight. Then he said, "This is my word as king, as such it is beyond question." From that moment, the man was a knight. From the moment of the declaration of the king, the knight became more than a conqueror. When God declares us to be his children, no one can dispute it. It is God who justifies. In addition, Christ is interceding for us. Look at verse 34. "Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Paul himself had gone through many sufferings to serve God. He was not always stress-free. Sometimes he struggled hard to see God's purpose and to accept God's love. His conclusion is in verses 35-37. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Paul found God's victory in every trial and agony of life without exception. He saw how God used all things to fulfill his world salvation plan and form the image of Christ in him. So Paul shouts in

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joy and victory in verses 38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen. Conclusion Being a conqueror doesn’t mean we will never have problems or troubles, in fact we will have them. It would be hard to be more than a conqueror if there was never anything to conquer! When we understand we have been positioned to win, we can walk during adversities with joy and peace, all the while keeping the devil under our feet. For that is our inherited right! It’s up to us if we want to walk in it or not. When this become a part of who we are and how we live, it doesn’t matter about the ups and downs of life. WE are MORE than conquerors! And we walk in the peace of knowing God’s got it. We can walk in the joy of knowing the Lord is being perfected in us. And we can walk in the victory Jesus purchased for us and not allow the enemy to take any ground. So next time you are feeling defeated and you aren’t going to be able to make it, remember you can’t. But Christ in you the Hope of glory can and will! The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in you! How can you fail!? Questions for Discussion

1. In Romans 8:31-35 there are seven questions. Find the seven questions. What is the apostle trying

to demonstrate by these questions?

2. In Romans 8:37-39, Paul is completely convinced of something. What is it?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse II Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made

perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

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Discipleship Lesson 22

Royalty

Exodus 19:6 You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation… As members of the Royal Family of God, every believer in this age is appointed as a royal priest. The Old Testament priest was a mediator between God and men. With the ending of the Old Testament dispensation, both the need for a priest and the formal priesthood itself ceased to exist. Jesus is our only mediator, and each individual believer has the right and responsibility to appeal directly to God without the aid of any other human. As believer-priests, we represent ourselves before God. We do not need to confess our sins to a member of the clergy; we confess our sins directly to God. We do not need someone else to pray for us, though we always appreciate the prayers of others on our behalf. As priests, we are to come boldly before God and offer prayer for ourselves. Unlike the Levitical priesthood in Israel, which was based on physical birth, the priesthood of the believer is based on the “new birth” (salvation). We actually share Christ’s priesthood because we are in union with Him, our High Priest. (Hebrews 3:1; 4:16) It has always been God's intention to have a people who function as His priests and I don't mean Catholic priests or other denominational priest structures. All of these are based on the Levitical/Aaronic model from the Old Testament, the Levitical model has been set aside and another priestly order has been instigated. In the Old Testament, God used three types of people to administrate His relationship with His people. 1. Priests served the people by ministering to God on their behalf. 2. Prophets spoke the Word of God to the people. 3. Kings governed the people according to the will of God. Under the old administration, the king could not be a priest or perform the functions of a priest. The priest could not be a king. However, either could possibly be a prophet. There was a change in the way God administrated His people under the New Covenant. Now all things are administered in Him by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:9-10 Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. The current administration of the purposes of God is suitable to close the age and the fulfillment of God's intention. Under this administration we can all prophesy one by one by the gift of prophecy given by the Holy Spirit. In addition, we have become kings and priests to our God. Revelation 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

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Kingdom of Priests As we have already said, it was always God's intention to have a kingdom of priests. When He brought the children of Israel out from Egypt and carried them to Mt. Sinai, He stated His intention. Exodus 19:5-6 And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” God had chosen them to be 1) His own possession, 2) a kingdom of priests, 3) a holy nation. This was His intention for the entire race of the children of Israel. However, they failed to meet the conditions, which are also given in these verses, 1) obey His voice and 2) keep His covenant. When the Israelites were camped at Mt. Sinai, Moses went up the mountain and received the words of the covenant that God was making with them. After coming back down, Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain and spoke the words to the children of Israel and they responded with acceptance of the covenant. Exodus 24:7-8 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.” Later Moses goes up the mountain again and receives from the Lord the tablets of the Law and the instructions for the Tabernacle. Meanwhile, the people became impatient and decided that Moses had abandoned them and made themselves a god in the shape of a golden calf that would take them back to Egypt. They were worshiping their golden calf when Moses came down from the mountain and saw what they were doing. He threw down the tablets of the Law, breaking them as the people had already broken the Law and the covenant that they had accepted. Exodus 32:26-28 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Because the tribe of Levi was willing to obey and uphold the holiness and righteousness of God, they became the priests of God.

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Deuteronomy 21:5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled. The result of the golden calf idolatry was that the nation lost the potential to become a kingdom of priests and only the tribe of Levi became priests. The consequence of the actions of the children of Israel was that they became unable to fulfill the fullness of the purpose of God. However, it is impossible for man to thwart the purposes of God in any way that would cause His purposes to not be accomplished. All we can do is remove ourselves from participation, which is what happened to the Israelites and His intention to have a kingdom or nation of priests. We find the fulfillment of God's purpose in the New Covenant. Look at how similar Peter's words are to God's intention for His children; 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

God’s original intent that preceded Israel’s call to be a nation of priests has now been accomplished through Christ Jesus.

He created you to bless you and to be a blessing by being a priest upon the earth.

This mission is above all missions.

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Peter said that we, under the New Covenant, are chosen as a race (a new race made up of people who are a new creation) to be 1) a people for His own possession,

2) a royal priesthood; that is, a kingdom of priests, and

3) a holy nation. This is the same thing that God told Moses to tell the Israelites at Mt. Sinai.

Therefore, we, under the administration of the New Covenant, have become a royal priesthood—a kingdom of priests and kings. Under this administration we function as king/priests combining the two roles into one that has two distinct areas of functionality. The Priesthood of the Believer The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers opposes the unbiblical doctrine of the existence of a

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Levitical/Brahman-like priestly class within the church. When Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, he was declaring war against the idea that salvation was mediated through the priesthood via the sacraments. His theses spoke against the theology that supernatural life could be created through baptism, brought to growth by confirmation, nourished by the Mass, and healed of all diseases by penance. Luther rejected the idea that through sacraments a priest could control an individual’s life both here and hereafter. The concept that all who believe in Christ are priests occurred to Martin Luther after he became convinced that Scripture was the only authority for a Christian. As he studied the Bible, especially Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, he discovered that in and through Jesus Christ a believer possessed the righteousness of God, and therefore, immediate access to God without the mediation of an arrogant priesthood. Thus, the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is a sequel to the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Those who are clothed in the perfect righteousness of God are welcome in the presence of God. No Christian needs a pontiff, meaning a bridge builder, because Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father. The difference between Catholicism and Reformation theology is seen when we ask the question “What must I do to be saved?” The Roman Catholic church would answer, “Look to the priesthood and the church.” But the Bible says: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). What are the functions of priests?

First and foremost- Worship. Worship always comes first in Scripture. Eleven tribes in Israel were

Warriors; one tribe was composed of workers, and one family of worshippers, the priests. Alas, it is

still true that so few believers really enter into their privilege of being priests. "The Father seeks

worshippers, to worship Him in spirit and in truth “John 4:23. As worshippers we offer spiritual

sacrifices- the adoration of our hearts.

Priests are not only worshippers, but intercessors. As Christ our great High Priest intercedes for us

in heaven, so we on earth intercede for others, as we read in I Tim. 2: 1. praying for others is truly

priestly service.

Priests in the olden days carried the ark, holding it on their shoulders. So we, as spiritual priests,

hold up Christ of which the ark was a type. The priests upheld the ark as the army marched around

Jericho, telling that we as priests uphold Christ as we walk down here in spiritual victory over the

enemy around US.

The priests also blew trumpets before the ark as they went around Jericho, calling attention to that

ark. So we blow the gospel trumpet and thus call men's notice to Christ our Saviour.

Priests in the Old Testament also carried the sin of the people on their hearts, as we read in Lev. 10:

17 and Numbers 18: 1. Those who realize their privileges and feel their responsibility as priests

today will bear the sorrows and the sins that often afflicts God's people' and will carry the burdens

of God's people and pray for them.

In addition, in accordance with 1 Peter 2:9 our call as priest is…………….that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; Our Position as Kings The scripture doesn’t just call us priest – but a royal priesthood. Notice that Peter wrote "You are . . . a royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9). Webster Dictionary tells us the meaning of "royal" is: "of

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kingly ancestry." That means an "outsider" cannot buy his way into the royal family. He must be born into it! When we are born into the kingdom of God by baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we become joint heirs with Jesus Christ: "The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16, 17). This certainly does not mean that we are equal in all things with Jesus Christ. It does mean that as "kings," we have been given some authority, and we need to use it. Paul makes this clearer to us when we study his letter to the church at Ephesus: " . . . making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Conclusion The individual priesthood of the believer affirms the common dignity, common calling, common privilege, and common obligation of all Christians before God. We need no priests, we are not priests in the Old Testament sense, we are responsible to no priests, but we are responsible to function as priests in a sense. God holds each individual responsible for his own standards, behavior, belief, and service. Questions for Discussion 1. What’s the difference between a priest and a pastor? 2. Does the individual priesthood of the believer mean that a church member can disregard the advice he receives from the leaders of the church? 3. We are some of the duties of being a priest that you can incorporate into your life? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own

special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not

obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

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Discipleship Lesson 23 Redeemed By the Lord

Ephesians 1: 7-9 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,…

‘Although Redemption for us is free, it came with a price’

Redeemed: To buy back; to get or win back; to free from what distresses or harms; to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental. To release from blame or debt; to free from the consequences of sin; to change for the better; to reform, repair; restore. Extricate: To distinguish from a related thing. To free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty. (To pull out) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:3-7 The world is full of redeemed people, but what are we doing? Do we appreciate the price that was paid for our redemption? If we truly understood the price paid, and what Jesus redeemed us from upon His death on the cross we would not have such a casual attitude towards committing sins whether it is sins of the body or simply how we treat one another.

Become a Student (Disciple) of Jesus Christ through His Word

Because we have been redeemed, we should be diligent in learning God’s Word. So many of us have been saved but that is as far as we have gotten. Because we have not been rooted in the word of God, the possibility is great for one to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

Scientology

Islam

Mormonism

The Redeemed should and need to be faithful to the study of the word of God. For those who have never really made time for the study of God’s word, it is not too late. The Lord is waiting for us to grow deeper in Him! 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. We often trust our Pastors, or other spiritual leaders to tell us what the word of God says. It is good to have a spiritual covering but the bulk of our relationship with God is personal. Although the fivefold ministry has its place in the body to help bring us to a place of maturity so we won’t be scattered when someone from another faith brings up what they believe, we should not totally

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rely on them as Jesus made a way for all of us to now enter fully into His presence to have an abiding relationship with Him. Think of it this way. Those who function in the fivefold ministry are to the church as coaches are to a team. The primary job of the coach is to be a mentor, guide, and a help to the team he/she coaches. The coach provides care and training to the team so when the players get in the game they perform to the best of their ability. The coach is not to PLAY the game for the team but to show them how to play through the teaching of the games fundamentals, and provide the winning strategies to beat the opponents they face after having studied them thoroughly. Should a player suffer an injury, the coach makes sure the proper medical attention has been provided, the condition of the player is assessed and a determination is made as to whether rehab for the player is needed. A determination is also made as to when the player returns to the game. Since the players will have to enter the field and participate by playing the game for themselves, so as Christians are to do the same. We must study to know the word of God for ourselves. When we study the word it answers all questions pertaining to life and Godliness, helps us know the will of God for our lives and helps us understand why we believe what we believe. We are to depend on our spiritual leaders to guide us to a point of maturity. However, we are not to stay children in God’s word forever. We are to grow into Christians that can walk with God for ourselves and eventually help others along the way. When people from other faiths come to us with what they perceive as the truth we should be ready to give a response for our faith in Christ Jesus and His written word. So many of us are deceived by the lies of others simply because we do not study the word of God. (i.e. there is more than one way to God, Jesus is not God’s son,etc....) Ephesians 4:11-15 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Learn How To Apply The Word In Our Daily Lives

A Christian can live a life of defeat and misery, or a life of victory, purpose, and destiny. It all comes down to learning God’s word and applying it to our daily lives. So, how do we apply the word of God to our lives that we may live a victorious Christian life? We must practice what we learn from reading God’s word. Many of us know the word of God to some degree, but we have had trouble with the application.

There is a difference in knowing and doing. In order to have a closer walk with God we must do both. We must allow the word to change us. We must live the word.

We must learn to obey God’s word even when it doesn’t feel good. It is very important as disciples we do not act on how we feel but what the word of God says.

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It doesn’t feel good to love your enemies

It doesn’t feel good to show mercy/kindness

It doesn’t feel good to tithe

It doesn’t feel good to fast and pray

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

How Should The Redeemed Live?

A Christian should live with the understanding that his entire being and existence is in Jesus Christ. Scripture says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

There are many religions in the world that would tell us to add to our lives the characteristics that Peter list in 2 Peter. But only in Christianity does the one who asks for these characteristics to be manifest in our lives indwells in us to give us the strength and the ability to produce that which he asks for.

2 Peter 1:5-11 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Virtue is the determination to do right Knowledge is knowing God’s word and believing it is our only source that teaches us right from wrong Self-Control is the application of knowledge in your life. Using it to govern our thoughts and actions Perseverance is remaining steadfast to the Lord and His cause Godliness is being like God as He would have us to be Mutual affection(brotherly love) is the affection toward your fellow man in Christ Love is your devotion to God, Christ and your fellow man which is expressed in obedience to God and

Service to your fellow man Add To Your Faith by Gene Taylor

The Redeemed Should Share the Gospel Of Jesus Christ

(A Call to Action)

What good is it if you keep the love of Christ within? Therefore, share the wonderful redemption story with others so they can know of God’s saving grace. Scripture commands us to share the gospel.

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The first and foremost reason that we should tell others about Him is that this is His command. The beloved physician, Luke, recorded in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Christ commanded us to tell others about Him and promised to give us power to do it. In the same way that a person is called to be a witness in a legal proceeding, we are asked to be His witnesses. In a legal proceeding, the witness will testify to the things that they have personally seen and heard; they will give an account based on what they have observed or experienced insofar as it has relevance to the current proceedings. As Christians, we have the opportunity and responsibility to tell others what we have "seen" and "heard" and what we have experienced in our walk with the Lord.

Matthew 28:16-20Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:16-20

Conclusion

Our faith must go beyond what we believe; it must become a dynamic part of all we do, resulting in good works and spiritual maturity. Salvation does not depend on good works, but it results in good works. A person who claims to be saved while remaining unchanged does not understand faith or what God has done for him/her. In Colossians 1:12-14, Paul lists five benefits God secured for us when Jesus Christ died on the cross: (1) he made us fit to be part of his Kingdom; (2) he rescued us from Satan’s domination and made us his children; (3) he brought us into his eternal Kingdom; (4) he bought our freedom (redemption) from sin and judgment; and (5) he forgave all our sins.

Questions for Discussion

1. Do you have trouble sharing the redemption story? Yes or No?

2. Are you living a redeemed life?

3. Are you having trouble applying the word of God to your everyday life?

4. What areas of word application do you struggle with? We would like to pray for you.

Memory Verse Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Who He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

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Discipleship Lesson 24 A New Creation

Galatians 6:14-15 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

NECESSITY OF A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW

All genuinely Christian affirmations are directly or indirectly informed by a biblical worldview. According to Reformed theologian Kelly M. Kapic “Theological reflection [a Christian Worldview] is a way of examining our praise, prayers, works and worship with the goal of making sure they conform to God alone. Every age has its own idols, its own distortions that twist and pervert how we view God, ourselves and the world.” (A Little Book for New Theologians p. 18). Said differently, a Christian worldview both informs and corrects our implicit and explicit convictions about God, ourselves, and the world. The New Horizon Church Creed affirmation, “I am the redeemed of the Lord, a new creation, a minister of reconciliation, and an ambassador of the kingdom” accents who we are in Christ. This affirmation however, must be understood within a larger understanding of the Christian view of man/woman. The biblical motifs (themes) of creation, fallenness, and redemption addresses such “worldview questions” as: 1) who are we as human beings, 2) what’s wrong, and 3) what is the remedy. We will now briefly look at each of these themes. 1. Who Are We As Human Beings? The biblical motif of creation tells us two important things about us. First, it tells us that an all loving, all mighty and all holy God created us! The universe and all life did not simply self-generate according to the biblical narrative in Genesis 1-2. Rather, the entire universe including human life was actually created by an eternal, personal God! The created order is sacred because it exhibits God’s handiwork (Psalm 19:1). Rather than being an organic extension of God, the universe including human life, reflects the glory, majesty, and purposeful activity of God. Biblically, the apex of God’s creation is human life. Scripture speaks about our preeminence in creation thus:

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which

you have set in place, what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human

beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the heavenly

beings and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works

of your hands; you put everything under their feet. (Psalms 8:3-6)

Such preeminence in creation according to Genesis 1:27-28, is attributed to our being made in the image of God. And this truth is the second thing that informs who we are as human beings. Human beings have a unique relationship to the creator God. Of all life forms in creation, scripture tells us that we are actually made in God’s image. The Christian view of creation, once again, answers two important world view questions: where am I and who am I? We live in a universe that is created and governed by a good, loving and

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purposeful God. The entire universe reflects the magnificent handiwork of the living God We as human beings are creatures of the living God endowed with glory, majesty and creative powers. However, this is not the end of the story! 2. Human Fallenness: What We Have Become As Sinners The Christian world and life view not only addresses the good and beautiful aspects of creation, but it candidly confronts the tragic sense of life. The biblical motif (theme) of “fallenness” addresses realistically the question, “What is wrong with human nature? What impedes human flourishing? It is crucially important to realize that an in-depth understanding of our fallen condition as human beings precedes any affirmation of who we are in Christ. The prophet Isaiah understood this truth. Before he could effectively answer the “call” to ministry, he first had to come to grips with the utter magnitude of his sinful condition. Against the backdrop of the holiness of God, Isaiah cried, “Woe to Me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty” (Isaiah 6:5). While the Bible does at times refer to sin as acts of unrighteousness (e.g. Galatians 5:19-21) and missing the mark of perfection (e.g., Romans 3:23) at its core sin is rebellion against God. We are not talking simply about individual acts of rebellion buy rather a state or condition of rebellion. At the root of this rebellion is idolatry (e.g., Romans 1:18-25). Fundamentally, idolatry is allowing anything or anyone to usurps the place of God. New Testament scholar G.K. Beale in his important study on idolatry writes: [idolatry] is whatever your heart clings to or relies on for ultimate security. The idol is whatever claims the loyalty that belongs to God alone. (from We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry) According to the Genesis narrative, the primary temptation confronting Adam and Eve in the garden was the desire to “be like God.” (chapter 3:5). It is precisely this quest for autonomy, this desire to live independently of our life source that constitute the essence of sin. The word “autonomous” is taken from two words –“auto” meaning “self” and “nomous” meaning “law.” Sin in its essence is desiring to be a “law unto ourselves” rather than submitting to the lordship of God. Humanity finds itself held captive to the power of sin. We cannot escape this power by our own might. We find ourselves in a “fix we cannot fix” even on our best day of perceived holiness. To the question: “What can we do about our condition?” the biblical answer is nothing! That is, nothing in and of ourselves. The salvation has been initiated and achieved by God. 3. Transformative Redemption The “good news” of Christian faith is that God through Christ offers us a way out of our dire sinful dilemma. Through the life, ministry, and especially the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has accomplished for us what we could never have done for ourselves! He has, “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14). Paul writes astonishingly, “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21).

It is through our union with Christ, through his death and resurrection, that we can now rightly

affirm who we are in Christ (see Romans 6:1-14).

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Conclusion

Let us say one final thing. Our “new creation” will not be complete until God through Christ brings

history as we know it to an end. God saved us, is saving us, and will save us! Salvation is a divinely

initiated and achieved project. He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion. (Phil.

1:6)

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Questions for Discussion

1. What does Genesis 1:27-28 tell us about who we are as human beings? Elaborate. 2. According to Genesis three, what was the essence of Adam and Eve’s sin against God? Discuss. 3. Romans chapters six and eight speak powerfully about who we are in Christ. In what ways does

your life reflect or not reflect these realities?

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Memory Verse

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

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Discipleship Lesson 25 A Minister of Reconciliation

Ephesians2:15-18 By setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. We come now to the part of our creed that says that each of us is a Minister of Reconciliation. Given New Horizon’s stated goal of having a multi-ethnic church, it would be easy to assume that when we declare in our creed that we are ministers of reconciliation, that we are referring to racial reconciliation. Indeed, unity in the body of Christ that crosses all human established barriers – including race and ethnicity -- is a central part of the gospel as we will discuss later in this lesson. However, racial reconciliation is not the beginning point for what Scripture means by ministers of reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, the Apostle Paul says: All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. This passage says three things that will serve as the outline for this lesson:

1. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. 2. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation, hence, He has made us ministers of

reconciliation. 3. God has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

God has reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus Christ The Greek word that is used most often for reconciliation is katallage. It means literally to put into right position what is out of balance. We continue to use this today when we talk about “reconciling” our bank account. We make sure (hopefully) that our debts and income match up with the bank’s accounts. It implies that there is a debt or imbalance that has to be corrected. There are four things that we should note about what Scripture has to say about reconciliation: 1. As in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 quoted above, reconciliation almost always means reconciliation

between God and humanity. Why does God and humanity need reconciling? Paul makes it clear in verse 19: that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them. We need reconciling because of our sins against a holy and righteous God. When we sin, there is not just a psychological difficulty or an emotional separation; there is a debt that has to be paid. If not, then these sins will be imputed to – or put to the account of – the sinner. There is only one penalty for sin throughout Scripture: death.

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So humanity is in a real predicament. An account is out of balance that has to be put into balance.

2. There is the wrath of God that has to be settled. In verse 11 of 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says:

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (NKJV) What does Paul mean by “terror of the Lord”? Just this: because of our sins God’s wrath is on us. Paul makes this very clear in Romans 5:9-11:

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

We should realize as Christians that God does not take sin lightly, and it has real consequences. One of those consequences is that we become God’s enemies.

Therefore, reconciliation involves making peace as well.

Colossians 1:19-23 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

3. God Himself becomes the reconciler through Jesus Christ. God in His awesome grace made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) This is truly a change from the way the world makes peace. In worldly warfare, it is the stronger party who forces the enemy to pay the price, especially if the victor feels they have been wronged. But in God’s economy, even though God is the offended party, and even though He is the stronger party, he reaches out to us and even pays the penalty for the offense Himself. As a reformed church, we adhere to the view that the Bible is divided into three parts: Genesis 1 and 2, which talks about Creation and Paradise; Genesis chapter 3 which contains the story of the Fall and the loss of Paradise, and the Genesis 4 Revelation 22 which is the history of God’s redemptive actions on behalf of mankind and regaining of Paradise. The main theme of Scripture is the story of God reconciling the world to Himself, culminating in sending His own Son.

4. There is an internal change in the person who is reconciled. Once we recognize the overwhelming grace of God that He exhibited when He gave His own Son to reconcile us to Himself, we become compelled by the love of Christ to become a servant. Paul describes that in this passage:

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2 Corinthians 5:12-17 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who dies for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

When we become ministers of reconciliation, we are so overwhelmed by the love of God which He demonstrated in reconciling us to Himself, that we have no choice but to share the message of reconciliation.

Minister of Reconciliation And gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (2 Corinthians 5:18) The Greek word behind minister is diakonos, from which we get the word deacon. A minister, like a deacon, is a servant. This raises the question: Who is a minister of reconciliation? In church structure we give specific titles to specific individuals, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if we are not careful, we can make the mistake of thinking that only those individuals with the titles have the responsibility for being a servant. Servant, deacon and minister are all from the same word diakonos, and Scripture makes it clear that we are all to be servants, deacons, and ministers in the Church. In fact Jesus Himself makes it normative for all His disciples: Mark 10:42-45 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant [diakonos] and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve [diakonos], and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We should also realize that being a minister is not a position of privilege as the world thinks of privilege. Look at what Paul says in the next chapter about ministers: 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distress; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on: beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

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A minister is one who is so compelled by the love of God to share the message of reconciliation that nothing is able to stand in the way. We are commended as ministers through our willingness to suffer any hardship in bringing the message to whoever needs to hear it. The ministers in Scripture did not let any obstacle or human established barriers stop the message of reconciliation. This brings us to the word of reconciliation, and in particular the transcendence of racial and ethnic barriers in the ministry of reconciliation. The Word of Reconciliation The “message of reconciliation” is first and foremost the message of humanity’s reconciliation with God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. Our reconciliation with God is only part of the message, however. Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 6:

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” v. 11-18

Some put the emphasis of these verses on the command to separate ourselves from unbelievers, and it is true that Paul does say that. However, the emphasis is not on separation, but is rather on our unity as believers. "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." Because we are reconciled with God and have peace with God, we are family and, hence, also reconciled with each other. The book of Acts describes how the message of reconciliation began to destroy racial and ethnic barriers which had existed for millennia between Jews and Gentiles. It did not happen because the early church made a conscious decision to reach out across these dividing lines. It transpired because of a Spirit-led evangelistic fervor to spread the good news of the Gospel. That this would occur was prophesied by Jesus Himself: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

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Thus it was when the persecution led by Saul broke out against the church that Philip began to proclaim the gospel among the Samaritans, a group of people most despised by Jews (see Acts 8). The Apostle Peter was the first to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles as he was compelled by Holy Spirit to go to the home of Cornelius. He not only proclaimed the message of reconciliation, but ended up staying at the home of Cornelius, which was forbidden by Jews to do. Peter simply responded in obedience; he could do nothing else as he saw the Spirit moving in an undeniable way:

Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

In Acts 15 is the story of the Jerusalem Council, which was called together to decide the issue of whether or not a Gentile had to become first a Jew and then a Christian. This was a momentous crossroad in the history of the Church. This crisis had been precipitated by the fact that Paul and Barnabas had been extremely successful in proclaiming the gospel among Gentiles, beginning at Antioch. Some among the Jewish Christians thought that they were about to lose control of the church, and so proposed that Gentiles needed to become circumcised before becoming Christians. Once again, the decision was made not based on any established doctrine, or certainly any sociological consideration, but solely on what God was doing. It was only after some 25 years of ministry, that the Apostle Paul was able to look back and reflect theologically on what God had been doing in the movement of the gospel across racial and ethnic barriers. Thus Paul lays out a clear theology of racial unity as a result of reconciliation with God in the book of Ephesians. This letter makes it unmistakably clear that the connection between reconciliation with God and reconciliation with each other is a central point of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact the first three chapters of Ephesians leads up to the startling statement in Ephesians 3:6 – that Jew and Gentile are fellow heirs of the gospel. In chapter 1, Paul introduces the grace of God “that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (vs. 8) Then in 1:9, he introduces us to a “mystery” he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (vs. 9-10) In Scripture a mystery is not something that is hidden. It is rather something that, even when it is revealed, it is too good to be true. That mystery is the bringing all creation under one head---Christ. Also in chapter one, Paul also introduces the gospel: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. (vs. 13) Finally, at the end of chapter 1, Paul introduces the Church: And God placed all things under his [Jesus’] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (vs. 22-23)

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In Chapter 2, Paul brings up again the theme of the grace of God. That is the chapter that contains those well known verses about grace: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can be boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Then he writes about the peace that has made the two one – the two being Jew and Gentile. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, … (vs.18-19) In Chapter 3, Paul starts off again by talking about grace, gospel and this mystery that was formerly not made known, but has now been revealed. In a way that is hard to miss, Paul is weaving together all the strands that he has introduced in the first two chapters. Then he says: This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:6) We are ministers of reconciliation, which includes racial reconciliation, in the same way Paul says in Ephesians 3: I became a servant [diakonos] of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (3:7-12) All that is left is for Paul to sum up in chapter 4: As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6) So a quick reading of Ephesians, chapters 1-4, make it very plain that bringing together of Jew and Gentile is proof positive of God’s redemptive work of grace. Note Paul says that unity is a gift of the spirit, and all we have to do is not mess it up! Conclusion

Reconciliation between Jew and Gentile – and between people of other different racial and ethnic backgrounds – is a central part of the message of reconciliation that begins with our reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. This is important to recognize, because when some people talk about reconciliation, they start with racial reconciliation. Noting that reconciliation in scripture is first and foremost about reconciliation with God does not lessen the importance of racial reconciliation. In fact, it strengthens it by making the point that racial reconciliation is only possible because of reconciliation with God, and it is mandated as a living out of that reconciliation.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion 1. What is the primary biblical meaning of reconciliation?

2. What does it mean to be a “minister”? In what ways are you living out the call to be a minister? 3. What are you are doing a good job of living out racial reconciliation? How might we do better? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19(NKJV) Now all things [are] of God, who has reconciled us to Himself

through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has

committed to us the word of reconciliation.

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Discipleship Lesson 26 Ambassador of the Kingdom

Ephesian 6:19, 20 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. When we become Christians or Kingdom people, we become ambassadors for Christ. Every nation appoints ambassadors and envoys to represent its interests to other nations. The kingdom of heaven is no different, as it is the prototype of kingdoms. God chose to communicate the message of His kingdom throughout the earth: not through religious people, but through personal representatives. God’s chosen strategy for proclaiming His Kingdom was to employ ambassadors. An ambassador is a political appointee whose job is to represent and speak for his or her home government before the rulers of other countries. In the eyes of those rulers, the word of an ambassador IS the word of the government that he or she represents. Good ambassadors never speak their personal opinions, but only the official policies of the government that appointed them. If We are Representing the Kingdom – What is the Kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal sovereign God over all creatures and things (Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:3). The kingdom of God is also the designation for the sphere of salvation entered into at the new birth (John 3:5-7), and is synonymous with the “kingdom of heaven.” It is clear from the Synoptic Gospels that ‘the Kingdom of God’ formed the central theme of Jesus’ preaching from the very outset of his ministry. Although Matthew’s Gospel only uses the phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ four times (12:28; 19:24; 21:21, 31, 43). It is generally held that the phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ used in this Gospel is substituting another word for the divine name. The two terms are therefore completely interchangeable (cf. Matt. 19:23 with v. 24; Mark 10:23). For Jesus the Gospel was the nearness of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15). This passage (and others that emphasize the nearness of the Kingdom. Mark 9:1; Matt 12:28 were taken as evidence that Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was present in his own ministry and "a matter of present experience". In short Jesus and the message that was within His being and expressed through word and deed was the kingdom made manifest. (Hebrews 1:1,2) The kingdom of God embraces all created intelligence, both in heaven and earth that are willingly subject to the Lord and are in fellowship with Him. The kingdom of God is, therefore, universal in that it includes created angels and men. It is eternal, as God is eternal, and it is spiritual—found within all born-again believers. We enter the kingdom of God when we are born again, and we are then part of that kingdom for eternity. It is a relationship "born of the spirit" (John 3:5), and we have confident assurance that it is so because the Spirit bears witness with our spirits (Romans 8:16). God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient and the ruler over all of His creation. However, the designation "the kingdom of God" compasses that realm which is subject to God and will be for

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eternity. The rest of creation will be destroyed. Only that which is part of the "kingdom of God" will remain. The Kingdom of God and the Poor The message of the kingdom of God was proclaimed to the poor because the poor suffer the most from exile. In the absence of God’s reign, they are most vulnerable to violence and oppression by worldly powers; they endure the greatest loss when marginalized or cast out of fellowship; and they are the first to bear the effects of sin and death. That is why the Magi did not find the king in Herod’s palace but among poor shepherds; that is why the Anointing went out to the outcast and touched the untouchable in the person of the King; and that is why death is crushed through the King’s death and resurrection. Jesus’ welcome of the poor and outcast was a sign that the real return from exile – the new age, the resurrection – was coming into being in the present time (Is. 35:1-10) (N.T. Wright, JVG, 255). Jesus affirms that the poor are blessed because theirs is the kingdom of God (Lk. 6:20). The poor are given the inheritance of the King. They are made princes and princesses because the kingdom belongs to them. The kingdom is at hand and the primary point of its entry is among the poor: sick are healed, demons are cast out, lame are made to walk, deaf are restored to hearing, and Good News is preached to the poor (Lk. 7:22; Is. 61:1-4). God did in the middle of time through Jesus what the Jews expected He would do through Israel at the end of time (N.T. Wright, What St. Paul Really Said, 36). In addition, Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33). The verse’s meaning is as direct as it sounds. We are to seek the things of God as a priority over the things of the world. Primarily, it means we are to seek (live out) the salvation and promises that are inherent in the kingdom of God because it is of greater value than all the world’s riches. Does this mean that we should neglect the reasonable and daily duties that help sustain our lives? Certainly not. But for the Christian, there should be a difference in attitude toward them. If we are taking care of God’s business as a priority—seeking His salvation, living in obedience to Him, and sharing the good news of the kingdom with others—then He will take care of our business as He promised. But how do we know if we’re truly seeking God’s kingdom first? There are questions we can ask ourselves. “Where do I primarily spend my energies? Is all my time and money spent on goods and activities that will certainly perish, or in the services of God—the results of which live on for eternity?” Believers who have learned to truly put God first may then rest in this holy dynamic: “…and all these things will be given to you as well.” Lastly, The Word of God does say that the Kingdom of God is a present spiritual reality. "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). Righteousness and peace and joy are fruits of the Spirit which God bestows now upon those who are children of the kingdom of God and yield their lives to the rule of the Spirit.

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They have to do with the deepest springs of the spiritual life, and this, says the inspired apostle, is the Kingdom of God. What is an Ambassador? An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a State and is usually accredited to another sovereign State (country), or to an international organization. The term is rooted from Mongol-Manchu word, Amban Said (Appointed Minister). In its most common use, the term usually applies to the ranking government representative stationed in a foreign capital. The host country typically allows the ambassador control of specific territory called an embassy, whose territory, staff, and even vehicles are generally afforded diplomatic immunity in the host country. The equivalent to an Ambassador exchanged among members of the Commonwealth of Nations are known as High Commissioners. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia As Myles Munroe says, “An ambassador is a unique political creature in all kingdoms and his disposition must be understood fully, in order to appreciate the power and distinction of this revered position.” Let’s look at some of the qualities of an ambassador and it spiritual implications. An Ambassador: • Is appointed by the king, not voted into position; • Is appointed to represent the state or kingdom; • Has diplomatic privileges • Is committed only to the state’s interests; • Embodies the nation-state or kingdom; • Is totally covered by the state; • Is the responsibility of the state; • Is totally protected by His government; • Never becomes a citizen of the state or kingdom to which he is assigned; • Can only be recalled by the king or president; • Has access to all his nation’s wealth for assignment; • Never speaks his personal position on any issue, only his nation’s official position; and, • His goal is to influence the territory for his kingdom government. All these qualities and characteristics are embedded in the message and ministry of the Kingdom of God and are perfectly exemplified by our Chief Ambassador, Jesus Christ and passed on to us. Our Mission The people of God are His ambassadors of His kingdom on the earth. Scripture clearly teaches this. God chose Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and then to represent Himself before them. Prophets represented God and spoke His message of warning and judgment to a nation that had turned away from Him. We see very clearly this same idea of an ambassador in 2 Corinthians 5:20. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” As ambassadors of heaven, we represent our Father’s Kingdom on earth. If we are to be effective, it is important that we understand what we are talking about – so let’s break down this key verse - 2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors

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Since God has made reconciliation by Christ, and the ministry of it is committed to us, we are ambassadors for him; we come with full powers from him, not to propose terms of peace, to treat with men about it, to offer it to them, but to publish and proclaim it as made by him: we represent him, and God who made it by him, Note that the same mission is that of our royal priesthood: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Peter 2:9 We are a particular type of Ambassadors. We are priestly ambassador. This distinguishes us from just a political assignment – our assignment is spiritual. Our assignment deals with eternity. The ambassador has to be equipped for his assignment. For this we have been endowed with power from own high – the indwelling Holy Spirit. As though God were making his appeal through us. Our message is to be regarded as the message of God. It is God who speaks. What we say is said in his name and on his authority, and should be received with the respect which is due to a message directly from God. The gospel message is God speaking to men through the ministry, and entreating them to be reconciled. This assignment should thus be carried the greatest of respect, power, humility and excellence so that it makes it a fearful and awful thing to reject it. We implore you on Christ’s behalf In the place of Christ; or doing what he did when on earth, and what he would do were he where we are. This is serious – we are representing God. Be reconciled to God This is the sum and burden of the message which the ministers of the gospel bear to their fellow-men. It is the most important message of the universe………….and it has been entrusted to us. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-29 Conclusion Our culture is disintegrating all around us. People are living in despair. All we have to do is read a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast any day of the week to realize that daily life in the world we live in is full of uncertainty and instability. War, hunger, poverty, ignorance, ethnic cleansing, age-old hatreds and prejudices, suicide bombings, terrorism, AIDS and other afflictions, economic instability with wide fluctuations in the stock market – all of these show clearly that our world is a frightening and unreliable place. Because the kingdom of this world is temporary and will one day pass away, it has nothing of enduring quality in which we can trust with any confidence.

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Millions die every day from disease, starvation or violence. The stock market collapses and people who were millionaires one day are poor the next. Corporations downsize and thousand are suddenly jobless. Extended joblessness creates financial distress resulting in evictions, which increases homelessness and the welfare burden of the state. Religious hatred between Christians, Muslims and Jews fuels daily conflict in many parts of the world, particularly the Middle East. Is there any good news in the midst of all of this? Yes, indeed there is. For those who live and walk in the Kingdom of God, every day can be a good day, regardless of circumstances in the world. No matter how much unrest and turmoil swirls around us in the physical world, the Kingdom of God is stable. It cannot be moved. Unlike the kingdom of this world, God’s Kingdom is founded on eternal principles that will never fade or pass away. We are the ambassadors and carriers of that message of hope. Go forth in His name. Questions for Discussion

1. What is an ambassador and what are the duties of an ambassador?

2. What have you learned from this lesson?

3. How will you be a better ambassador of Christ?

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Memory Verse 2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his

appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

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Discipleship Lesson 27 In the Lord, In Christ

Galatians 3:27-29 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Mankind can be divided into two groups: 1) those outside of Christ (Col.4:5; 1 Thess. 4:12); 2) those who are "IN CHRIST" (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:1). By man's first birth he is "IN ADAM" (1 Cor. 15:22) and he is part of the old creation that was spoiled by the fall. By man's second birth (John 3) he is "IN CHRIST" (1 Cor. 15:22) and part of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Key passages: 1) 2 Corinthians 5:17 (my new position); 2) Ephesians 1:3 (my spiritual blessings); 3) 1 Corinthians 1:5 (my abundant wealth). How did I get to be "IN CHRIST"? How did this happen to me? How did this come about?

Man's Part = FAITH (Galatians 3:26) God's Part= BAPTISM (Galatians 3:27). When I was saved God baptized me (immersed me) into Jesus Christ.

This baptism is not water baptism. It is a real baptism that happened the moment I was saved as God immersed me or placed me into His Son, thus IDENTIFYING me with Christ. This is my POSITION, and my STANDING. The New Birth Adam and Eve were born both physically and spiritually alive. Because of sin, they died spiritually. They were separated from God. From that time on, everybody is born physically alive, but spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1). Paul says that everyone in that state is a natural man who cannot discern the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14). That person is “In Adam.” Like an ornamental orange, it may look good, but it cannot bear any fruit that isn’t bitter. The fruit will only drop to the ground and bring forth more natural stock that will only appear to look good for a season. According to Scripture, the center of the person is the heart (soul), which has the capacities to think, feel and choose. In our natural state "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (Jer. 17:9). It is deceitful because it was born that way and has been conditioned from the time of birth by the deceitfulness of a fallen world, rather than by the truth of God’s Word. According to Proverbs 4:23, the heart is the "wellspring of life" in which wickedness must not be allowed to take root. For instance, that is why we are to forgive from the heart and not allow a root of bitterness to spring up "by which many will be defiled." A New Heart and a New Spirit One of the greatest prophecies concerning our salvation is given in Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove from you a heart of stone and give you a

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heart of flesh." The new covenant under which every Christian lives says, "I will put My laws in their hearts" (Heb. 10:16). Jesus came that we might have life, and the believer receives that spiritual life at the moment of salvation. "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (Jn. 1:12). In other words, "To all the ornamental oranges that will choose to put their trust in God and believe His Word, they shall be navel oranges." The moment you were grafted into the vine, you were sanctified or set apart as a child of God. "You are already clean" (Jn. 15:3), and you shall continue to be sanctified as He prunes you so that you may grow and bear fruit. You are now alive in Christ, which is the foundation and source for the spiritual growth. In fact, the believer is described as a new creation with a new life that has new desires and a new direction. The same thought is captured in Paul’s testimony: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Paul says I died, but I live, obviously a new and different person (cf. also Col. 3:1-3). In other words, my old ornamental tree has been cut off; I no longer live as an ornamental orange, but I now live as a new navel orange. We as Christians have a new identity and it comes from who we are in Christ, not who we were in Adam. A New Man "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17). It is also possible to translate "he is a new creation" as "there is a new creation." What Paul is teaching in this statement is that through His death and resurrection, Christ has effected a new creation in which finally all things—including all of creation, the earth and the heavens—will be made new (Rev. 21:1; cf. Is. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13). The believer who has died and now lives "in Christ" (cf. vv. 14-15) is part of this new creation. Parallel to the concept of being a new creation is the teaching that the believer has put on the "new self" (Col. 3:9), or more literally the "new man." The new man at times refers both to the new individual (i.e., "self") in Christ, as well as the new humanity or the humanity of the new creation united in Christ as its Head. F. F. Bruce says, "The new man who is created is the new personality that each believer becomes when he is reborn as a member of the new creation whose source of life is Christ." What does it mean to be a "new man?" Does it mean that every aspect of the believer is new in reality? We still look the same physically, and we still have many of the same thoughts, feelings and experiences. Picture, for instance, the ornamental orange tree that has just had a tiny new stem grafted into it. Because so much appears to be the same, we are sometimes taught that our "newness" refers only to our position in Christ. They would say that the newness is only what we have seen in relation to our position of righteousness and holiness in justification and positional sanctification. There is no real change in us until we are finally transformed in glorification. That would be like teaching justification without regeneration (we are forgiven, but there is no new life). If we are still ornamental orange trees, how can we be expected to bear naval oranges? We have to believe by faith that our new identity is a reality in the life of Christ and commit ourselves to grow accordingly to that fact

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New Things Have Come Despite the fact that every believer at times lives according to the old self, like Paul, they still are new persons—new in relationship to God and new in themselves. The change that takes place in us when we come to Christ involves two dimensions. First, we have a new Master. As mortals, we have no choice but to live under a spiritual power, either our heavenly Father or the god of this world. At salvation, the believer in Christ experiences a change in the power that dominates life. Second, there is an actual change in the "nature" of believers, so that the propensities of his life or the deepest desires of their hearts is now oriented toward God, rather than toward self and sin. A New Master Since we are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, we have become a new person and part of the new humanity. In this change, we have come under a new power of dominion in our life. Nowhere is this expressed more clearly than in Romans 6:5-7: "If we have been united with Him . . . in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." "Old self" in this passage is literally "old man." The "old man" in relation to the believer has been crucified in Christ and he has put on the "new man" (Col. 3:10). The biblical teaching of the "new man" also has a corporate sense, meaning a collective mankind, i.e., the "old humanity" related to Adam, and the new humanity is related to Christ. The latter is the "new man" created in Christ (Eph. 2:15). This corporate sense is evident when Paul speaks of the "new man" as a place or sphere "in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised . . ." (Col. 3:10). The individual person or "self," however, is not excluded from this corporate sense. For all people exist and have their identity in one of these two "men." They either belong to the "old humanity" and are dominated by its characteristics or they are regenerate and belong to the "new humanity" and are under its domination. Alive and Free in Christ Being spiritually alive in Christ is the major theme of Paul’s theology, which is reflected in the following verse: "For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every city" (1 Cor. 4:17,emphasis added). According to Paul, every believer is identified with Christ: In His death Rom. 6:3; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-3 In His burial Rom. 6:4 In His resurrection Rom. 6:5, 8, 11 In His life Rom. 5:10,11 In His power Eph. 1:19,20 In His inheritance Rom. 8:16,17; Eph. 1:11-18

Positionally, several things changed at salvation. First, God transferred us from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13). Second, we are no longer in the flesh; we are in the Spirit and in Christ. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to

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Him" (Rom. 8:9). Paul equates the idea of being "in the flesh" with being "in Adam." "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22, emphasis added). This positional change can be shown as follows:

In Adam In Christ Old Man (Self) By Ancestry New Man (Self)

Sin Nature Eph. 2:1-3 By Nature Partaker of Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1:4

In the Flesh Rom. 8:8

By Birth In the Spirit Rom. 8:9

Live according to the Flesh By Choice Live according to the Spirit or the

Flesh Gal. 5:16-18

The Bible also says we are a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), which has affected our nature, the very core of our inner being. Paul says, "You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8) The terms in Adam' and in Christ' are too little understood by Christians, and, at the risk of repetition, I wish again to emphasize by means of an illustration the hereditary and racial significance of the term in Christ'. This illustration is to be found in the letter to the Hebrews. Do you remember that in the earlier part of the letter the writer is trying to show that Melchizedek is greater than Levi? You recall that the point to be proved is that the priesthood of Christ is greater than the priesthood of Aaron who was of the tribe of Levi. Now in order to prove that, he has first to prove that the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than the priesthood of Levi, for the simple reason that the priesthood of Christ is "after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 7:14-17), while that of Aaron is, of course, after the order of Levi. If the writer can demonstrate to us that Melchizedek is greater than Levi, then he has made his point. That is the issue, and he proves it in a remarkable way. He tells us in Hebrews chapter 7 that one day Abraham, returning from the battle of the kings (Genesis 14), offered a tithe of his spoils to Melchizedek and received from him a blessing. Inasmuch as Abraham did so, Levi is therefore of less account than Melchizedek. Why? Because the fact that Abraham offered tithes to Melchizedek. But if that is true, then Jacob also in Abraham' offered to Melchizedek, which in turn means that Levi in Abraham' offered to Melchizedek. It is evident that the lesser offers to the greater (Hebrews 7:7). So Levi is less in standing than Melchizedek, and therefore the priesthood of Aaron is inferior to that of the Lord Jesus. Levi at the time of the battle of the kings was not yet even thought of. Yet he was "in the loins of his father" Abraham, and, "so to say, through Abraham", he offered (Hebrews 7:9, 10). Now this is the exact meaning of in Christ'. Abraham, as the head of the family of faith, includes the whole family in himself. When he offered to Melchizedek, the whole family offered in him to Melchizedek. They did not offer separately as individuals, but they were in him, and therefore in making his offering he included with himself all his seed. Normal Christian Life – Watchman Nee

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Conclusion How should we then live? In the confidence that we are adopted by our Heavenly Father, as securely as those who were chosen from before the foundation of the world, and as holy and without blame as those who are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. We live this life out of our position in Christ, not as some say by trying all the harder to prove it. What of sin? When sin accuses we say, ‘Yes, I am a sinner. What of it? My Lord Jesus is a greater Savior. I have been saved by His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.’ (See: Titus 3:5) For it is written, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4 And that is what it means to be “in Christ.” Questions for Discussion

1. What have you learn from this lesson?

2. What does it mean to be “In Adam”, “In Christ”?

3. How will this lesson change your view of sin and death?

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Memory Verse 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has

gone, the new is here!

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Discipleship Lesson 28 Blessed To Be A Blessing

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” After twenty-seven lessons on Discipleship you are ready to go and make disciples just as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19. The question is, are you willing to go? Are you going to be like Isaiah and say, “Here am I. Send me!” Our only choice is whether we will be obedient to the command of our Lord. We must be like Paul when he stated in Acts 26:19 “…I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”. The good news is we won’t go alone. Jesus said, …“I am with you alway”… .(Matthew 28:20) The word blessed means consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified; worthy of adoration, reverenced, divinely or supremely favored; fortunate, blissfully happy. It is not until we are blessed that we can become a blessing to someone else. A blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one’s hope or approval. The scriptures shows us how God blessed Abram and how he became a blessing to others. Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Abram’s story begins with a command and a promise. The command is to separate himself from his countrymen. The blessings followed the command. God’s blessings are abundantly bestowed on all those who follow him. Luke states in chapter 18:29-30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” In verse 2 God tells Abram that he will “make him a blessing”. This imperative is related to the first imperative, “Go from,” and is central and pivotal to the promise. Abram’s separation will result in his bringing blessing to others. God promises personal blessings to those who follow Him in obedience and exhorts His people to be a blessing to others. So we must ask the question are we blessed. Not just in Christian jargon; I’m blessed and highly favored. Are we really blessed? Paul tells us that God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Every spiritual blessing in heavenly realms means all the good things God gives us – salvation, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with him we can enjoy these blessings now.

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Can an outsider see the blessing of God on your life? Can others see the tangible results of a blessed life, the favor of God on your life? The blessing of the Lord is not the tangible results that come from the blessing, but it is what transpires before anything tangible ever happens. It is God's word! Notice in Genesis 1:28; 9:1 where it says and God blessed them and said...and God blessed them and said...The blessing happens because of what God has said and as a person begins to read the promises of God in the bible and obey, the blessing is possible. It’s only through an obedient life that others can see the true blessings of God and they can be blessed because of it. Matthews 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. We also must ask if people will follow us as we follow Christ. Paul tells us to “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesian 5:1-2) It’s not by our words but by our actions/life style that others would want to imitate. Does this mean that we are to be perfect? No one is perfect (Romans 3:23). God doesn’t call perfect people to go make disciples. He calls disciples to go make disciples. Matthew28:16-20 then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus asked Peter three questions and the same questions apply to us. Before you say you are ready to disciple, answer these three questions. Do you love Jesus? If your answer is yes, Jesus say feed His Lambs. John 21:15 Do you love Jesus? If your answer is yes, Jesus say tend His Sheep. John 21:16 Do you love Jesus? If you answer is yes, Jesus say feed His Sheep. John 21:17 Hebrews 5:12-14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. In order to grow from a “baby” Christian to a “grown-up” Christian, we must learn discernment. We must train our consciences, our senses, our minds, and our bodies to distinguish right from wrong. Can you recognize temptation before it controls you? Can you tell correct use of Scripture from mistaken uses? Our capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (“strong meat”) is determined by our spiritual growth. Too often we want God’s banquet before we are spiritually

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capable of digesting it. As you grow in the Lord and put into practice what you have learned, you capacity to understand will grow even greater. Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teaching about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. There are certain basics that are essential for all believers. Those principles that all Christians must know include the importance of faith, the foolishness of trying to be saved by works, baptism, spiritual gifts, and the facts of resurrection and eternal life. To become mature in our understanding, we need to move beyond (but no away from) the basics to a more complete understanding of the faith. Mature Christians should be teaching new Christians the basics, and then, acting on what they know, depending on Christ and living effectively for him. Conclusion “Spiritual parents are intentional, strategic, reproduction-minded, self-feeding, mission-minded, team-minded, and dependable. They are not just biblically knowledgeable; they are filled with the spirit, so they have a loving attitude and encourage others. They know the game plan – they understand the mission, the rules of the game, the positions on the team, and the correct play. They have mastered the basics and then some. Spiritual parents feed and bathe themselves. They are not dependent on the pastor or bible teacher to spoon-feed them every week. Sadly, a lot of Christians want to go to a church led by a pastor who is a dynamic bible teacher (great hooper) because that is the only time they will eat spiritually all week. Consequently, they are starving for spiritual nourishment. However, if they are feeding daily on the Word of God, the weekend teaching is supplementary. Mature disciples also know how to bathe themselves. They understand that when it comes to sin, the Word of God acts as a scrub brush in our hearts. Mature disciples come to church to be inspired and taught, they feed themselves everyday, and they scrub themselves all week. Not only that, they have relationships with those who are younger in their faith and they relate with these younger believers all week long as well. As they do so, they are helping to feed them and they are modeling how they should also be feeding themselves (as a mature believer, not a perfect or completely mature believer). Remember, discipleship happens when we are in relationships with other believers where real teaching, authenticity, accountability, shepherding, and training are part of our lifestyles. It’s the responsibility of all mature believers to learn to feed themselves, then to feed others, then teach them to feed themselves, and then to teach them to feed others, you get the idea. Jim Putman – Real-life Discipleship

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion 1. Can you tell others to follow your example as you follow the example of Christ? 1 Corinthians 11:1 2. Why milk a “baby” Christian be fed milk instead of strong meat? 3. How can we as mature Christians be a blessing to others? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Memory Verse

Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

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Discipleship Lesson 29 God’s Property

Romans 14:8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. With the completion of this lesson we have traveled over twenty-nine lessons of theological training to a more astound and mature understanding of our God, ourselves and His creation. The goal has been discipleship. Discipleship is the process of taking one with lesser knowledge and understanding of a field of discipline to a more mature operation in that area of profession. For us the field of discipline is theological and doctrinal. A disciple or apprentice is one who puts great value upon a field of study and gives him or herself to mastering that operation. The disciple or apprentice does so because he understands that his/her life will be greatly improved by finishing and mastering this skill set. The disciple or apprentice becomes a profession through his/her commitment to the process of discipline learning over time. There are no short cuts or magic bullets which will get one to maturity without time and discipline. We have been called to be God’s professional. Our destiny is tied up in being a master in the field of theology and biblical doctrine. We will not achieve our appointed place without a mature knowledge and understanding of who God is, who we are in Him and what his creation is. This call to professionalism isn’t just a preacher or minister’s calling, but one that belongs to every believer in Jesus Christ. Resist the temptation to give this professional or master level position in Christ away to only a few. And rebuke the evil spirit which suggest to you and others that you don’t need all that, and that you are beneath this level of training. God has left everyone of us as believers to be an ambassador, to be light in the darkness, a priest to his Church and a prophet to the world. Remember everyone of us is more than a conqueror, everyone of us is an heir and joint heir with Christ. Therefore, proceed forth with conviction, confidence and courage as you claim the benefit of discipleship. This Creed is a means to an end. The end is to aid every disciple to become his/her in Christ Jesus. This lesson in the Creed states; “I am God’s Man/Woman!” There are ten I am statements in the Believers Creed. The final statement is a summary statement of the other nine. Clearly the thought is that the sum total of all of these I am is what it means to be a man or woman of God. I am the beloved of the Lord and highly favored! I am saved for all eternity, covered by the Blood, and clean before the Father! I am a citizen of heaven and an heir of the promises of God! I am God’s superman/superwoman: a strong man/woman over my family and home, and in all the areas God has allowed me to tread upon! I am a sin-buster, an enemy of the devil and demons, a living weapon, divinely powerful-destroying the works and strongholds of the enemy! I am a saint of God, a faithful brother/sister, a proclaimer of God’s Word and a model of holy living!I am more than a conqueror, a member of the royal family and royal priesthood! I am the redeemed of the Lord, a new creation, a minister of reconciliation, and an ambassador of the kingdom! I am somebody in the Lord! I am special, talented, brilliant, beautiful, courageous, and competent - I am strong!

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Who am I Judges 6:11-16 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” To be God’s man or woman is to be something powerful, something special and unique and to be divinely different in a very positive manner. The final I am statement is meant to invoke a sense of pride and gratitude from the believer that he or she has been chosen to be in such a high and marvelous place. As Christians we woefully under value who we are in Him. We don’t get magnitude of what it means to be the Creator of the Universe’s Man/Woman! The title, God’s Man/Woman should be high and lofty for us, and if we don’t get its drift then what chance do those outside of the faith have in apprehending it’s meaning. Whose am I The final statement also means to be someone possessed by God. We belong to God. We are His in a manner that one would own and safeguard fine jewelry. We belong to Jesus and we carry His mark and seal of authenticity. The scripture states it well in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 … You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”. All spirit beings, angels, and demons understand that we belong to God, and see us correctly for whose we are. Sadly, we often don’t see ourselves and other Christians in the manner we should. Because we carry His mark, others spirit beings are very careful in how they handle us. It’s not that they fear us, but they don’t dare mishandle God’s presence which is there with His possession. Should we not also be so mindful in interacting with other Christians as well? God jealously protects, and maintains what belongs to him. God’s presence which is attached to His possession should invoke a higher level of respect from us as it does from spirit beings. Maturity is Mandated As disciples grow, their value grows. The disciple understands that so as it is in the natural, then so it is in the spiritual. As one must grow physically to fulfill your earthly life, so must one grow spiritually to be a man or woman of God and so fulfill your destiny. Although at many times in the scripture the title man or woman of God would cover generically any male or female believer regardless of their spiritual status, the term man or woman clearly implies a mature believer. Therefore, Jesus clearly expects that his followers would grow into mature disciples. Scripture also teaches that there are stages of growth in the spiritual life cycle. The Babes in Christ

Ephesians 4: 13-16 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

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1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly –mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 1 Peter 2: 1-2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. Hebrews 5:12-14

The Child in Christ

1 John 2:12-14 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

The Young Men in Christ

1 John 2:12-14 The Father in Christ

1 John 2:12-14 Hebrews 5:12-14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

In light of the stages of spiritual growth, it is incumbent upon each believer to evaluate him/herself to know their status and commit to growth accordingly. Disciples lead others into relationship and growth. Disciples are made to be functional for Jesus and the kingdom. Discipleship is an action word. When Jesus called the twelve he absolutely expected that they would catch man and reproduce themselves in others who would then do the same. Discipleship is about growing the church and reaching the world. Discipleship is about trained laity who leads out of understanding of God and His Word. Discipleship is what produces a man and woman of God. And God’s Man and woman will change the world. The question is who are you? Conclusion Finally, a disciple is one who is a man or woman of God and will engage in the following four commitments:

He/she will join a Church.

He/she will submit to godly human authority.

He/she will be discipled.

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He/she will lead a discipleship group.

As God’s man and woman the following commitments are what bring us success. If we will continue to work these commitments throughout our lives, then one day we will hear God say “well done”! Until then may you proudly say, I Am God’s Man/Woman! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions for Discussion

1. Since you have completed the discipleship course, do you have a better understanding of who you

are in Christ?

2. Who are disciples?

3. Where are you in your spiritual life cycle?

___________________________________________________________________________________ Memory Verse

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let

perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.